Kenneth Cushner is Professor of Education in the College and Graduate School of Education, Health and Human Services at Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, USA. In addition to this text, Dr. Cushner is author or editor of several books and articles in the field of intercultural education and training, including: Intercultural Student Teaching: A Bridge to Global Competence, (2007, Rowman Littlefield); Human Diversity in Action: Developing Multicultural Competencies in the Classroom, 3rd edition (2006, McGraw-Hill); International Perspectives on Intercultural Education (1998, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates); Improving Intercultural Interactions: Modules for Cross-Cultural Training Programs, volume 2 (with Richard Brislin, Sage Publications, 1997), and Intercultural Interactions: A Practical Guide, 2nd edition (with Richard Brislin, Sage Publications, 1996). A former East-West Center Scholar, he is a frequent contributor to the professional development of educators through writing, workshop presentations, and travel program development. He is a Founding Fellow and Past-President of the International Academy for Intercultural Research, and past Director of COST—the Consortium for Overseas Student Teaching, which regularly sends students to student teach in 16 countries. In his spare time, Dr. Cushner enjoys music (percussion and guitar), photography, and travel. He has developed and led intercultural programs on all seven continents.
Averil McClelland is currently Associate Professor and Coordinator of the Cultural Foundations of Education program in the College and Graduate School at Kent State University from which she received her Ph.D. Dr. McClelland has had extensive experience in curriculum design and program evaluation, as well as experience with addressing issues of gender and education and cultural diversity in education. In addition to this text, she is the author of The Education of Women in the United States: A Guide to Theory, Teaching, and Research (Garland, 1992), as well as a number of articles in scholarly journals. She received the Distinguished Teaching award from Kent State University in 1996, and has a long-standing relationship with the National First Ladies Library, where she develops web-based curricula based on the lives of the nation’s 44 First Ladies. Her special interests are the history, sociology, and politics of education, the reconstruction of teacher education, and internationalizing the college curriculum for pre-service and practicing teachers.
Philip Safford, Adjunct Professor of Psychology at Case Western Reserve University, is Emeritus Professor and former chair of Special Education at Kent State University. Prior to earning his Ph.D. through the Combined Program in Education and Psychology at the University of Michigan, with specialization in special education and child development, he had been a teacher and administrator in residential treatment programs for children with emotional disorders. Dr. Safford has authored or edited six books and numerous articles dealing with special education history, early intervention for young children with disabilities, and related topics. He has directed or co-directed a number of training, research, and demonstration projects in special education supported by federal and state grants.