Karen Eliasson Santos serves as Executive Director of the Center for Faculty Innovation at James Madison University and is a Professor in the Exceptional Education department in the College of Education. She received a Ph.D. from the University of Virginia in Special Education. Her M.Ed. in Learning Disabilities is also from UVA and she earned a B.S in Hearing Impairment/Communication Disorders from Northwestern University. She has attended summer programs at Smith College and Gallaudet University. Her previous public school and institutional experiences include classroom teacher at the Virginia School for the Deaf and Blind as well as educational diagnostician, curriculum specialist, and district coordinator of special education for Augusta County Public Schools in Virginia. Karen served as Coordinator of the JMU Special Education program. In 1998, Dr. Santos was chosen as the JMU Distinguished Teacher of the Year and received the Carl H. Harter award. She received the Madison Scholar Award and Provost Award for Excellence in 2003. In 2004 she was named the Distinguished Teacher for the JMU College of Education. Other honors include the 2001 School Partnership Committee Service Award, Phi Delta Kappa Distinguished Service in Education 2005 Award, and 2005 Adult Degree Program Student Advisor Award. In relation to JMU Center for Faculty Innovation initiatives, Karen has received the national Professional and Organizational Development (POD) 2003 Bright Idea Award and been named 2005 co-finalist for the POD Innovation Award. Professional service includes Member-at Large on the national board for the Teacher Education Division (TED) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Karen serves on the national Knowledge and Skills Committee for CEC as well as the NCATE/CEC Audit Committee. She provides national NCATE/CEC training and conducts professional development for teachers. Professional interests include instructional design, differentiation of instruction, and co-teaching.