Ruby L. Owiny
Ruby L. Owiny, PhD, is an Associate Professor at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She has nearly 30 years of experience in education including elementary education (K-5), special education (K-12), educational consultant, and parent advocate. Prior to her current position, Dr. Owiny was an Associate Professor and Director of the Division of Education at Trinity International University. She is the founder and CEO of Pamoja Special Education Advocacy which partners with schools and families to ensure high quality special education services are provided to eligible students. Dr. Owiny also serves as an educational consultant for 2 Teach Global in which she has presented professional development around the United States. Additionally, she presents internationally, supporting schools in Bolivia, Guatemala, and Tanzania. She has been the recipient of awards and nominations related to her teaching, scholarship, and service including a nomination from students for the Dr. Duane Orr Teacher of the Year Award, the Regent’s Prize for Excellence in Scholarship and the Nasim Dil Service Award for Outstanding Service to Teacher Education in Small Special Education Programs.
Dr. Owiny has been active in state, national, and international organizations serving students with disabilities. She served on the Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education (UDL-HE) steering committee for the inaugural UDL-HE Digicon in 2019. She has served in several roles in the Small Special Education Programs Caucus (SSEPC) of the Teacher Education Division (TED) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) including chair of the caucus. Dr. Owiny also served on the TED Board in a number of capacities with her most recent position being President of the organization in 2021. Dr. Owiny currently serves on the board for CEC as a member-at-large and as President of the Board for Alakira Maasai Economic Support Initiative (ALMASI) which serves the Maasai in Tanzania to improve educational outcomes for children, supports economic empowerment, and works toward improved medical care, with an emphasis on prenatal and postpartum care for mothers and infants.
Dr. Oiwny teaches courses in the areas of introduction to special education, methods of teaching students with disabilities, classroom and behavior management, and supervises student teachers during their special education placement. Her research and scholarly interests focus on inclusion including high-leverage and evidence-based practices, Universal Design for Learning, co-teaching and collaboration, and embedding specially designed instruction in the inclusive general education classroom.