Philip J. Burke Professor and Chair Department of Special Education 1308 Benjamin Building College Park, MD 20742 Voice: 301-405-6515 pjburke@umd.edu Specialty Area: Policy Studies, Legislative Issues, International Sepcial Education, Advocacy, and the Preparation of Special Education Teachers and Specialists

Current Interests:

Dr. Philip J. Burke is Professor and Chair of the Department of Special Education and Director of the Institute for the Study of Exceptional Children and Youth. He has led the development of the innovative five-year B.S./ME.d combined program in Special Education, as well as the development of the graduate program in several important fields, including policy studies. He oversees research and policy studies conducted at the Institute which examine critical issues in special education. Under his leadership the Department and Institute have developed an extensive sponsored research program in critical fields of inquiry in special education.

Dr. Burke is often called upon as a resource person to those involved in policymaking and legislation at the state, national, and international level. He has testified before the US Senate regarding legislation, as well as critical committees studying the impact of special education programming, including the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education. He is active in teacher education and policy studies and currently serves as a consultant to the U.S. District Court on special education implementation issues.

Dr. Burke has extensive interests and experience in international issues directly impacting the lives of individuals with disabilities.  He has served as a consultant to the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and currently directs two graduate programs offered in Germany.

Prior to joining the University of Maryland at College Park, Dr. Burke held leadership positions at the Bureau for the Education of the Handicapped in the U.S. Office of Education. During this time he was involved in writing guidelines and regulations for P.L. 94-142 and the development of programs designed to facilitate its implementation.