NASHVILLE
,
Tenn.
—September offers several opportunities for members of the community to learn more about developmental disabilities, education and art at the
Vanderbilt
Kennedy
Center
for Research on Human Development. The
Kennedy
Center
is located at the corner of
21st Avenue South
and
Edgehill Avenue
.
”
The Science and The Hope: Celebrating 40 Years of Discovery,”
a new photo exhibit illustrating the 40-year history of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center,
opened Sept. 20 and will remain at the center until Oct. 28. The exhibit is part of the
Kennedy
Center
‘s 40th anniversary celebration, underway this fall to recognize the center’s work in transforming the lives of individuals with disabilities through research, training and family and community outreach.
The exhibit is free and open to the public 7:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Frank Vellutino
,
expert on reading disabilities,
will speak Monday, Sept. 26, at 4:10 p.m., about the factors that determine if a child will become proficient at reading or if he or she will struggle. He is currently developing tools to identify children at risk of early reading difficulties as well as interventions to help these children get on the right path.
Vellutino is a professor of psychology at University at Albany-State University of New York. His lecture is free and open to the public and will take place at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/MRL Building Room 241.
Pat Morrissey, commissioner of the Administration on Developmental Disabilities,
will speak on Monday, Sept. 28, at 4 p.m., about the Family Support Program, which helps states plan and develop programs for families that contribute to self-determination, independence, productivity and inclusion of persons with disabilities in all facets of community life.
Morrissey holds a Ph.D. in special education and has worked for the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, the House of Representatives and President Reagan’s administration. She was a contributor to President George W. Bush’s New Freedom Initiative, a comprehensive program to promote the full participation of people with disabilities in all areas of society. Her lecture is free and open to the public and will take place at the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center/MRL Building Room 241.
For more information on these and other
Kennedy
Center
events, visit http://kc.vanderbilt.edu. For more news from Vanderbilt, visit www.vanderbilt.edu/news.
Media contacts: Melanie Moran, (615) 322-NEWS
Stephanie Comer, (615) 322-5658
stephanie.comer@vanderbilt.edu