On April 16, 2013, six individuals renowned for their work in removing barriers to equal opportunity in education and the workforce were honored when The National Alliance for Partnerships in Equity (NAPE) held its 2013 Professional Development Institute, in Washington DC.
Dr. Lakshmi Mahadevan, Assistant Professor, Texas A&M AgriLife and Center on Disability and Development affiliate was one of the six recognized at the ceremony. She was honored with the NAPE’s 2013 “Rising Star” award, which is given to a candidate who has ten years or less in their field, and who has demonstrated exemplary leadership traits at an early career point to promote access, equity, and/or diversity in education and/or the workforce.
Dr. Mahadevan has her Ph.D. in Educational Psychology with an emphasis in Career Development Education from Texas A&M University. Her areas of expertise include career assessment, training teachers on post-secondary options for individuals with special needs, special education and multicultural career counseling, and is the Career and Technical Special Populations Training and Resource Education Center (CTSP Center) program coordinator at Texas A&M University’s AgriLife Extension Service.
Individuals nominating Dr. Mahadevan for this award wrote, “Dr. Mahadevan’s colleagues attribute her accomplishments to her willingness to take risks in order to better the educational experiences of underserved students. She listens intently to the frustrations expressed by CTE educators, empowers them through instruction of best practices, and helps them adapt to or create new strategies to resolve issues. She continues to be successful in challenging the status quo and changing teachers’ convictions about inclusion by providing educational approaches, such as incorporating universal design into courses and strategies for accommodating and modifying curriculum, so that it is accessible to all Texas students.”
The CTSP Center is a grant-funded project affiliated with the Texas A&M Center on Disability and Development which provides professional development education to Career/Technical teachers serving students with special educational needs.
NAPE’s Professional Development Institute – entitled “Igniting Innovation: Access, Equity, and Diversity” – is a professional development event for educators and advocates dedicated to removing barriers to equal opportunity in education and the workforce. The Institute equips participants with strategies and tools to implement practices aimed at igniting access, equity, and diversity. The Institute also allows attendees to network with educators, advocates, and others to discuss the impact of public policy on education and workforce development programs.
For more information:
NAPE Professional Development Institute
Center on Disability and Development at Texas A&M University