UWs Reutzel to Serve on Book Trusts Academic Advisory Board

D. Ray Reutzel, University of Wyoming College of Education dean, has been named to the Academic Advisory Board of Book Trust, a national literacy nonprofit organization.

Based in Denver, Colo., Book Trust’s mission is to empower children from low-income families to choose and own books, inspiring a passion for reading that leads to cultivating increased literacy skills and lifelong learning.

Book Trust’s newly formed Academic Advisory Board will ensure that ongoing enhancements and expansion of its national literacy program are informed by the latest research and best practices in literacy education.

“I was recruited because of my published research work on reading fluency and independent reading practice conditions that promote reading comprehension and positive reading attitudes in young children,” Reutzel says. “My role is to advise Book Trust on initiatives that they will undertake to support the teachers and schools that participate in the Book Trust program with materials, procedures and evidence-based protocols for promoting effective reading engagement and practice.”

Along with Reutzel, the Academic Advisory Board consists of literacy experts from Clemson University, Columbia University, the University of Chicago and the University of Michigan.

Advisory board members will meet twice a year and be available informally, as needed, to make recommendations to the Book Trust team. Each member will serve a one-year, renewable term.

Book Trust serves 50,000 students in 19 states. Since 2001, Book Trust has facilitated over 6 million book choices and placed them in the hands of students in need.

For more information about Book Trust, visit www.booktrust.org.