Learn from Leading Experts

A hallmark of The Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership is the breadth and depth of its experts from multiple disciplines and experiences.

These experts:

• Include educators, researchers, and policymakers who are leading change in their fields and influencing the future of education on a national level
• Participate in Walden courses in several ways, including planning and developing curriculum, sharing insights and research through podcasts and videos, and teaching classes
• Provide a research-based foundation from which students can transform their teaching practice in positive and meaningful ways

This instructional approach enables you to have access to the latest thinking in the field as part of your program curriculum.

Special Education Experts

Margaret McLaughlin, Ph.D.
Dr. McLaughlin has been involved in special education throughout her professional career, beginning as a teacher of students with serious emotional and behavioral disorders. She is the associate director of the Institute for the Study of Exceptional Children and Youth at the College of Education, University of Maryland.

Dr. McLaughlin also directs several national projects investigating education reform regarding students with disabilities, including work with the Educational Policy Reform Research Institute (a consortium involving the University of Maryland), the National Center on Educational Outcomes, and the Urban Special Education Leadership Collaborative.

She has also developed programs for students with developmental disabilities in Bosnia, Nicaragua, and Guatemala.

Marilyn Friend, Ph.D.
Dr. Friend is a professor and chair for the Department of Specialized Education Services at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The author of numerous books and publications and co-author of Including Students with Special Needs: A Practical Guide for Classroom Teachers, Dr. Friend specializes in the areas of collaboration and consultation in special education, service delivery systems, teaming, and inclusive education.

She is involved in undergraduate and graduate teaching, field-based research, advising, and the development and coordination of teacher education programs for students with mild disabilities.

Dr. Friend has worked with teachers in most of the 50 states, as well as in Canada, Portugal, and Indonesia. She assists professionals to develop effective co-teaching skills, create and maintain effective teams, and problem-solve with parents and families.

Early Childhood Education Experts

Judy Harris Helm, Ed.D.
Dr. Helm, a former primary and preschool teacher, now works with early childhood and elementary schools, helping them integrate research and new methods through her consulting and training company, Best Practices, Inc.

A past president of the Illinois Association for the Education of Young Children, she has received awards including the Outstanding Service to Young Children Award from the Chicago Metro Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Julia Proctor White Arts and Education Award from the Peoria YWCA. Dr. Helm serves on the Illinois Director Credential Commission and the Quality Enhancement Committee for the Illinois Network of Child Care Resource & Referral Agencies.

Her work has been translated into five languages, and she continues to provide consultation and training throughout the country and the world.

Sue Bredekamp, Ph.D.

Dr. Bredekamp works at the Council for Professional Recognition and also serves as a consultant on early childhood curriculum and professional development. From 1981 to 1998, she served as director of professional development and accreditation for the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). She developed and served as on-air faculty for HeadsUp! Reading, a satellite, distance-learning course on early literacy. She is co-author of several influential NAEYC publications including Developmentally Appropriate Practice in Early Childhood Programs, the 1987 and 1997 editions, and Learning to Read and Write: Developmentally Appropriate Practices for Young Children, 1998.