Over the past 30 years, Dr. Lyon has had a wide range of professional responsibilities including his contributions as a researcher, professor, classroom teacher, special education teacher, school psychologist, and leader in the development of evidence-based education policy at the federal and state levels. Dr. Lyon founded Synergistic Education Solutions, an educational resource that provides consulting services to improve educational research, instruction and policies at national and state levels in January, 2008. He held the position of the Executive Vice President for Research and Evaluation at Higher Ed Holdings in Dallas, Texas from 2005 to 2008. From 1992 until 2005, Dr. Lyon served as a research psychologist and the Chief of the Child Development and Behavior Branch within the National Institute of Child health and Human Development (NICHD) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) where he was responsible for the direction, development and management of research programs in developmental and cognitive neuroscience, developmental psychology, behavioral pediatrics, reading development and disabilities, learning disabilities, early childhood development, and school readiness.
While at the National Institute of Health, Dr. Lyon also worked closely with the White House, the U.S. Department of Education, and Congress on the development of the Reading First program, and he co-authored that legislation WITH Robert Sweet. He also served as an advisor on education research and policies to President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush from 2001 until 2005. He was a member of the President’s Commission on Excellence in Special Education. Dr. Lyon has also testified numerous times before U.S. Senate and House committees, addressing such issues as the role of neuroscience in education, the critical need for scientific research to guide educational practices and policies, evidence-based teacher education, early childhood development, learning disabilities, reading development and reading disorders, the re-authorization of Head Start, and the re-authorization of the Individuals with Disabilities Education (IDEA) Act. In 2006, Dr. Lyon was named one of the ten most influential people in American education during the last decade by the Editorial Projects in Education Research Center (Education Week) for his work in ensuring that scientific research occupies a central role in educational practices and policy.
Dr. Lyon received his Ph.D. from the University of New Mexico in 1978 with a dual concentration in Special Education (learning disabilities and disorders) and psychology (developmental neuropsychology). He served on the faculties of the University of Alabama - Birmingham (Special Education and Educational Psychology), Northwestern University (Communication Science and Disorders) and the University of Vermont School Of Medicine (Neurology). He also taught in the public schools as a third grade classroom teacher, a special education teacher and a school psychologist in several states. He authored, co-authored and edited more than 130 peer reviewed journal articles, books, and book chapters addressing educational policy and learning differences and disabilities in children and adolescents.
Dr. Lyon has appeared on NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, and National Public Radio to discuss issues relevant to education, child development, and educational research and policies.
From 1967 until 1970, Dr. Lyon served as a United States Army paratrooper with the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions and in Vietnam from February 1968 to May, 1969. He participated in several major campaigns and combat operations and received the Combat Infantry Badge, the Bronze Star, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry (Unit), among other decorations.