The Council of Administrators of Special Education (CASE) recently renamed its highest research award after Mary Lynn Boscardin, professor and program coordinator of special education leadership and administration at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The newly renamed Dr. Mary Lynn Boscardin Excellence in Special Education Research Award recognizes a CASE member for their outstanding research in the discipline. Perry Zirkel of Lehigh University was the award’s inaugural recipient.
Dr. Boscardin has worked in special education for over four decades, including 25 years of service as editor of the Journal of Special Education Leadership. At UMass Amherst, she has led several initiatives funded by the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Program, supporting the preparation of highly qualified special education administrators across the country. A former CASE president, Dr. Boscardin is a co-author of the Handbook of Leadership and Administration for Special Education (Routledge, 2018).
Dr. Boscardin received a bachelor’s degree and Ph.D. in special education administration from the University of Illinois. She also earned a master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.