Katie Cyphers is leader in all things education with a passion for giving back. If you’re an Atlanta parent, you may recognize her name from her educational consulting business, Academics Plus, which specializes in Learning Checkups in order to be proactive in education and help parents find the best school fit for their children. Academics Plus has gained a great reputation for ensuring that all children are able to reach their greatest potential.

As a Rotarian, she understands the true meaning of service above self. When Katie heard that schools in Sierra Leone, West Africa were closed for a year due to the Ebola virus, she jumped on a plane with little warning to see how she could help. This first trip and the fateful meeting of Mohamed, the young boy she now calls her own, led to the founding of Education Cures. Today she will share with you her journey in education, which includes her personal story of dyslexia and her Buckhead learning center, Academics Plus, but most importantly, how she’s used her journey to help create proactive education programs in developing countries.

Katie's dedication to her alma mater, The University of Tennessee, has remained apparent with her position on the University of Tennessee Dean's Board of Advisors for the College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences and through her service as President of the Univ. of Tennessee Alumni Chapter Board.

Katie is a member of the Rotary Club of Buckhead and has been awarded the Vocational Service Award and New Generations Award. She has served two terms on the National Board of Directors for the Learning Disabilities Association of America, is a Professional Member of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA) and is also a member of the Secondary Schools Admission Test Board (SSATB), International Dyslexia Association (IDA), the American Psychological Association (APA), the Shepherd Center Society, and Women's Community Bible Study.

Katie also received one of the most prestigious awards given by the University of Tennessee, the UT Alumni Promise Award, which recognizes an alumnus under the age of 40 that has made extensive marks early in their careers, both civically and professionally. In addition, she received the Outstanding Community Advocate award in 2017 from the Department of Theory and Practice in Teacher Education.