The Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Sensory Disabilities

The Sowell Center promotes quality research to address the academic and social needs of school-age students with visual impairments and provides public service to assist local, national and international constituencies.

Student Information & Deadlines

The College of Education Master's Comprehensive Exam Summer 2019 is scheduled for Friday, June 14, 2019. If you are graduating Summer 2019 please contact your advisor.

• O&M Program Contacts: Ms. Anita Page (anita.page@ttu.edu) and Dr. Nora Griffin-Shirley (n.griffin-shirley@ttu.edu)
• TVI Program Contact: Dr. Rona Pogrund (rona.pogrund@ttu.edu)
• Reach Across Texas Contact: Anita Page (anita.page@ttu.edu) and Gabriella Davis (gabriella.davis@ttu.edu)
• Deafblind Program Contact: Dr. Phoebe Okungu (phoebe.okungu@ttu.edu)
  • Deaf and Hard of Hearing Program Contacts: Dr. Leigh Kackley (leigh.kackley@ttu.edu) and Pam Lindell (pamela.j.lindell@ttu.edu)

EDSP 5093 Course fee

Attention students in the teacher of students with visual impairments' program and orientation and mobility specialist's program:

Effective Fall semester 2012, all students who register for EDSP 5093, Internship in Special Education, who are not covered by a grant, will pay a course fee of $750.00 in addition to the tuition cost of the course. This money will cover costs incurred by the university internship supervisor's expenses, who will observe you teach.

University Scholarships

Apply now for 2016-2017 Texas Tech University scholarships on our website at www.scholarships.ttu.edu. This application will get you considered for academic and need based scholarships, but your college or department is probably using this application too! Maximize your scholarship opportunities by completing the Current Student Scholarship Application.

Reach Across Texas Application Deadline

The deadline for returning the Reach Across Texas application is Nov. 1, 2018 to be considered for the Spring, 2019 semester and May 1, 2019 Summer term and June 1, 2019 for 2019-2020 academic year.

More information

Financial Aid for Students With Disabilities

OnlineSchools.org has compiled a list of financial aid options for students with disabilities. View the complete guide here.

News & Events

Rona Pogrund wins President's Excellence in Engaged Scholarship Award

New Partners in O&M Book (Edited by Rona L. Pogrund and Nora Griffin-Shirley)

Partners in O&M: Supporting Orientation and Mobility for Students with Visual Impairments was published by AFB Press in summer of 2018. (Co-Editors: Rona L. Pogrund & Nora Griffin-Shirley). It will help people who work with individuals who are visually impaired learn the skills needed to move about, travel safely, and live independently in their home, school, and community. Orientation and mobility (O&M) specialists are the experts who teach these skills, but what about when they aren't around? Partners in O&M not only provides a solid foundation for future O&M specialists and teachers of students with visual impairments, but helps parents, special and general education teachers, physical and occupational therapists, paraeducators, and others. The book brings together O&M experts from across the country who contributed to this needed resource. It can be used as a textbook in personnel preparation in a Basic O&M course and can be used by all of the many partners who work with children who are blind or visually impaired. It is a long overdue resource needed in the field of visual impairment. It can be purchased from American Printing House for the Blind or on Amazon.

Citation:
Pogrund, R.L., & Griffin-Shirley, N. (Eds.) (2018). Partners in O&M: Supporting Orientation and Mobility for Student with Visual Impairments. New York: AFB Press.

Contact Information

Virginia Murray Sowell Center for Research and Education in Sensory Disabilities
P.O. Box 41071
Lubbock, TX 79409
806-742-2320
806-742-2326 FAX