ORANGE, Calif. – The Project Access Resource Centers Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Omer Ari as its newest board director. Dr. Ari, Clinical Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Development Department of Middle and Secondary Education at Georgia State University, brings a wealth of experience and expertise in education and innovation. His appointment is effective immediately.
The selection of Dr. Ari, a deeply respected educator and researcher in literacy education, reflects Project Access Resource Centers’ commitment to a strong board focused on the non-profit’s long-term performance, strategic growth initiatives, increasing investor value, and resident services (such as essential education programs).
“Ari’s expertise will complement the talents and experience of the Project Access board as we continue to focus on delivering for our investors and residents alike,” said Kristin Byrnes, CEO and President of Project Access Resource Centers. “He brings extensive leadership in the realm of education and possesses a spirit of innovation and out-of-the-box thinking that will greatly benefit our board and organization.”
With a master’s degree in applied linguistics/ESL and a doctorate in reading, language, and literacy education from Georgia State University, Dr. Ari has dedicated his career to enhancing students’ educational experiences. His postdoctoral journey included significant contributions at Appalachian State University’s renowned Reading Clinic, where he engaged with young struggling readers and taught courses on literacy foundations and the psychological processes of reading.
Dr. Ari’s research has been pivotal in understanding the cognitive processes involved in reading. He mainly focuses on strategies to improve reading efficiency among struggling readers. He has designed innovative measures to assess exposure to print, evaluated the effectiveness of various reading assessments, and developed reading fluency interventions grounded in evidence-based instructional practices.
In his most recent role at Bloomsburg University’s Department of Developmental Instruction, Dr. Ari has been instrumental in developing strategies for struggling college readers, enhancing their reading fluency, learning unfamiliar content, and metacognitive processing skills. His work in redesigning the developmental reading education curriculum to focus on reading fluency, disciplinary literacy, and integrated reading-writing and language skills through project-based learning stands as a testament to his commitment to educational advancement.
“I am honored to be joining the board of Project Access because its mission is more critical than ever as addendum education programs for children and young adults are vital for creating promising futures,” stated Omer upon his appointment. “It’s an exciting time to be joining Project Access as it celebrates its 25th anniversary and moves forward with innovative and technological advances for residents and ever-increasing investment opportunities for partners and collaborators.”
About Project Access Resource Centers
Project Access (501c3) is the nation’s leading provider of vital on-site health, education, and employment services for families, children, and seniors in affordable housing communities. Its goal is to help keep family members employed, children in school, and seniors active. The first Project Access Resource Center opened in Santa Ana, California, in 1999. Since then, it has grown to over 103 communities in 17 US states. Over the past quarter century, Project Access has helped an estimated 500,000 residents have the opportunity to achieve self-sufficiency and maximize their full potential. For more information, please visit https://www.project-access.org.
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