Biographies

Brief Professional Biographies

Dr. Dawn P. Flanagan is Professor of Psychology at St. John’s University, Queens, New York. She earned her Ph.D. in School Psychology from The Ohio State University and has been a full-time faculty member of the department of psychology at St. John’s since 1992. Dr. Flanagan has also served as an expert witness in the area of learning disabilities and consults for the National Board of Medical Examiners as well as several state boards of Law Examiners. In addition, she serves as a psychoeducational assessment consultant to several test publishing companies. In 1997, Dr. Flanagan was the recipient of the Lightner-Witmer Award, given by the American Psychological Association (APA; Division 16), for her significant contributions to the field of psychoeducational assessment and school psychology. Dr. Flanagan has authored and edited several books and articles on intellectual assessment and learning disabilities and is a nationally renowned speaker in these areas. She has conducted numerous professional presentations and workshops at national, state, and local conferences. Dr. Flanagan is Fellow of the American Psychological Association and Diplomate of the American Board of Psychological Specialties. Dr. Flanagan has studied, researched, and published on topics related to psychoeducational assessment and evaluation of learning disabilities. She is the co-developer of the CHC Cross-Battery approach, and has published extensively on the topic of theory-based assessment of cognitive and academic abilities. Her research focuses on investigating the theoretical constructs that underlie contemporary tests of intelligence and academic achievement. Most recently, Dr. Flanagan, along with several of her colleagues, put forth an operational definition of learning disability that emphasizes the need for theory-based measurement and interpretation.

Dr. Samuel O. Ortiz is Associate Professor of Psychology and former Director of the School Psychology Program at St. John's University, Queens, New York. He earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from the University of Southern California and completed postdoctoral training in Bilingual School Psychology at San Diego State University where he also obtained certification as a school psychologist. Recently, Dr. Ortiz served as Visiting Professor and Research Fellow at Nagoya University in Japan. Dr. Ortiz trains and consults nationally and internationally on topics ranging from bilingual assessment and instructional methodology for second language learners to contemporary evaluation of learning disabilities. He combines practical and research based experience with specialized education and training in working with culturally and linguistically diverse children and parents. He has published on topics that include nondiscriminatory assessment, bilingual assessment, application of modern intelligence theory in testing through CHC Cross-Battery assessment methods, differentiating cultural and linguistic differences from disorders, and development of the CHC Culture-Language Matrix as a method for determining the primary influence of culture and language on test performance. His recent articles include “Assessment of Cognitive Abilities in Hispanic Children,” “Language, Cognition, and Instruction: Parallel processes in development and implications for assessment of bilinguals,” and various chapters in NASP’s Best Practices IV on nondiscriminatory assessment, contemporary intellectual assessment, and working with culturally and linguistically diverse children and families. His recent books include “The Achievement Test Desk Reference: Comprehensive assessment and learning disability,” “Essentials of Cross-Battery Assessment,” and “The Wechsler Scales and Gf-Gc Theory: A contemporary approach to interpretation.” Dr. Ortiz is bilingual (Spanish) and bicultural (Puerto Rican).

Dr. Vincent C. Alfonso is Professor and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs in the Graduate School of Education at Fordham University in New York City. His research interests include psychoeducational assessment, early childhood assessment, training issues, and psychometrics. Dr. Alfonso has published his work in a variety of journals including School Psychology Review, The Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment, and Psychology in the Schools. Most recently he co-authored The Achievement Test Desk Reference: A Guide to Learning Disability Identification with Dawn P. Flanagan, Samuel O. Ortiz, and Jennifer T. Mascolo published by Wiley. Dr. Alfonso is a certified school psychologist and licensed psychologist in New York State. He is considered an expert in early childhood and learning disability assessment.

Dr. Jennifer T. Mascolo received her doctoral degree in psychology from St. jennifer mascolo image John’s University in Jamaica, New York in 2002. Dr. Mascolo’s area of specialization is school psychology. In addition to being a certified school psychologist, Dr. Mascolo is a licensed psychologist and an adjunct assistant professor at St. John’s University in New York. Dr. Mascolo’s research interests include the structure of intelligence, psychoeducational assessment, and learning disabilities. She has published several book chapters and articles on assessment-related issues and is co-author of “The Achievement Test Desk Reference (ATDR): Comprehensive Assessment and Learning Disabilities,” “Essentials of WJ III Cognitive Assessment,” and “The Achievement Test Desk Reference: A Guide to Learning Disability Identification – Second Edition.” Dr. Mascolo is a member of the National Association of School Psychologists and the American Psychological Association.