Rate My Professor Florah Luseno

Dr. Florah Luseno serves as Department Chairperson and Professor in the Special Education Program at Chicago State University’s College of Education, Department of Advanced Studies in Education. A faculty member at the university since 1997, she holds a Ph.D. in Administration and Supervision of Special Education from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) in Blacksburg, Virginia. Luseno’s expertise lies within the field of Education, with a focus on special education teacher preparation and inclusive practices.

Her research specializations include emotional and behavioral disorders, intellectual and developmental disabilities, assessment, teachers’ and administrators’ attitudes towards inclusion, and teacher preparation. Key publications include “Educating Culturally Displaced Students with Truncated Formal Education (CDS-TFE): The Case of Refugee Students and Challenges for Administrators, Teachers, and Counselors” (2011, co-authored with Athanase Gahungu and Olive Gahungu), which examines challenges faced by Burundian refugee students adjusting to U.S. schools, and her 2001 doctoral dissertation, “An Assessment of the Perceptions of Secondary Special and General Education Teachers Working in Inclusive Settings in the Commonwealth of Virginia.” In 2023, as Project Director alongside Project Co-Director Dr. Rasha Elhage, Luseno secured two grants from the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs: $1,246,152 over five years for the Special Education Fast-Track Cohort Program targeting general education teachers seeking special education licensure, and $1,158,606 over five years for the Special Education Initial Certification Program aimed at paraprofessionals, substitutes, and career changers. These initiatives address critical shortages of special education teachers serving children with disabilities, including high-intensity needs, from kindergarten through age 21. Luseno’s leadership enhances teacher credentialing and professional development in special education.