Dr. Brian A.T. Husby Recognized by Worldwide Who's Who for Excellence in Higher Education

    AURORA, IL, September 12, 2013 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Brian Husby, Professor of Special Education for Aurora University, has been recognized by Worldwide Who's Who for showing dedication, leadership and excellence in higher education.

To explore and deepen his passion for education, Dr. Husby enrolled in a Ph.D. program for special education at The University of Arizona, which he completed in 1992. With 33 years of professional experience in higher education, he joined Aurora University in 2007, as a professor of special education. Dr. Husby has always had a love of teaching and helping others. Even during his Ph.D. training, he and a few of his colleagues collaborated to write a grant and start an inclusive preschool in the hills of Tucson. This preschool is still a self-sustaining institution to this day.

Prior to joining Aurora University, Dr. Husby's work experience carried him through a winding path that would eventually culminate in higher education. After serving as a counselor for violent and predatory teenagers, he began his career in education teaching in the Canadian public school system.

Subsequently, he went on to work in the Disability Studies Program in Alberta, eventually becoming the director of this program at Mount Royal University. He has worked extensively with First Nations People to develop programs for individuals with disabilities. Dr. Husby's last full-time job in the public school system was as an inclusion specialist for 4 and 5 year olds, though he makes a point to return to the classroom every five years to keep his skills sharp and his theoretical work relevant.

In addition to education, Dr. Husby has a strong passion for horses, which has prompted him to work as a horse trainer for more than 40 years. Rather than breeding horses and training them from birth, Dr. Husby chose to give second chances to abused horses, rescuing them and training them to eventually be donated to associations that treat individuals with disabilities. Tragically, in 2011 Dr. Husby befell an accident that ended his horse-riding days. That this has not stopped him from training the animals under his care is a testament to his resolve and compassion for others. Dr. Husby hopes that when the horses are trained to pull buggies and snow sleds, he will be able to teach students with disabilities to drive these horses. In this way, he hopes to transform loss into opportunity for both man and horse.

In his work with Aurora University, Dr. Husby teaches a course that gives special education students the necessary tools to adapt to mathematics and science courses. In addition, since he teaches a behavior support class that is a requisite for the School of Education, he effectively teaches all students in that program. Dr. Husby and his colleagues work with special needs children to provide behavioral support for a semester. At the end of this semester, he provides parents and teachers with plans to eliminate inappropriate or undesirable behaviors using positive behavior reduction practices. He does similar work at the University of Notre Dame over the summer months. In addition, Dr. Husby has created a program at Nebraska Wesleyan University that is the first of its kind, as it has eliminated all labels of disability and focuses on best teaching practices. The program was put together with a panel of teachers, parents, administrators, and specialists, in collaboration with Dr. Husby himself. The state of Nebraska approved this program and has used it as a model for evaluating all programs in the state.

Recognized for years of invaluable contributions to special education, Dr. Husby has received the Crystal Apple award from Michigan State University, the Excellence in Teaching award from University of Notre Dame, and an honor as an Advocate for Diversity from Nebraska Wesleyan University. He was also inducted into Worldwide Who's Who in 2010. Since his induction, Dr. Husby has been chosen as a Professional of the Year and he has been selected as a recipient of the Humanitarian award. He feels that his unparalleled success can best be attributed to passion for his profession.

Dr. Husby is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children, the American Educational Research Association, and the National Reading Association. He is charitably involved with the Canadian Cancer Society. In his free time, he enjoys rescuing race horses, training horses for children with disabilities, traveling, and reading.

For more information about Aurora University, visit http://www.aurora.edu.

About Worldwide Who's Who
With over 500,000 members representing every major industry, Worldwide Who's Who is a powerful networking resource that enables professionals to outshine their competition, in part through effective branding and marketing. Worldwide Who's Who employs similar public relations techniques to those utilized by Fortune 500 companies, making them cost-effective for members who seek to take advantage of its career enhancement and business advancement services.

Worldwide Who's Who membership provides individuals with a valuable third-party endorsement of their accomplishments, and gives them the tools needed to brand themselves and their businesses effectively. In addition to publishing biographies in print and electronic form, it offers an online networking platform where members can establish new professional relationships.

For more information, please visit http://www.worldwidewhoswho.com.

Contact:
Ellen Campbell
Director, Media Relations
[email protected]

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