I served on [Susan Gray’s] dissertation committee and assisted her in designing her pilot and dissertation studies. Susan’s dissertation proposal was received with great enthusiasm by her committee because of its rigor and importance. [She] is on her way to establishing a reputation as a serious researcher.
Susan has a rich and varied background in her field of speech, language, and literacy pathology. Since 2001, she has conducted a private practice working with students having difficulties in speech, language and reading. She holds several licenses and certificates showing that she has expertise in a broad range of areas, including elementary education, reading, speech/language hearing disorders, and speech language pathology. She is one of only a few speech language academics who possess expertise in both literacy and speech-language. The two areas are intricately related, so being able to teach students and conduct research with this background makes her contributions especially unique and valuable.
Susan has already received awards for her research. She was a dissertation finalist and received the Jeanne Chall research fellowship award from the International Literacy Association. She received awards also from the speech and language associations (ASHA). This, too, attests to her promising future as a researcher. I offer my strongest recommendation in support of … Dr. Susan Gray. Her background, research experience, and teaching/tutoring expertise eminently qualify her.
-Linnea Ehri, Ph.D.
City University of New York,
National Reading Panel
In the 1980’s when Susan and I were graduate students, the fields of speech-language pathology and reading were separated politically and conceptually. She was early to recognize the intimate developmental inter-relationships between oral and written language and had the insight to pursue masters degrees in both of these fields. It is a testimony to Susan’s intellectual vision that she recognized almost thirty years ago the importance of oral and written morphological skills for aiding both word recognition and reading comprehension. Her continued applied research interests in morphological skills now positions her well to participate in the intense interest globally in understanding the roles of morphology in supporting literacy development.
On a personal level, Susan has exceptional collaborative and interpersonal skills. She is a warm gentle team player with immense intellectual integrity- a gift to those who interact and work with her.
-Charley Haynes, Ph.D.
Professor MGH Institute of Health Professions
Susan Gray has worked in our Supervisory Union full-time as a Reading Specialist for our Special Education Department this past school year for students on IEPs. During this time, Susan has provided top-notch, evidence- and research-based instruction to students and has significantly improved their skill levels throughout the school year. Susan is able to determine present levels for students, meet them where they are, and help them achieve the goals and objectives outlined in their IEPs. She is an engaging teacher whom is professional, highly skilled, and extremely effective.
This year also presented a significant additional challenge for all students and teachers (and everyone, for that matter), when COVID-19 hit, resulting in school closures and shift to remote learning environments. Susan adapted quickly and was able to successfully resume her services in this remote environment with all students within mere days! Susan also considered equity for students and made adjustments for those students lacking reliable internet connection. Not only was Susan able to meet the needs of students online, she was also able to create beautiful materials and packets for students lacking reliable internet and provided phone call instruction and coaching for parents/guardians.
-Local Director of Special Education
All evidence contained in Dr. Gray’s portfolio, including her thoughtful narrative, her… student evaluations, and her classroom observation suggest that she is a very effective professor. She is cited as a professor who uses engaging activities and well-constructed lessons. Her instruction is innovative and meaningful and often pairs students with young children in an urban school.
Her record of service includes serving as the Co-coordinator of the Graduate Program in Speech Language Pathology. Dr. Gray has served as the search chair in her department a member of the Center for Academic Research and Scholarship Advisory Board.
-Dr. Lisa Battaglino
Dean, College of Education and Allied Studies
Bridgewater State University
Our family is so lucky to have you guiding us through this tangled web. It’s like our family is on a boat on a stormy sea. You are our calm and totally competent sea captain. The sea is raging all around us, waves pounding into the sides of the boat. We are all working hard to steer our precious boat towards the light house, but without your direction, we’d be turning in furious circles. You are steering us gently towards the light house and we are … getting there!
-Nicole, Parent
Dr. Gray is an amazing person inside and out! She truly cares about her students and without a doubt knows how to effectively teach a course. She incorporates the readings, PowerPoints, and her personal experiences to her lectures to give her students the best opportunity to learn. You will fall in love with Communication Disorders if you take any course with her!
-Student, Bridgewater State University
Susan Gray was a student in two of my [linguistics] courses at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She did extremely well in both of them and I came to know her well.
She took an individual directed study with me. She was particularly interested in working on the teaching of vocabulary and spelling, recognized that they should be taught together, and wanted to work out a curriculum incorporating morphological and phonological principles in an effective way. She did a superb job.
The lessons and activities that Susan developed are first-rate. She developed many spelling and vocabulary activities of varied sorts, including some designs for computer software. The work is highly original, very sound both educationally and linguistically, and very motivating for young students. I am full of admiration for Susan’s initiative and drive and for her excellent ability to translate from theory into exciting practice.
Personally, Susan is responsible, thorough, cheerful and most pleasant to work with. I recommend her highly for positions in reading and literacy. She has the background, spirit, understanding and motivation to excel in such work.
-Carol Chomsky
Linguistics Professor
Lecturer on Education,
Harvard University