Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois

10/16/2026

The Department of Special Education is hiring a visiting educational program development specialist. Please see the position description: tinyurl.com/SPEDSpecialist

10/14/2026

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY: The Department of Curriculum and Instruction is hiring a Lecturer in Trauma-Informed Education. Please reach out to the search chair, Dr. Stephanie Sanders-Smith ([email protected]) with questions.

Duties & Responsibilities

10/09/2026

Congratulations, Dr. Yang!

Yang PI on $451,000 NIH Grant Oct 6, 2026 11:00 am by Communications Office Share on Facebook Tweet Email Images Hsiu-Wen Yang, a visiting research scientist with the Illinois Early Childhood Asset Map (IECAM), has received a $451,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). "Building Br...

10/06/2026

Congratulations, Drs. Harrington and Lambert!

Harrington, Lambert Collaborate on NIH Funded Study Sep 29, 2026 11:00 am by Communications Office Share on Facebook Tweet Email Images Emily Harrington, assistant professor, and Matt Lambert, professor and department head of Special Education, have collaborated on a $427,000 NIH-funded study from t...

10/03/2026

Congratulations to SPED graduate Dr. Megan Best, as well as the other award winners!!

Each year, TASH honors those whose contributions have advanced equity, opportunity and inclusion for people with disabilities, and whose actions set a high standard for human rights every day. Please join us in congratulating this year's award recipients:

• Alice H. Hayden Emerging Leader Award: Hari Srinivasan
• Barbara R. Trader Leadership Award: Jennifer Kurth
• Early Career Researcher Award: Megan Carpenter
• June Downing Breakthroughs in Inclusive Education Award: Michael McSheehan
• Larry J. Brummond Supportive Relationship: Phyllis Holton and Project ACTION!
• Marc Gold Employment Award: Brian Nichols
• Excellence in Employment Leadership & Innovation Award: Suad Bisogno
• Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports Award: Shaun Wood
• Positive Images in the Media: Marco Niemeijer, All of Us: Inside a School that Breaks the Mold
• Ralph Edwards Diversity and Social Impact Award: Elizabeth "Betsy" Neuville
• TASH's Lifetime Achievement Award: Sue Swenson
• Teacher Educator Award: Megan Best

Award recipients will be acknowledged at the Awards Luncheon on Friday December 4, 2026, during the 2026 TASH Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. https://tash.org/2026TASHConf

09/28/2026

Thinking About A PhD in Special Education?

Join us for an informational webinar!

October 5, 2026 @ 7pm CST

Register here: tinyurl.com/SPEDwebinar2026

In the webinar, you'll learn:
The University of Illinois and our community
PhD program expectations
Career alignment and fit
Funding options
Application process

Find more information about our PhD program here: https://education.illinois.edu/sped/programs-degrees/phd-sped

09/11/2026

Congratulations to Drs. Tarconish and Zarate, as well as the other faculty in our college.

Investing in our own.

We’re proud to announce that 11 faculty members have earned promotions for 2026-27. Additionally, Stephanie Toliver received the Campus Distinguished Promotion, recognizing extraordinary work.

We’re pleased to have these educators at Illinois for years to come. More: https://bit.ly/4xKtzcw

08/21/2026

Save the date: September 17

Join us for the Goldstick Family Lecture in Communication Disorders at the U. of I. Philanthropy. Our featured speaker is Dr. Jennifer Kurtz of the University of Kansas.

More Info: https://education.illinois.edu/alumni/the-goldstick-family-lecture

07/22/2026

Developmental Therapist Needed to Volunteer as a Cooperating Professional

The early childhood special education program at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is seeking an early intervention developmental therapist to serve as a cooperating professional for a master's student.

You MUST work near Champaign-Urbana OR do primarily live video visits from anywhere in Illinois.

The practicum is for 20 hours/week from August 24 to December 9.

This is a great opportunity to build your mentorship skills and help train the next generation of early childhood special education professionals!

Please email [email protected] if you are interested or have questions.