Shawnee Wakeman

Shawnee Wakeman is a Clinical Professor and Undergraduate Advisor in the Special Education and Child Development program at the University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNC Charlotte). She holds affiliations with the Cato College of Education (COED) and has been an Honors Faculty member since at least 2023. Dr. Wakeman’s roles include leading federally funded projects, teaching undergraduate courses in adapted curricula for low-incidence disabilities, and supervising student teachers. She has contributed to institutional governance through roles on the Institutional Review Board and University Faculty Council.

Education: She earned a PhD in Special Education (2005), two M.Ed. degrees (Special Education and School Administration/Curriculum & Instruction, both from UNC Charlotte), and a B.A. in Psychology: Special Education (magna cum laude, Catawba College). She also attended the University of Hertfordshire, UK, on a Rotary International Scholarship (1993).

Research focuses on inclusion, evidence-based strategies, and alternate assessments for students with significant cognitive disabilities. Her work includes developing the Links for Academic Learning (LAL) alignment methodology and coordinating its implementation across states. She has authored/co-authored over 50 publications/presentations.

Grants & Projects: Principal investigator for OSEP’s Project IMPACT and TIES Center; co-PI for IES’s 5E-SESE grant (science education for special educators). Previously led the National Center and State Collaborative grant and co-led Project LEAAP (enhanced assessment).

Awards: Honors Faculty designation (2023–2029).