Drs. Rebecca Curtis and Dave Martin of Education's Rehabilitation and Special Education were recently granted $375,000 and $500,000 respectively, for five years from the U.S. Department of Education.  Their proposals for innovative projects in undergraduate education and graduate rehabilitation leadership education were chosen from a national pool of applicants.

Curtis, an assistant professor of rehabilitation counseling and undergraduate program director for the rehabilitation and disability studies major, noted that her grant is for a limited number of selected students.  These students will be placed in the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services' sponsored or sanctioned practica that will provide an enhanced experience that could be used to accelerate entrance into the graduate program in rehabilitation counseling. 

"The rehabilitation counseling profession is currently experiencing a loss of professional staff due to retirements and a resulting shortage of qualified rehabilitation counselors. A major purpose of this grant is to demonstrate alternative ways to increase the number of highly qualified persons to enter this field of employment," says Curtis. 

Curtis joined the Department of Rehabilitation and Special Education in 2004 from Georgia State University where she was instrumental in providing training opportunities to staff of community rehabilitation programs throughout the southeast federal region.

Professor of rehabilitation counseling and graduate program director, Martin's grant will provide managerial and leadership training to selected rehabilitation managers and others that exhibit leadership potential.  The utilization of state of the art distance education technology will encourage optimal learning and will conserve time away from the job-site.

"An innovative feature of this grant is the development of critical management institutes paired with the academic courses throughout the 16 month post-graduate program," says Martin.

 Martin joined Auburn University in 2003 from Virginia Commonwealth University where he served in a number of faculty and administrative positions. He currently serves on Alabama's State Rehabilitation Council as an appointee of Governor Bob Riley, where he chairs the Council's Program Evaluation and Consumer Services Committee.

The College of Education's Department of Rehabilitation and Special Education (RSE) recruits, prepares and graduates qualified individuals who are committed to and competent in assisting individuals with disabilities advance their personal, educational, vocational, social and economic goals. RSE's rehabilitation counseling program was recently ranked 14th in public universities in the nation by US News & World Report.