Donald is Professor Emeritus in Literacy Studies at Iowa State, and University of Nevada, Reno where he directed literacy centers and taught at all levels. A former classroom teacher, Donald is a co-author of articles, chapters, and 17 books, including Word Study for Phonics, Spelling, and Vocabulary Instruction, and Words Their Way. His research explores the synchrony of literacy development from beginning concept of word in prekindergarten to how morphology underlies academic vocabulary learning. He has received awards for teaching and service and has served on boards and advisory groups for professional organizations.