Patricia Mathes, professor of Teaching and Learning and the Texas Instruments Chair of Reading in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development, joined the SMU faculty in 2003. She earned a bachelor's degree at Baylor University, a master's degree at the University of Houston and a Ph.D. from Vanderbilt University. She completed postdoctoral training at the John F. Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development at Peabody College. An internationally respected researcher and teacher educator, Professor Mathes has received over $55 million in federal funding. Her landmark research has focused on best practices in literacy instruction, prevention of reading disabilities, reading instruction to English language learners, use of Computer Adaptive Testing for Continuous Progress Monitoring, Response-to-Intervention implementation and virtual coaching. Her intervention developments have become commercially available after undergoing randomized controlled testing and validation. She is the author of numerous articles, chapters, books and curricular materials on reading and reading disabilities, accommodating academic diversity and best practices for struggling readers. She retires as Professor Emeritus of Teaching and Learning.