Kristine R Derer Phd

Kristine R. Derer Ph.D. (Kristie) 61 of Las Cruces, NM, began her first steps along a new pathway when she passed away on January 18, 2010. The eldest of three children, she was born on April 26, 1948 in Chicago, IL to the late Walter and Lorraine Derer. She grew up in Illinois but lived in many parts of the country including Hawaii, Florida and Tennessee. She fell in love with the beauty of the mountains and the desert and made her home in Las Cruces, NM. Dr. Derer was an Associate Professor and proud member of the Special Education/Communication Disorders Department Family at New Mexico State University (NMSU). She received her Bachelor's degree from Eastern Illinois University and her Master's degree from the University of Hawaii. She received her PH.D. from Vanderbilt University in Early Childhood Special Education. She was a lifelong teacher, scholar and advocate for individuals with special needs. Her research and technical assistance provided expert guidance at the national, state and local levels. Dr. Derer was the recipient of numerous academic honors and awards including the NMSU College of Education Dean's Award for Excellence in Leadership, Who's Who Among America's Teachers and the Charlotte Toulouse Award for major Contributions to Communication between People with Disabilities and Disability Researchers. In both her professional and personal life, Kristie, as she was known to co-workers and friends, always demanded excellence of herself and others. Her commitment to ethical practice made her a valuable colleague and friend. Kristie was a friend, teacher and mentor to countless individuals. She loved martial arts and studied Tai Chi Chuan in Hawaii. She continued her studies in Nashville and was granted the honor to teach by her Tai Chi master when she moved to Las Cruces. There she shared her skills and knowledge every Saturday for 18 years. She will be greatly missed by her students. She is survived by her sisters, Terri Eisele and Mardi Scheske, both of Illinois, and her best friend and sister of the heart Debra Lee of Maryland. She will be greatly missed by her nieces Tracey Lee and Kari Lorenz (Stacey Lorenz) and her nephews Joe Eisele and Bill Scheske (Jodi). Her love for her great nieces Kaylin Lee and Kyla Lorenz and her great nephews Jeffrey Lee, William Scheske and Benjamin Scheske gave her great joy. Kristie's love and belief in children can be best expressed in an excerpt from Within My Power by Forest Witcraft. "One hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money was in my bank account nor what my clothes looked like. But the world may be a better place because I was important in the life of a child." In honor of her lifetime dedication to children, gifts may be made in memory of Dr. Kristine R. Derer to the "NMSU Foundation, Inc." PO Box 3590, Las Cruces, New Mexico, 88003. Attn: Robert Peterson, Gift Planning Director. Check memo or cover letter should refer to the "Dr. Kristine R. Derer Memorial Scholarship Fund, NMSU College of Education." PDF Printable Version