The BU Wheelock community mourns the loss of two of its longtime members, former faculty members Dr. Paula Menyuk and Dr. Roselmina “Lee” Indrisano.

“Dr. Menyuk and Dr. Indrisano were giants in their fields, renowned scholars, and tireless advocates for early childhood language and literacy learning,” said David Chard, BU Wheelock’s dean ad interim. “Dr. Menyuk’s many contributions to the field of applied linguistics include the founding of Boston University’s Conference on Language Development, one of the oldest and largest student-led conferences in linguistics and is still being held today. Dr. Indrisano was a highly respected scholar in early literacy, served as a national leader in her profession, and was inducted into the Reading Hall of Fame. We honor both their commitment and their contributions, which touched countless lives.”

Dr. Paula Menyuk

Dr. Paula Menyuk joined the BU School of Education in 1960 as a teaching fellow and stayed until her retirement in 1998. A leading expert in childhood language development and disorders, Dr. Menyuk published dozens of articles and eight books, covering psycholinguistics and early language development.

While at BU, Dr. Menyuk co-founded BU’s program in applied linguistics, a program that now sits within BU’s College of Arts and Sciences and offers undergraduate and graduate degrees. She was the creator of the annual BU Conference on Language Development, which is currently in its 45th year, and she also served as the chief language therapist at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Roselmina “Lee” Indrisano

A Metcalf Awardee for Excellence in Teaching and the recipient of the University’s Scholar-Teacher Award, Dr. Roselmina “Lee” Indrisano joined BU in the Fall of 1969. Her career focused on early literacy development and the enhancement of supports for struggling readers and their families.

While at BU, she served as the co-director of the Poetry Institute for Educators. She was president of Literacy Worldwide (1986–1987) and a served as a fellow of the National Conference on Research in English. Dr. Indrisano retired from BU in 2017. She is remembered for her humility and passion for excellence in teaching.