Karen Erickson (’95, Ph.D.), director of the Center for Literacy and Disability Studies, professor in the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences, and the David E. & Dolores (Dee) Yoder Distinguished Professor of Literacy and Disability Studies in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the UNC School of Medicine, will deliver the UNC School of Education’s graduation address on Saturday, May 10, 2025.
The ceremony will take place at noon in Carmichael Arena on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus, with a reception to follow on Hooker Field from 2:30-4:30 p.m.
Erickson, a former special education teacher, has dedicated her career to advancing literacy and communication for individuals with extensive support needs. Her research focuses on literacy assessment and instruction for readers of all ages, including those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
“Karen Erickson’s impressive career has included time as both a practitioner and researcher, developing meaningful solutions and supports in special education and literacy. Her work holds incredible value for North Carolina and beyond, and reflects the collaborative, whole-child, and research-driven approach we take as a School,” said Jill V. Hamm, interim dean of the School. “I hope all of our graduates at this year’s ceremony — future leaders across education and beyond — will find connections with Karen’s address and experiences.”
A 1995 graduate of the UNC School of Education, where she earned a Ph.D. in special education with a focus on literacy, Erickson also holds a Bachelor of Science in human development and family studies from Cornell University and a master’s degree in special education from the State University of New York at Albany. She has published more than 130 articles, books, and instructional programs, addressing topics such as language teaching, language development, autism spectrum disorders, learning strategies, and developmental disabilities.
A recognized leader in literacy and disability studies, Erickson co-developed Tar Heel Reader (now Monarch Reader), an open-source online library that offers a digital library of thousands of accessible and adapted books specifically tailored for beginning readers of all ages. The platform is also a space where adults can create accessible and adapted books that engage beginning readers.
Erickson collaborates on initiatives that include the Dynamic Learning Maps Alternate Assessment Consortium, a group of state departments of education that develop and use the DLM Alternate Assessment system that is designed for students with intellectual disabilities who cannot participate in general state assessments, even with accommodations, and Project Core, an initiative led by the University’s Center for Literacy and Disability Studies that supports teachers to provide students with cognitive disabilities and complex communication needs with access to a flexible Universal Core vocabulary and evidence-based instruction to teach them to use core vocabulary via personal augmentative and alternative communication systems.
In 2011, Erickson was named the recipient of the School’s Alumni Achievement Award, which recognizes the exceptional achievement of an alumnus or alumna who personifies the School’s commitment to supporting communities to improve education in the state and nation for all children and the adults who care for them. Lauded throughout her career, among Erickson’s many honors are the 2024 Faculty Mentoring Award for Graduate Student Mentorship, sponsored by the Carolina Women’s Leadership Council; the 2013 Excellence in Education Award from the University at Albany, State University of New York; and the 2010 Robert E. Bryan Public Service Award, sponsored by the University.
Erickson has also been recognized on the national and international stage, receiving accolades such as the National Down Syndrome Congress Education Award and the International Society for Augmentative and Alternative Communication Distinguished Literacy Lectureship Award.
Through her research, teaching, and service, Erickson remains committed to helping educators, therapists, and students gain access to effective communication and accessible literacy learning opportunities.