Michael Gamel-McCormick, Ph.D. 

Brief Biographical Sketch-May 2010 

Michael Gamel-McCormick is professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at the University of Delaware in Newark, DE. He is also the Associate Director of the Center for Disabilities Studies at the University of Delaware.  For the past two years he was Dean of the College of Education and Public Policy at UD.  For eight years he was Director of the Center for Disabilities Studies.  Dr. Gamel-McCormick earned his doctorate in Human Development and Education from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1995.  He also has earned a masters of science in counseling from the University of Wisconsin and a bachelor of arts and a bachelor of science from the University of Delaware in psychology and child development/early childhood education respectively.  For 15 years he was a preschool teacher for children with and without disabilities, the director of an early intervention program for children with disabilities and their families, and the director of children's services at a large inner-city social services agency serving children with disabilities and children at-risk for developmental delays between the ages of birth and eight.  Most of his direct service work has been with children and families living in poverty both in rural and urban settings.

 Dr. Gamel-McCormick has provided technical assistance to hundreds of early childhood and early childhood special education classrooms and programs on issues such as assessment, curriculum and program development, inclusion, and evaluation.  He is co-author, with Drs. Michael D. Davis and Jennifer L. Kilgo, of the book Young children with special needs:  A developmentally appropriate approach.  He has published articles on the inclusion of students with disabilities in general education programs, family child care, and family-centered early intervention.  His research includes topics such as family members' perceptions of early intervention services, quality child care, developmental outcomes of children receiving early intervention services, and disability and child care policy.  He also is author of "Inclusive teams serving included students," a chapter in the text Teamwork models and experience in education by Howard Garner and co-author with Irene Carney of the chapter "Working with families" in Educating children with multiple disabilities:  A transdisciplinary approach edited by Fred Orelove and Dick Sobsey.   

Dr. Gamel-McCormick is the current Past-President of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD), an international association of over 120 centers focusing on disability research, training and policy.  He has served on the AUCD board for the past six years.  He has served as an international consult in early childhood special education and has taught internationally as well. 

Dr. Gamel-McCormick has received four teaching awards while at the University of Delaware, including the 1999 Excellence in Teaching Award for the entire university and the 1996 Young Scholars Teaching Award.  He was named the early childhood educator of 2010 by the Delaware Association for the Education of Young Children.  He has also received the Delaware Interagency Council for Children and Families Spirit of Collaboration Award for his work with multiple state agencies. He was also named Early Childhood Special Educator of the year by the Virginia Division of Early Childhood in 1994. 

Dr. Gamel-McCormick lives in Newark, Delaware.  He has been married for 29 years to Sue Gamel-McCormick.  They have two children, Caitlin who is 25, and Tom, who is 17.