Having published six books, over 40 articles and presented at conferences around the world, professor Peter Edwards is at the top of his field.

Originally from Australia, Edwards has been a professor of elementary education at SUNY New Paltz for the past three years. A strong believer in a hands-on-approach to teaching, Edwards coordinates all literacy education programs for the department and runs a successful reading clinic for area children where students in the elementary education program work one-on-one with struggling readers.

This semester Edwards has been planning a pen pal writing project with first graders at Sophie Finn Elementary School in Kingston, NY. Children in two classes at the school will learn to write letters and have them delivered to students in Edwards' undergraduate classes. At the end of the semester, his students will visit the elementary school to meet their pen-pals.

Edwards' research is in basic linguistic factors that influence literacy performance and the application of research into classroom and clinic learning. Most recently, he presented his paper, "The Thinking/ Learning System: A Teaching Strategy for Diverse Learning Styles and Abilities," at the 5th International Conference on Education in Athens, Greece in 2003.

Interests: Innovative teaching ideas, writing and travel.
Goals: To continue to develop practical applications from literacy research to help all students achieve their full academic potential.
Why New Paltz? Edwards saw SUNY New Paltz as having a great potential in the Hudson Valley.