Scholarship Created to Help Multicultural Special Education Graduate Students

Maria Elisa Paredes Ulcak, a doctoral candidate in multicultural special education, has been named a recipient of the newly created Dr. Linda Dulce Mora Limón Scholarship. She was honored in an awards ceremony held in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin on March 26.

The Limón Scholarship was established by Dr. José Limón in honor of his late wife Linda, a lifelong educator who had a special passion for helping English language learners. Dr. José Limón is a professor of English, anthropology and Mexican-American studies as well as director of the Center for Mexican American Studies.

Dr. Linda Limón, who graduated from The University of Texas at Austin in 1971 with a degree in bilingual special education, was a teacher and principal in Austin and Corpus Christi, an instructor at Texas A&M–Corpus Christi and director of the Texas Reading Initiative at the Texas Education Agency.

“Linda recognized the needs of English language learners very early on and was a true pioneer in this area,” said Dr. Alba Ortiz, who holds the President’s Chair for Education Academic Excellence in the College of Education and was a speaker at the awards ceremony. “She was working to gain support for special needs students in the 1970s even before bilingual special education degrees were being offered. “

Ulcak, the scholarship recipient and a student who is described by Ortiz as “one of those all too rare individuals who is an expert in bilingual special education,” has been a teacher and school administrator in the Austin area for the past six years. According to Ulcak, she originally planned to be a journalism teacher, but as an undergraduate she completed some of her teaching fieldwork at a center for mental health and mental retardation services and discovered a great love for working with special needs students.

As a doctoral student, Ulcak is studying early intervention and referral techniques for bilingual special education students and is Ortiz’s research assistant.

Among the guests at the ceremony were College of Education professor emeritus Dr. Mario Benitez, College of Education dean Dr. Manuel J. Justiz, College of Education assistant dean for development Karl Miller and faculty and students from the Department of Special Education.

“When I first looked at Maria Ulcak’s credentials, I felt a wave of deep emotion - it’s almost as if she stepped out of central casting to receive this scholarship,” said Limón. “I am absolutely amazed at how closely her career trajectory, education and accomplishments mirror those of my late wife Linda. I knew I wanted to do something to honor my wife’s memory and to somehow continue her work, and I am very pleased to be standing here today announcing our first winner of a scholarship that represents everything that Linda held dear.”

Limón extended thanks to all who had generously contributed funds to make the scholarship possible.

Kay Randall, Office of the Vice President for Public Affairs, 512-232-3910
Photos: Tino Garza