2012 Fall Signature Event
Featuring Senator Michael Johnston

Through Historical Perspective – The Art of Education
Senator Michael Johnston is a Colorado native and a Morgridge College of Education alumni who has made high impact on the schools of our state as a student, teacher, administrator, author, and now as a member of the State Legislature representing District 33 of Northeastern Denver. Senator Johnston served as a member of the transition team on education policy for president-elect Barack Obama during his campaign. Johnston authored the number one selling education book In the Deep Heart’s Core, based on his experience teaching in the rural south for Teach for America. Before being appointed to the State Senate, he also served in the Denver area as principal of the Mapleton Expeditionary School of the Arts, the Joan Farley Academy, and the Marvin Foote Detention Center. As an influential member in the field of education, the senator has been featured in Forbes Magazine’s “7 Most Powerful Educators” and Time Magazine’s “40 under 40”.
Video of the interview with Senator Johnston
2012 Spring Signature Event
Featuring Dr. Donna Shavlik

The Ever Changing Landscape for Women’s Education
Dr. Shavlik, a Denver native, is a former Director of the Office of Women in Higher Education and Senior Fellow, American Council on Education in Washington, DC. She was a founding member of the National Council for Research on Women and served as chair of the Board of Directors and has been a national and international advisor on higher education. During her tenure, Dr. Shavlik played a major role in coordinating efforts among higher education associations relative to women’s equity and leadership and in creating strategies to address women’s issues. She has received numerous awards, especially for the role she played in the passage of Title IX.
Video of the interview with Dr. Shavlik
2012 Winter Signature Event
Featuring Dr. Lucy Jane Miller

Sensory Processing Disorder: Persistence & Passion
Caring for Individuals with Challenges in Responding to Sensation
Lucy Jane Miller founded the Sensory Processing Disorder Foundation in 1979, and serves as the executive director. She was an associate professor at UC Denver Medical School with a double appointment in Pediatrics and Rehabilitation Medicine for 11 years. In 2005 Dr. Miller founded the STAR (Sensory Therapies And Research) Center, co-located with the Foundation in Denver.
For 35 years Dr. Miller has devoted herself to the study and treatment of Sensory Processing Disorder and is spearheading the effort to get SPD recognized as a diagnostic entity separate from other disorders. She is a prolific author, with over 50 articles in peer-reviewed journals. Her book, Sensational Kids: Hope and Help for Children with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) has become the definitive source of information on SPD. She has developed the STAR treatment model, which has been demonstrated through research to be effective.
Dr. Miller also develops norm-referenced standardized assessments that are in use worldwide, including the Miller Assessment for Preschoolers, the Leiter International Performance Scale – Revised and the new Miller Function and Participation Scale or M-Fun. She talks about learning family-centered care during her three terms, totaling nine years on the Governor’s Interagency Coordinating Council for IDEA in CO. In 2005, she received the Martin Luther King, Jr. award from the State of Colorado.
Video of the interview with Dr. Miller