Dr. Kathleen J. Brown brings a growing national reputation as a teacher educator, intervention clinician, and scholar to the directorship of the University of Utah Reading Clinic. Dr. Brown has led intervention practica for hundreds of Utah educators. She continues to tutor struggling readers every week, because she believes that if "you're going to talk the talk, you had better walk the walk." She has been certified as a Wilson^® Level 1 tutor. In 1997, Dr. Brown received the University of Utah Graduate School of Education Teaching Award in recognition of her contribution to university teaching. In 2001, she served as a faculty member for the Harvard University Literacy Institute. Dr. Brown served on the Department of Education's national evaluation team for the "Reading First" initiative. Her work has been published in a number of scholarly journals, including Reading Research Quarterly, Elementary School Journal, The Reading Teacher, and Journal of Literacy Research.

Michele Blake is a certified Elementary and Special Education teacher. She comes to us from the Jordan School District where she has taught Special Education (grades K-6) for 6 years. Michele has an ESL endorsement and earned her Masters in Education from the University of Utah in 2003. She had the opportunity to present at the International Reading Convention in Salt Lake City in March 2001 on interventions for at-risk and struggling readers. Michele has been trained in both Early Steps^SM and Next Steps^SM intervention by Dr. Kathleen Brown and also has been certified as a Wilson^® Level 1 tutor. She has been extremely successful in adapting those models for students with learning disabilities and loves working with kids and helping them to become more successful readers.

Ursula K. Brock received certification as an English as a Second Language paraprofessional/para-educator through Weber State University. She has been trained by Dr. Kathleen J. Brown in intervention for at-risk and struggling readers and also has been certified as a Wilson^® Level 1 and Level 2 tutor. Ms. Brock has excellent multi-lingual translations skills in German, Spanish, and English with over nine years experience as a translator. She has a solid background and sensitivity for cultural differences global customs, and culture.

Grace Craig has a BA from BYU in Studies of Ancient Greece and Rome. Grace received a Master’s degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in Teaching Language with an emphasis in Teaching English as a Second Language. She taught elementary grades for four years at private schools, Challenger School in Sandy and Sandcastle Academy in Bountiful. She has also taught courses in Latin language and ESL. A body of coursework in Linguistics has helped prepare Grace to make a contribution to the Reading Clinic’s activities. She considers herself very fortunate to continually be learning how to best teach struggling readers through her work with the University of Utah Reading Clinic.

Nikki Fellows received her Associate’s Degree from LDS Business College. She has worked in the Salt Lake City School District as secretary to the Director of Food Services. After taking some time off to be a “mom”, she went to West Kearns Elementary and helped in the resource program there as an aide. The year 1999 found her in the front office at West Kearns which is where she had her first contact with Dr. Kathleen Brown and the University of Utah Reading Clinic. Since coming to the Reading Clinic, she has had the pleasure of learning and observing the Reading Clinic’s program in action. She has been trained as a Next Steps^SM tutor and feels there is no finer program available to children who are struggling with their reading.

Dr. Matt Fields has a B.S. in Applied Physics from Caltech, an M.S. in Educational Technology and a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Utah. As a member of the Reading Clinic, he brings his research and technology background to the study of reading and the development of intervention practices. He currently serves as the Financial, Technical, and Data Manager for the Reading Clinic. He has been trained as a Next Steps^SM tutor and conducts many of the assessment of students interested in receiving intervention as well as students who have completed the program.

Linda Jensen is a certified elementary teacher who comes to us after many years of service in the Murray School District. After serving in that district as a parent volunteer and while working as a Title 1 paraprofessional, she returned to school to complete her degree in Elementary Education. During her four years working as a classroom teacher, she earned her ESL endorsement. She worked another four years as a Title 1 Literacy facilitator. She has been trained in both Early Steps and Next Steps by Dr. Kathleen Brown, as well as being a certified Wilson level 1 tutor. She is delighted to be part of a program that has so much success in helping children overcome difficulties in reading.

Trina Robbins comes to the University of Utah Reading Clinic from Jordan School District after having worked in the Title I program for 11 years. She has received training in many areas ranging from child development to specific reading interventions for at-risk readers (i.e., Early Steps^SM, Next^SM, and Soar to Success). Trina had received extensive training from Dr. Kathleen Brown through the University of Utah and has been a tutor with the reading clinic for the last 3 years as well as being certified as a Wilson^® Level 1 tutor.

Kris Vassel received a Bachelor of Science from BYU in Elementary and Special Education. Shortly after graduating, Kris became a certified Reading Recovery and Wilson Reading System^® teacher. She worked for Alpine School District for 4 years teaching Special Education (grades K-6), Reading Recovery, and training educators on effective reading assessments and interventions for struggling readers. She has presented to the K-12 committee in Alpine and the State Office of Education in Salt Lake City on interventions for at-risk readers. Since coming to the Reading Clinic, Kris has received training from Dr. Kathleen Brown in Early Steps^SM and Next Steps^SM and is currently interning to become a Wilson Reading System^® trainer for the state of Utah. She loves working with struggling readers and looks forward to enhancing her knowledge about effective reading interventions through the University of Utah Reading Clinic.