Perry Lanier
Professor Emeritus Perry Lanier, a pioneer involved with many ground-breaking initiatives in teacher education, died on Jan. 31, 2014 at age 80.
Lanier received a PhD from the University of Oklahoma, and joined the MSU faculty in 1967, after teaching as a mathematics specialist for six years at the upper elementary level. The Elementary Intern Program (EIP) was what attracted Lanier to the college, and he was an early leader of the yearlong internship — a key element of Michigan State University’s teacher education program.
The EIP’s network of centers and schools led to closer connections between the College of Education and schools throughout Michigan. These efforts were the nexus of Professional Development Schools (PDS) in the late 1980s, and Lanier served as site coordinator for three PDS schools in Holt and Battle Creek, Mich.
Lanier retired in 2002 after 35 years of service and teaching at the College of Education.