Blanche Podhajski, Ph.D.

President Emerita

Dr. Blanche Podhajski is Founder President Emerita of the Stern Center for Language and Learning, a nonprofit learning center dedicated to learning for all. For nearly 40 years, the Stern Center has been providing literacy services for children and adults, professional development opportunities for educators, and research on proven literacy practices.

Dr. Podhajski received her Ph.D. from Northwestern University in communication disorders, specializing in learning disabilities. She holds the Certificate of Clinical Competence in Speech Pathology from the American Speech-Language Hearing Association and was awarded the Champion for Children’s Medal of Honor by the Turrell Fund. She served as Clinical Associate Professor of Neurological Sciences at the University of Vermont College of Medicine and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders.

Dr. Podhajski co-authored Sounds Abound Program: Teaching Phonological Awareness in the Classroom. She created T·I·M·E for Teachers™, which brings current research-proven reading interventions to classroom teachers. She is the lead author of the Comprehensive Reading Course for Educators, a robust three-credit online course produced by MindPlay; and she developed Building Blocks for Literacy®, a robust course for early childhood educators.