Dr. John Cech, University of Florida
Joined the University of Florida’s faculty in 1976 after receiving his Ph.D. from the University of Connecticut. His teaching and research interests combine American Literature, Creative Writing, and Children’s and Adolescent Literature. Professor Cech is Director of the Center for the Study of Children’s Literature & Culture and was the Producer and Host of the Public Radio program, “Recess!,” a daily program about children’s culture (from 1998–2007). He has served as the president of the Children’s Literature Association and the book review editor of Children’s Literature from 1982–1996. In 1992, he was presented with the Chandler Award of Merit for his innovative teaching in children’s literature, and in 2013 he received the Anne Devereaux Jordan Award for his lasting contribution to the field of children’s literature.