Montana State University has announced the keynote speakers for its upcoming summit, Dyslexia and Innovation: Symposium of Changemakers, which will be held Thursday and Friday, Oct. 27-28. The virtual event will spotlight the strengths of the dyslexic mind and is free and open to the public. Programming will run from 5:30 to 8 p.m. on Thursday and 9 a.m. to noon on Friday.
WNBA basketball star Jewell Loyd will speak at 5:30 p.m. Oct. 27, and nationally known authors Brock and Fernette Eide will speak at 9 a.m. Oct. 28.
Loyd attended the University of Notre Dame where she led the Fighting Irish to three consecutive Final Four appearances and two consecutive national championship games, and earned back-to-back conference Player of the Year awards. She was the first overall pick in the 2015 WNBA draft, and since then has been named Rookie of the Year, won two WNBA championships with the Seattle Storm and a gold medal in the Tokyo Olympics, and is a four-time WNBA All-Star. An outspoken advocate for dyslexia, Loyd has partnered with organizations like Dyslexic Advantage and Eye to Eye to provide resources and support to students with learning disabilities, and she sponsors youth programs dedicated to promoting girls’ participation in sports.
Brock and Fernette Eide are experts in the field of dyslexia and created NeuroLearning, a dyslexia screening application. They are the authors of “The Dyslexic Advantage” and “The Mislabeled Child” and co-founded the nonprofit Dyslexic Advantage, which provides information on the strengths and challenges associated with dyslexia and is home to one of the world’s largest online dyslexia communities.
Along with the keynote presentations, the summit will feature nationally and regionally recognized speakers and panel discussions. Speakers include Trevor Graves, an action sports photographer in the snowboard industry and co-founder of Nemo Design; Natasha Deen, author of the “Lark” series and multiple novels for young readers; Chavon D. White, author of the picture book “The Hoopstar;” and skier and X Games medalist Alex Hackel. There will also be sessions on redefining dyslexia in K-12 and higher education.
Additional speakers include MSU Director of Disability Services Mike McNeil; MSU Vice Provost Carina Beck; Sara Gallagher-Bernall of Gallatin Valley Learning Solutions; and Chad Berg, director of special education and student health for the Bozeman School District. Additionally, a panel of MSU undergraduates will discuss the shifting reality of living with dyslexia.
The primary organizers of the summit are Jeffrey Conger, a professor of graphic design in MSU’s School of Art who is a lifelong dyslexic, and Sarah Pennington, head of MSU’s Department of Education and an associate professor whose research focuses on literacy, educational psychology and teacher education.
“The DXI symposium is unique as it empowers the dyslexic individual and offers innovative ideas and changemakers that inspire,” says Conger. “There’s literally hundreds of conferences about learning differences across the country, but very few that focus on the strengths of the dyslexic mind.”
Registration is required for the free, public event. All registered participants will have access to the recorded sessions for 30 days after the symposium. All K-12 Montana educators who attend may receive renewal credits for their participation. For the complete DXI 2022 schedule and to register, visit montana.edu/dxi.
DXI 2022 is supported by MSU’s Office of Vice President for Research and Economic Development and the Office of the President. Other sponsors include the Joseph James Morelli Legacy Foundation, Eye to Eye Inc., READMontana, The Dyslexic Advantage, NeuroLearning.com and Decoding Dyslexia Montana.
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