Department of Child Development, Literacy and Special Education

Dr. Dionne Sills Busio is an associate professor of family and child studies and was the director of the undergraduate Birth-Kindergarten program from  2018 – 2024. Her interests include pedagogical documentation, early intervention for children birth to three, and family-professional collaboration. She also has an interest in teacher preparation, diversity, and inclusion.

In her more than 25 years as an early childhood education professional, Dr. Busio (her preferred salutation) has held various positions, including lead preschool teacher and early interventionist in Guilford County and surrounding areas. Her career working with families and children also included photographing newborns at the former Women's Hospital in Greensboro, NC, prior to beginning a career in higher education. Dr. Busio's desire to support children, families, and teachers to achieve optimal outcomes was the impetus for her pursuing advanced degrees in early childhood special education after being a stay-at-home mother to her three children. In 2009, she earned a Master of Education in Birth to Kindergarten Interdisciplinary Studies. Several years later, at the same university, UNC-Greensboro, she earned a Ph.D in Early Childhood Special Education.

She is a member of the Council for Exception Children (CEC), the Division for Early Childhood, and the National Association for the Education of Young Children. She is the Chairperson for the New Arrivals Institute Preschool Committee, a non-profit organization supporting immigrants and refugees in Guilford County. Her service also includes reviewing articles for the Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education.

She enjoys watching TV shows from the UK, soccer, musicals, traveling, and spending time with her husband, three adult children, and granddaughter. 

Dr. Busio's Curriculum Vitae