Browder recognized as First Citizens Bank Scholar

Diane Browder (center) with Chancellor Philip L. Dubois (left) and First Citizens executive Marc Horgan.

For numerous contributions to the field of special education, Diane Browder received the 2009 First Citizens Bank Scholars Medal at an award ceremony Friday at the Harris Alumni Center. This prestigious award, presented by First Citizens Bank and UNC Charlotte, honors faculty scholarship and intellectual inquiry.

“For 22 years, First Citizens Bank has joined in partnership with UNC Charlotte to present the Scholars Medal Award to an outstanding University faculty member,” said Marc Horgan, Mecklenburg area executive for First Citizens Bank. “Dr. Browder continues this long-standing tradition of excellence, and we are proud to honor her for her scholarship and the difference she is making the lives of children and their families.”

While at UNC Charlotte, Browder has secured more than $8 million in federal research funding and student support monies. She has published several books that are considered seminal within the field of special education. In 2008, she was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Education to serve a two-year term on the U.S. Department of Education National Technical Advisory Committee, a group that informs national education policy.

Browder employed her vast knowledge in the service of teachers and children with the development of the Early Literacy Skills Builder (ELSB), a scientifically based literacy program for students with cognitive disabilities. The ELSB curriculum has been adopted by school systems around the nation.

The University’s Broadcast Communications Department produced a video about the event. Click here to view it.