Patsy Egan, PhD, is the director of ATLAS, Adult Basic Education (ABE) Teaching & Learning Advancement System. ATLAS is housed in the Hamline University School of Education, and its mission is to provide resources and professional development to advance adult education throughout Minnesota. Patsy holds a BA in Russian Language from the University of Nebraska and an MA in Teaching English as a Second Language, as well as a PhD in Curriculum & Instruction from the University of Minnesota (read a summary Patsy's dissertation here). She has state-issued teaching licenses in K-12 ESL and also in Adult Basic Education. Patsy’s teaching and research focuses on literacy development and teacher education for adult learners, including adult basic education and English as a Second Language. She is a frequent national conference presenter, invited trainer and author, largely in the area of low-literacy adult ESL.