Gevirtz School alumni Bryan and Lysandra Cook, who currently are professors at the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa College of Education (COE), were awarded the Kirk Award by the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Learning Disabilities. The Cooks were recognized for their article, “Research Designs and Special Education Research: Different Designs Address Different Questions,” which was selected as the best practitioner article published in Learning Disabilities Research & Practice (LDRP) in 2016. Bryan Cook received his Ph.D. and Lysandra Cook received her Master’s degree from the Department of Education at UC Santa Barbara.
The goal of the Cooks’ work is to help non-researchers understand basic research design in order to successfully implement findings in special education. Their research at the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa focuses on evidence-based practices, high incidence disability, inclusion, and teacher preparation. The Cooks were recognized for their work at the Council for Exceptional Children’s Annual Conference in Boston in April.