About the Authors

Kenneth Cushner is Associate Dean and Professor in the College and Graduate School of Education at Kent State University. He received his doctorate at the University of Hawaii while on scholarship with the Institute of Culture and Communication of the East-West Center. Dr. Cushner is a frequent contributor to the professional development of educators and others through workshops, writing, consulting, and travel programs. Among his publications, he is co-author of Intercultural Interactions: A Practical Guide, 2/e (Sage Publications, 1996); Human Diversity in Action: Developing Multicultural Competencies for the Classroom, 2/e (McGraw-Hill, 2003); and International Perspectives on Intercultural Education (Lawrence Erlbaum Associates). He has taught in schools or developed educational programs for teachers and youths on all seven continents, and is past current Director of COST-The Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching.

Averil McClelland is Associate Professor of Cultural Foundations of Education and Director of the Project on the Study of Gender and Education in the College of Education at Kent State University. She received her undergraduate degree in sociology with honors from Hiram College and her M.Ed. and Ph.D. in cultural foundations from Kent State University. The author of several articles on gender and multicultural issues in education, she is author of a sourcebook, The Education of Women in the United States, and a Member Center Director with the National Council for Research on Women.

Philip Safford is Associate Director of Teacher Licensure, Adjunct Professor of Psychology, and Senior Consultant to the Schubert Center for Child Development at Case Western Reserve University. He is Emeritus Professor and former Chair of Special Education at Kent State University. His Ph.D. was earned through the Combined Program in Education and Psychology of the University of Michigan, with specialization in special education and child development. Originally a high school English teacher, Dr. Safford has been a teacher and special education program coordinator in residential treatment enters for emotionally disturbed children and youth. Along with numerous journal articles, he has authored and edited four books concerning early intervention for young children with special needs, as well as A History of Childhood and Disability, coauthored with Elizabeth Safford. He has directed or co-directed a number of training, research, and demonstration projects involving children with or at-risk for disabilities, supported by federal and state grants.