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The Western Illinois University College of Education and Human Services will honor Lawrence J. Johnson, who earned his bachelor's degree in special education from WIU in 1978, as the 2011 Distinguished Alumnus. Johnson is the dean of, and an early childhood and special education professor in, the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH) at the University of Cincinnati (UC). He will visit and deliver presentations on the WIU-Macomb campus during the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) Week, slated to run from Monday, April 25-Friday, April 29.
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College of Education and Human Services Distinguished Alumnus 2011: Lawrence J. Johnson

April 13, 2011

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MACOMB, IL -- The Western Illinois University College of Education and Human Services will honor Lawrence J. Johnson, who earned his bachelor's degree in special education from WIU in 1978, as the 2011 Distinguished Alumnus. Johnson is the dean of, and an early childhood and special education professor in, the College of Education, Criminal Justice and Human Services (CECH) at the University of Cincinnati (UC). He will visit and deliver presentations on the WIU-Macomb campus during the College of Education and Human Services (COEHS) Week, slated to run from Monday, April 25-Friday, April 29. The annual COEHS Week celebrates the college, its alumni, its departments, faculty, staff and students on WIU's Macomb and Quad Cities campuses.

At 2 p.m. Friday, April 29, Johnson will deliver "The Politics of Education: How to Avoid Being Lunch" in Horrabin Hall, room 82 (Macomb campus) and via video conference to the WIU-QC campus (room 113).

Johnson -- who has testified in front of the U.S. Congress on four different occasions; provided testimony to Ohio's state legislators more than a dozen times; and served as the head of the governmental relations arm of the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education (AACTE) -- will provide examples of federal- and state-level policies education advocates have been able to influence through legislative decision making. Johnson will also discuss current legislative issues about which education advocates should be aware.

During his visit to WIU, Johnson will also meet with students in special class sessions and will be honored at a private reception and dinner.

Johnson has served as dean of the CECH at UC since 1999, and he is the author of 10 books, 33 book chapters and 71 refereed journal articles. He has been recognized by multiple organizations for his contributions in education by the states of Illinois, Alabama and Ohio. Johnson earned his master's in education from the University of Illinois at Chicago and his doctorate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

For more information, contact Dana Moon, COEHS director of marketing and community relations, at (309) 298-1690 or via email at DM-Moon@wiu.edu. More information about COEHS Week 2011 is available at wiu.edu/coehs/coehs_week/.

Posted By: Teresa Koltzenburg (WIUNews@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing