Lesley Mandel Morrow

Distinguished Professor

Director: Center for Literacy Development

Rutgers the State University of NJ

Lesley Mandel Morrow is a Distinguished Professor at Rutgers University’s Graduate School of Education. She is the Director of the Center for Literacy Development there. Her career began as a classroom teacher; she became a reading specialist and received her Ph.D. from Fordham University. Her research deals with strategies for enhancing early literacy development and organizing and managing the language arts day. 

Dr. Morrow has over 300 publications appearing in research journal articles, book chapters, and books. She received awards for Excellence in Research, Teaching and Service from Rutgers. She received the International Reading Association’s (now ILA) Outstanding Teacher Educator of Reading Award and their Special Service Award.  She was presented with Fordham University’s Alumni Award for Outstanding Achievement. 

Dr. Morrow has received grants for research from the federal government and served as a researcher for four National Centers for Literacy Development.  She was voted into the Reading Hall of Fame and served as their President. She was President of the International Reading Association (now ILA) and received their prestigious William S. Gray award for lifetime scholarship that has made a profound contribution to the field. She also received the Oscar Causey Award from the Literacy Research Association for achievement in literacy research that has added new knowledge that has had an impact to the field. Her most recent award was the Special Service award from the ILA, and her most recent books are the 3rdedition of Lenses on Reading: Theoretical Models, 6thedition of Best Practices in Literacy Instructionand the 9thedition of Literacy Development in the Early Years: Helping Children Read and Write. This book is in its 30thyear of publication.