Dr. Heather L. Walter, Ed.D., has established a distinguished career in education and consulting, combining her expertise as a teaching professor, researcher, and mentor. She currently serves as  an assistant professor of special education at George Mason University as well as a senior scholar, Center for the Advancement of Wellbeing. In this capacity, she works with both graduate and undergraduate students, supervising field training in special education while leading research on educator retention, wellbeing, and leadership practices.

Dr. Walter’s academic background reflects her lifelong dedication to education. She earned a Bachelor of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies with a minor in sociology from the State University of New York at Buffalo, a Master of Arts in inclusive elementary education and teaching students with disabilities from Columbia Teachers College in New York City, and an Ed.S. in administration and an Ed.D. in special education from George Washington University.

Her professional affiliations include the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division of Early Childhood, where she contributes as a member of the Personnel Preparation Committee, the American Educational Research Association, the Society for Research in Child Development, the National Association for the Education of Young Children, and the Learning Well Coalition. She also lends her expertise in leadership roles as chair of the board of trustees for Green Acres School and as a member of multiple education and inclusion committees for Temple Beth Ami.

Beyond academia, Dr. Walter is committed to civic engagement and supports her professional groups at the local level. She enjoys traveling, attending the theater, reading, working out, music, and spending time with family and friends. She honors the memory of her grandparents, David and Phyllis Levy, and thanks her mother, and stepfather Michael Yudelson, and Karen McArthur for their support. Married since 2011 to Elon Walter, she is also a devoted mother to three children.

Looking to the future, Dr. Walter aims to expand her impact by engaging more diverse voices in decision-making processes within the education sector, ensuring that inclusivity and wellbeing remain central to the advancement of the field.