Kymyona Burk, Ed. D.
Visiting Senior Fellow, Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz
Burk is a widely recognized educational leader who brings a demonstrated history of building teacher capacity and improving student literacy outcomes across a career in teaching, coaching and state-level administration spanning more than 25 years. She joined the Science of Reading Center as Visiting Senior Fellow in 2024.
Burk's professional accomplishments in education and reading policy are numerous. She previously served as the State Literacy Director (K-12) in the Mississippi Department of Education, where she led implementation of a vision for effective literacy programming, instruction and assessment. The subsequent improvement in educational and literacy outcomes for students during this time period has come to be known as the “Mississippi Miracle.”
More recently, Burk is serving as a senior policy fellow at the Foundation for Excellence in Education (ExcelinEd), where she works to support U.S. states pursuing a comprehensive approach to K-3 reading policy.
In her role as Visiting Senior Fellow at the Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz, Burk leads strategic planning and implementation for the Center’s ongoing expansion as a professional learning support resource for PreK-12 educators across the United States. She works to establish new connections, expand the Center’s network of experts and leaders, and increase the Center’s capacity to provide webinars and other implementation resources for literacy professionals. She also advises on opportunities to deliver Science of Reading Center services in new regions and for new populations.
Kathleen M. Lord, Ph.D.
Fellow, Science of Reading Center at SUNY New Paltz
Professor Emerita, SUNY New Paltz School of Education
Kathleen Lord is a scholar, educator and author whose career in teacher preparation and literacy education spans three decades.
Her work including nearly 15 years as a professor in the School of Education at SUNY New Paltz, where she served for many years as coordinator of the University’s Master of Science in Literacy Education program and was a lead content creator for the Science of Reading Fundamentals Microcredential.
“My hope for teachers is that they can take away something from this microcredential that they can apply on Monday,” Lord said upon the program’s launch. “The University wants to make sure that what we are providing makes a profound difference in day-to-day reading instruction.”
Much of Lord’s scholarship has focused on how cognition and comprehension work in children’s learning process. She has written numerous peer-reviewed articles for publications including the Journal of Research in Childhood Education, Excelsior: Leadership in Teaching and Learning, and the International Literacy Coaching Summit Yearbook, among many others. Her extensive work on education in migrant communities was recognized with a 2023 Leadership Excellence Award from the New York State Migrant Education Program.
Kathleen Lord holds a Ph.D. in cognitive studies in education from Columbia University, where her dissertation focused on young learners’ comprehension of history themes. Her program advisor, Dr. JoAnn Williams, was one of the authors on the 2000 National Reading Panel.
Sarah Holbrook
Director of Humanities for the Kingston City School District
Sarah Holbrook is the Director of Humanities for the Kingston City School District and a passionate advocate for effective reading instruction. With a background as an Orton-Gillingham trained special education teacher, Sarah has spent 20 years in education. She is also an adjunct professor in the Literacy Department at SUNY New Paltz, where she teaches future educators about reading development, diagnostic assessments, and targeted interventions. Additionally, she is one of the creators of the SUNY New Paltz microcredential on the Science of Reading.
Early in her career, Sarah witnessed the profound impact that difficulties with reading can have on students, which inspired her dedication to ensuring that every child has access to a teacher who is equipped to teach them how to read. In her current role, she is guiding her district to implement the science of reading across all levels of instruction. She provides professional development and works closely with teachers and administrators to analyze reading data and develop targeted instructional plans.
Sarah is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in Literacy Instruction at the University of Florida, where her research, "Bridging Research and Practice: Creating Scientifically Based Tier 1 Reading Instruction," focuses on improving literacy practices. She also writes the blog Sundays with Sarah, where she offers practical guidance on transitioning school districts to the science of reading.
