Professor LaRon Scott and I had lunch 16 December 2021 in what, I think, is now called “West Richmond” (Sheesh, has that area gown a lot in the last 40 years! Richmond is spilling over from Henrico into Goochland County). But, lunch was a delightful time...and he paid! [Thank you, LaRon!]

Professor Scott is an accomplished scholar—yes, tenure and the whole 9 meters—at Virginia Commonwealth Univeristy. More importantly, he’s savvy, engaged in sped, and leading students toward improving special educators’ business.

Many special educators will know LaRon because of his leadership in work on the shortage of qualified teachers (especially teachers who represent minority ethnic groups). See the associated Web site.

I appreciate him not just for that work, but for his advocacy for doctoral students. Without prompting, we shared our views about how important it is for faculty members to promote their doctoral advisees’ work, to (in fact) learn what interests those advisees and egg them on in their work.

And I’ll know LaRon for his wonderfully sensitive immediate connection as a fellow special educator and a fine human.