Purpose of the Chair

The Katherine Davis Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies was established in 1988 as a professorship in the College of Education for the purpose of building public awareness about the nature of dyslexia and about promising approaches to identification of children who struggle to read and effective interventions to address their needs. The chair is intended to enhance the skills of teachers, school psychologists, and parents to more effectively identify and assist dyslexic students and students who struggle to read. The chair also was established to contribute to the research base that defines dyslexia and reading failure, guides the identification of individuals who struggle with reading and why, and informs the content and strategies for effective instruction. Moreover, the chair was established to support efforts to improve the knowledge and skills of area educators through consultation and education, as well as provide consultation services for Tennessee school systems, individual teachers, other school personnel, and families. The Chair is tasked with establishing and maintaining a resource and reference center, the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia, to actively engage in the research efforts of the Chair and actively support the translation of research to pratice. The Chair supports efforts to develop and deliver curriculum for courses on effective ways to educate dyslexic children and children who struggle with reading; and engages in research and supports the efforts of other university faculty in their research activities.

Chairholder

Tim Odegard is a professor of psychology and holds the Katherine Davis Murfree Chair of Excellence in Dyslexic Studies at Middle Tennessee State University, leading the efforts of the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia. He also serves as faculty for the PhD in Literacy Studies program, and the Masters in Literacy program. He completed his B.A. in psychology at Hendrix College, hi