2013 Keynote Speakers
| Friday Keynote | Saturday Keynote |
| Dr. Patricia K. Kuhl | Kathy Buckley |
|
Dr. Patricia K. Kuhl is the Co-Director of the University of Washington Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences as well as the Bezos Family Foundation Endowed Chair for Early Childhood Learning. She is internationally recognized for her research on early language and brain development, and studies that show how young children learn. Dr. Kuhl's work has played a major role in demonstrating how early exposure to language alters the brain. It has implications for critical periods in development, for bilingual education and reading readiness, for developmental disabilities involving language, and for research on computer understanding of speech. Dr. Kuhl was one of six scientists invited to the White House in 1997 to make a presentation at President and Mrs. Clinton's Conference on "Early Learning and the Brain." In 2001, she was invited to make a presentation at President and Mrs. Bush's White House Summit on "Early Cognitive Development: Ready to Read, Ready to Learn." In 2000, she co-authored The Scientist in the Crib: Minds, Brains, and How Children Learn (Morrow Press). Dr. Kuhl's work has been widely covered by the media. She has appeared in the Discovery television series "The Baby Human"; the NOVA series "The Mind"; the "The Power of Ideas" on PBS; and "The Secret Life of the Brain," also on PBS. She has discussed her research findings on early learning and the brain at NBC's Education Nation, and on The Today Show, Good Morning America, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, NHK, CNN, and in The New York Times, Time, and Newsweek. |
Billed as “America’s First Hearing-Impaired Comedienne”, Kathy Buckley is a five-time American Comedy Award Nominee as Best Stand-Up Female Comedienne, and the winner of countless other awards for her work. Kathy is also an actress, and is known for her co-starring roles in TV series such as “Touched by an Angel,” and she starred in her own award-winning PBS special, “NO Labels No Limits.” An active volunteer for causes close to her heart, Kathy spends time helping numerous children’s charities. A sought-after motivational speaker, she has inspired people around the nation, speaking at corporate events, conferences, and universities. Kathy is the author of the heartfelt and hilarious book If You Could Hear What I See. She has also been recognized by the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Army for outstanding efforts toward Whether performing in a comedy club, appearing on television, speaking publicly, teaching at camps for children, or appearing in any number of other settings, Kathy Buckley bears her message that anything can be achieved when the heart and the mind work together. |
