International Reading Association

Director, Research & Policy

Dr. Cathy M. Roller is the director of research and policy at the International Reading Association. In this role, she develops policy statements with the board of directors, develops relationships with professional partners, and oversees the traditional role of the research division. She spearheaded a commission that explored elementary teacher preparation for reading instruction and recently presented the highlights Prepared to Make a Difference from the Report of the National Commission on Excellence in Elementary Teacher Preparation for Reading Instruction.

Previously, while a professor of curriculum and instruction at the University of Iowa, Dr. Roller presented in-service workshops and papers for practicing teachers in a number of venues. She worked with the Lincoln Elementary–University of Iowa Partners in Education Program. While there, she made monthly visits to Lincoln Elementary School in Waterloo, Iowa, where she participated in classroom instruction and interacted with children and teachers. She also directed the Summer Residential Reading Clinic while at Iowa.

Dr. Roller is the author or coauthor of four books, two of which were published by the International Reading Association: So…What’s a Tutor to Do? and Variability Not Disability: Struggling Readers in a Workshop Classroom. She is the editor of Learning to Teach Reading: Setting the Research Agenda. She has written numerous journal articles, received many research grants. In addition, Dr. Roller has made numerous presentations at regional, national, and international professional meetings, and regularly reviews and edits professional journals.