Axe ’Em, Jacks!
NACOGDOCHES, Texas –– Dr. Michael Munro, clinical instructor in Stephen F. Austin State University’s Department of Education Studies, recently received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired at its annual conference in Denton.
"The fact that the statewide organization took the unprecedented step of recognizing my dedication and passion for the field was overwhelming to me,” Munro said. “A cherished moment in my life.”
Munro, who earned his Master of Education in special education from SFA in 2002, returned to the university five years later as a clinical instructor in the visual impairment teacher preparation program. From 2013 through 2018, he served as director of the program before moving to an assistant professor role. In 2019, Munro left for a stint as a visual impairment specialist at the Region 6 Educational Service Center in Huntsville. He returned to SFA in 2023 to develop and deliver courses for graduate and undergraduate students in person and online.
“Dr. Michael Munro has been a leader in his field, a champion for students and a cherished colleague and friend to SFA,” said Dr. Jannah Nerren, chair of SFA’s Department of Education Studies. “He has made a difference in the lives of countless students and has prepared a generation of educators that will leave a lasting legacy. I am personally grateful for the opportunity to know and work with Michael in our years together at SFA and am so pleased to see him recognized by this important organization for his lifetime of dedication to his work.”
During his 30-year career, Munro has served as president, board member and longtime volunteer for the Texas Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired. He has actively participated in Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired’s Personnel Preparation Advisory Group and Texas Focus training initiative; the Texas University Professors in Visual Impairment; and the Alliance of and for Visually Impaired Texans.
Munro’s scholarly contributions include three tools that have reshaped service delivery statewide: the Visual Impairment Scale of Service Intensity of Texas, which guides teachers of students with visual impairments in determining the type and number of itinerant services to recommend for students; the Orientation and Mobility VISSIT, which guides orientation and mobility specialists in determining the appropriate services to recommend for students; and the Visual Impairment Scale of Staffing Pattern Analysis, which provides itinerant visual impairment professionals a tool to account for tasks performed as part of their job in addition to direct and collaborative consultation services.
Munroe’s work has extended beyond Texas through collaborative projects with Washington State University and the Arkansas School for the Deaf and Blind to expand the pipeline of qualified teachers of students with visual impairments.
As part of the presentation of his Lifetime Achievement Award, the Texas Association for Education and Rehabilitation of the Blind and Visually Impaired released the following statement about Munro: “His legacy lives in every classroom entered, every student served and every life touched.”