Welcoming a Senior Fulbright Fellow

The Department welcomed Prof. Peggy Gallagher, a visiting Senior Fulbright Fellow who is Professor and Coordinator of Early Childhood Special Education at the Department of Educational Psychology, Special Education and Communication Disorders at Georgia State University, USA. Her visit was supported by the US-Sri Lanka Fulbright Commission and Cerebral Palsy Lanka Foundation.

In collaboration with the Kelaniya Fulbright Alumni, the department organised a tea party to welcome Prof. Gallagher on the 10th of December 2015 at the English Language Teaching Unit. The event was attended by distinguished Fulbright alumni of our university Prof. M. J. S. Wijeyaratne, Prof. S. R. D. Kalingamudali, Dr. Suren Peter, Dr. Romola Rassool, Dr. Kaushalya Perera and Ms. Prabha Manuratne, Fulbright alumna Ms. Dilini Walisundara of the University of Jayawardenapura and members of staff of our department.

The gathering remembered with great respect Chair Professor of English, Prof. Manique Gunesekera, a distinguished Fulbright alumni, who passed away early December. Prof. M. J. S. Wijeyaratne spoke on behalf of the Kelaniya Fulbright alumni encouraging collaborative research. This was followed by Prof. Peggy Gallagher who recounted her first visit to Sri Lanka in the 1980s and shared her plans on her current visit aimed at reviewing the training offered on inclusive/special education to teachers.

Following the tea party, Prof. Gallagher had a meeting with the Vice Chancellor, Prof.Sunanda Madduma Bandara.