Dr. Denise Brewer has been named chair of the Department of Family and Child Studies (FCS) at Appalachian State University’s Reich College of Education (RCOE). Her appointment began May 2018.
"I am honored to serve as FCS chair and excited about the department’s many future opportunities."
Brewer earned a Ph.D. in Special Education with an early childhood focus from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and an M.Ed. in Early Intervention and Family Support from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. In addition, she is an alumna of the program she now chairs, earning a B.S. in Birth through Kindergarten from Appalachian. She holds North Carolina Teaching Licensure in Birth to Kindergarten.
Brewer joined the RCOE faculty in 2004 as a lecturer. She was promoted to assistant professor in 2006 and associate professor in 2013. She has served as interim department chair since 2016. Prior to coming to Appalachian, Brewer was an Educational Specialist and a Developmental Disabilities Specialist With Mecklenburg County Infant/Toddler/Preschool Services as well as an Assistive Technology Contact for Mecklenburg County with the Assistive Technology Resource Center.
She is the author or co-author of numerous publications in refereed, professional journals and a regular presenter at regional, national and international conferences. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and Division of Early Childhood (DEC), and served as a board member for the North Carolina Association for the Education of Young Children (2006-08) and Down Syndrome Association of Charlotte (1997-99).
Brewer actively engages in service to the university and the community. She currently serves on the RCOE Core Revision Committee and as a faculty transfer mentor. She is also the faculty advisor for the Appalachian chapter of Alpha Phi Fraternity, “a sisterhood of women supporting one another in lifelong achievement.” Furthermore, Brewer serves or has served on community task forces and councils with a focus on early child education.
Her research interests include:
- Authentic assessment in children ages B-5
- Developmentally appropriate practices for young children
- Individualized Family Service Plans (IFSP) and Individualized Education Plans (IEP)
- Working with families
About the department, Brewer said, “We just completed an overhaul of both the Child Development and Birth-Kindergarten plans of study that will be implemented in the fall of 2018.”
She added that reviews of this kind keep the programs up-to-date with best practices and expand course selections for students. She also commented on the Lucy Brock Child Development Laboratory School which falls under FCS.
“The department’s vision for the Lucy Brock CDLS is for it to be a place where teachers and administrators from across the state can engage in community-based, experiential learning about current, research-based practices for working with young children and their families.
About the Department of Family and Child Studies
The Department of Family and Child Studies prepares students to assume professional roles working with children and families in school and non-school settings. It focuses on the developmental study of families and children in all areas of society and in all cultures.
Denise Brewer Named Chair of the Department of Family and Child Studies
