Michael Pressley (1951–2006)

Michael Pressley dedicated his life to producing high-quality research, first in the field of cognitive development, focusing on the development of memory and cognitive strategies, and then in educational psychology, focusing on work that would impact elementary classroom instruction. Specifically, Mike had a major impact in the field of reading instruction, completing national studies of effective first-grade classrooms and the use of comprehension strategies in elementary reading instruction. Mike published over 350 research articles and book chapters, 14 authored books, and 19 edited books. Additionally, he was the editor of three high-impact journals, and won eight major awards from educational, psychology, and reading research groups. Furthermore, he graduated 16 doctoral students, published empirical papers with over 100 students, and worked with hundreds of classroom teachers throughout his career. Mike also supported preservice teachers’ development as academic director of the University of Notre Dame’s Alliance for Catholic Education for 6 years. Mike finished his career as a distinguished professor at Michigan State University where he directed the Doctoral Program in Teacher Education and the Literacy Achievement Research Center.