November 11, 2005
Written by Michael Castellon
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: Nov. 11, 2005
CONTACT: Michael Castellon, m.castellon@ttu.edu
LUBBOCK – The Virginia Murray Sowell Center for the Education and Research of Visual
Impairment has been awarded funding for two graduate fellows by The National Center
in Leadership for Visual Impairments. The award will allow two students, Derrick Smith,
of Munford, Ala., and Sharon Summers, of Benton, Ill., to receive full tuition plus
$20,000 each for four years.
The fellowships will help offset a potential crisis by institutions facing a critical
shortage of qualified individuals with doctoral degrees who prepare teachers of children
with blindness and deafblindess, as well as orientation and mobility specialists.
Nora Griffin-Shirley, director of the center, said the funding will help meet the
needs of institutions suffering from a lack of qualified personnel.
“This innovative program will help meet this drastic need so university programs will
not have to close due to a lack of people to fill the vacant positions,” she said.
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CONTACT: Nora Griffin-Shirley, director of The Virginia Murray Sowell Center for the
Education and Research of Visually Impaired, (806) 742-1997 ext. 247, or
n.griffin-shirley@ttu.edu