David Walsh, Ph.D.

President, National Institute on Media and the Family

David Walsh, Ph.D. has emerged as one of the world's leading authorities on parenting and the impact of media on children's health and development. He spent 10 years teaching and coaching high school students before joining Fairview Health Services in Minneapolis to develop and direct innovative counseling programs for youth and families. In 1995, he founded the internationally renowned National Institute on Media and the Family. As president, Dr. Walsh spearheads the Institute's efforts to provide parents, teachers, and other concerned adults information about media through education, research, and advocacy.

Dr. Walsh has presented workshops to parents, educators, and other professionals throughout the world. A consultant to the World Health Organization and the Ministry of Education of Japan, he has testified before congressional committees on numerous occasions. Dr. Walsh presents workshops that blend humor, warmth, scientific substance, and practical advice.

Author of nine books, including the national best seller Why Do They Act That Way? A Survival Guide to the Adolescent Brain for You and Your Teen. In January 2007, he released his latest book, No: Why Kids - of All Ages - Need to Hear It and Ways Parents Can Say It. The book serves as the focal point of the Say Yes to No campaign which teaches parents and educators how to instill self-discipline in America's children and ensure our kids our successful in school and life.

A frequent guest on national radio and television, Dr. Walsh has appeared on NBC's Today Show, Good Morning America, The CBS Early Show, The News Hour with Jim Lehrer, Dateline NBC, ABC's 20/20, National Public Radio's All Things Considered and Morning Edition, and has been featured on three nationally broadcast PBS specials. He has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Council on Family Relation's Friend of the Family Award.

Dr. George Sugai

Professor, Neag School of Education, University of Connecticut
Director, Center for Behavioral Education & Research
Co-Director, Center of Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports

Dr. George Sugai received his M.Ed. in 1974 and Ph.D. in 1980 at the University of Washington. His primary areas of interests are positive behavior support, systems change, teacher training, emotional and behavioral disorders, social skills instruction, behavioral consultation, behavioral assessment procedures, and strategies for effective school-wide, classroom, and individual behavior management. Currently at the University of Connecticut, Dr. Sugai is Carole J. Neag Endowed Chair in Behavior Disorders and professor with tenure.

He has published over 100 articles, numerous monographs, and two college textbooks on effective teaching practices and applied behavior analysis.

Dr. Sugai's research has emphasized effective applications of applied behavior analysis principles and PBS procedures to problems found in educational contexts. The subject populations for these research areas include students with severe challenging behavior, students with at-risk behaviors, and students described as having severely challenging behaviors.

Dr. Sugai is currently co-director of the national Center on Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports. The Center has been established by the Office of Special Education Programs, US Department of Education, to give schools capacity-building information and technical assistance for identifying, adapting, and sustaining effective school-wide disciplinary practices. The Center has two foci: (a) broad dissemination to schools, families, and communities about a technology of school-wide positive behavioral support exists, and (b) demonstrations at the level of individual students, schools, districts, and states that school-wide positive behavioral support is feasible and effective.

Debbie Silver

Debbie Silver is truly an “educator’s teacher!”  She is an award-winning educator with 30 years experience as a classroom teacher, staff development instructor, and university professor. Along the way she has taught almost every grade level and most every kind of student.

Dr. Silver has been an invited author for several educational journals and has given keynotes at state, national, and international conferences in 49 states, throughout Canada, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Debbie is author of the bestselling book, Drumming to the Beat of Different Marchers: Finding the Rhythm for Differentiated Learning. She is co-author of Because You Teach and Middle School Matters.

Audiences everywhere respond to Debbie’s use of humor and sensitivity to remind them of how important educators are in the lives of children. Through research-based theory, poignant stories, and hilarious characterizations she connects with the souls of all who are involved in education.