Dr. Kausalai (Kay) WijekumarĀ
Professor at Texas A&M University Literacy is a Human Right and Failure is NOT an Option
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Dr. Kausalai (Kay) Wijekumar is the Leader of Literacy.IO, a site dedicated to achieving reading and writing success for 100% of students and adults. Her research and development have led to transformational success in reading comprehension in English and Spanish for monolingual, bilingual, special education, dyslexic, and children adversely affected by socioeconomic conditions. Her work has also transformed adult learners. She is an esteemed researcher and scholar who holds the Houston Endowment Chair, the Chancellor's EDGES Fellow, and the Director of the Center for Urban School Partnerships at Texas A&M University. She is a passionate advocate for all children, dedicating her research, development, and dissemination efforts to eradicating illiteracy. She has developed web-based intelligent tutoring systems for reading, writing, science, and teacher professional development in English and Spanish. Her ITSS web-based intelligent tutoring system is featured on the What Works Clearinghouse as an evidence-based system and in US News and World Report. To support the development, deployment, and research of these evidence-based practices in schools, she has secured over 90 million dollars in competitive grant funding from national agencies. Her recent work brings evidence-based reading instruction to families with the ACE podcasts. She is a musician, avid gardener, world traveler, and loves animals.
