Elsa Cárdenas-Hagan, Ed.D., is a bilingual speech-language pathologist and a certified academic language therapist. She is the director of Valley Speech Language and Learning Center in Brownsville, Texas, which was established in 1993. She also works with the Texas Institute for Measurement, Evaluation, and Statistics at the University of Houston. Dr. Cárdenas-Hagan is the author of Esperanza (HOPE), a Spanish-language program designed to assist students who struggle with learning to read. Her research interests include the development of early reading assessments for Spanish-speaking students and the development of reading interventions for bilingual students. She was the co-principal investigator of a longitudinal study funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development and the Institute for Education Sciences that examined the oracy and literacy development in English and Spanish of Spanish-speaking children. She serves as the vice president for the International Dyslexia Association and has authored curricular programs, book chapters, and journal articles related to oracy and literacy development for English language learners.
Volunteering to teach adult struggling readers was a natural for Linda, who is a former English teacher, school counselor, and lifelong bookworm. Linda met her mentor, Dr. Louisa Moats, while she was volunteering to teach adults to read. She has since coauthored the Teaching Reading Essentials Program Guide and Coaches Guide with Dr. Moats. Linda is also coauthor, with Michael Hunter, of Phonics Blitz™ (1st Edition), Phonics Boost™, and the Diagnostic Decoding Surveys. Linda was a National LETRS Trainer with Dr. Moats for seven years. She has been presenting workshops, giving speeches, authoring publications, and developing reading assessment and instructional materials for more than 10 years. To keep her skills fresh and innovative, Linda works with struggling readers of all ages whenever she gets the chance to do so.
Jan Hasbrouck, Ph.D., is an award-winning researcher, educational consultant, and author who works with schools and agencies in the U.S. and internationally. Dr. Hasbrouck worked as a reading specialist and literacy coach for 15 years and later became a professor. Her research in reading fluency, academic assessment and interventions, and instructional coaching has been widely published. She is the author, coauthor, and co-editor of several books, along with some assessment tools. She continues to collaborate with researchers and school colleagues on projects related to reading interventions, assessment, and instructional coaching. She enjoys volunteering at her grandson’s K-8 school in Seattle.
Michael Hunter, M.Ed., is a founding partner of Readsters, a small company dedicated to supporting and developing excellent reading instruction, so all students learn to read. Michael found his passion for teaching struggling readers as a volunteer teaching adult non-readers. He is now dedicated to helping teachers teach every student to read. Michael has co-authored instructional materials with his business partner, Linda Farrell, including Phonics Plug-In ONE & TWO, Practice Packets for Fixing Common Confusions, and Teaching Vowel Sounds. Michael delivers professional development and advises schools nationally. Some of his favorite work with schools includes coaching and modeling in the classroom. This work with students and teachers keeps Michael’s skills fresh. This work also continues to inform the creation of additional instructional materials for beginning and struggling readers of all ages. Michael’s work at Readsters has even taken him to Africa to consult on early reading instruction in tribal languages.
Tim Odegard is a professor of psychology and holds the Katherine Davis Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies at Middle Tennessee State University, where he leads the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia. Dr. Odegard plays a pivotal role in advancing the Science of Reading and currently serves as editor-in-chief of Annals of Dyslexia and consulting editor for the Journal of Learning Disabilities. He is also a former editor at large for Perspectives on Language and Literacy. As a contributing author to the IDA’s Knowledge and Practice Standards for Teachers of Reading, he has helped shape educational standards in literacy. Additionally, he has served as vice president of the Texas Dyslexia Licensure Advisory Committee and contributed to the IDA’s Educational Training Initiative.
Dr. Odegard’s commitment to enhancing educational opportunities extends beyond dyslexia to broader literacy efforts across North America. His service includes technical consulting for multiple state literacy initiatives, developing online training for state departments of education, and supporting large U.S. school districts. He is a California Reading Difficulties Risk Selection Panel member and serves on the intervention selection committee for Ontario, Canada. He also serves on advisory boards for nonprofit organizations that impact communities nationwide.
His numerous accolades include the AIM Institute Founder's Award, the Innovator Award from IMSLEC, ALTA’s Luke Waits Service Award, the Massey-Sexton Dyslexia Advocacy Award from the Tennessee IDA, the Roland H. Waters Teaching Award from the University of Arkansas, and the Research Excellence Award from the University of Texas, Arlington.