Northern Illinois University

Northern Today

Kudos

November 16, 2009

Norman A. Stahl, professor and chair of NIU’s Department of Literacy Education, was awarded the A. B. Herr Award for significant and continuous scholarship and contributions to the field of literacy research and pedagogy.

Norman A. Stahl

Stahl received the award Nov. 7 at the recent conference of the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers, held in Charlotte, N.C.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the Association of Literacy Educators and Researchers in that it has been the organization on the forefront of promoting programs and policy for training literacy professionals across the past 50 years,” Stahl said. “This award is particularly gratifying as involvement by NIU faculty in the ALER (formerly the College Reading Association) has been one important reason why the Department of Literacy Education is known across the nation as a premier leader in the field of literacy scholarship and pedagogy.”

A nationally recognized authority on postsecondary academic literacy research and instruction, Stahl came to NIU in 1986.

Stahl is the past president of the National Reading Conference and has served as president of the College Reading Association (ALER) and chair of the board of directors of the American Reading Forum as well. He is a fellow of the Council of Learning Assistance and Developmental Education Associations. 

He has given more than 200 presentations and workshops for professional organizations, postsecondary institutions and school systems nationally and internationally. He has more than 100 publications (articles, chapters and books) focusing primarily on postsecondary reading and the history of reading instruction, including “Teaching Developmental Reading” and the forthcoming “Teaching Study Strategies in Developmental Education.”

Stahl also has been the recipient of:

  • the Distinguished Research Award from the College Reading and Learning Association.
  • the Outstanding Publication Award from the National Association of Developmental Education.
  • the award for Outstanding Writing in the Field of College Reading and Study Skills from the College Reading Improvement Special Interest Group of the International Reading Association.