Cecil D. Mercer is a Distinguished Professor of Education at the University of Florida. He received his Ed.D. in special education from the University of Virginia in 1974. Cecil has written numerous articles and books on educing exceptional students. One of his major works is Students with Learning Disabilities, and he is coauthor of the Strategic Math Series, the Great Leaps Reading Program, and the Great Leaps Math Program. Cecil remains involved in the educational programs of exceptional students through his participation in in-service and classroom activities in public and private schools, and he is a featured keynote and workshop speaker at many national conferences. Cecil has served on the International Dyslexia Association Board of Directors and on the Learning Disabilities Association of America Professional Advisory Board. He has been awarded the College of Education Teacher of the Year award three times at the University of Florida and also has received the University of Florida Graduate School Advisor/Mentoring Award.
Ann R. Mercer is an educational diagnostician in Gainesville, Florida, and a former special education teacher of students with emotional disabilities and students with learning problems at both the elementary and secondary levels. Ann is coauthor of Self-Correcting Learning Materials for the Classroom in addition to several articles and book chapters in the field of special education. Ann and Cecil have three sons and three daughters-in-law, Kevin and Jen, Greg and Erica, and Ken and Kristin; two grandchildren, Noelle and Nicholas; and a golden retriever named Buckley.