2015 Presenters
More to be added.
Jacqueline Ahl
State University of New York at New Paltz
Jacqueline Ahl is the Specialist for Disabilities and Learning at the State University of New York at New Paltz, where she engages in strategy instruction and academic coaching, and serves as a resource for peer tutors, faculty, and staff seeking information about learning strategies, instructional methodology, and authentic assessment for students with disabilities. She is an instructor for the Summer Institute for the Gifted at Vassar College, working with gifted and twice-exceptional youth. She taught in the SUNY New Paltz English Department, served as grant writer and performer for Arts for Peace, and appeared as visiting poet for the Language Arts Program of Northeast Center for Special Care, offering arts-based rehabilitation for acquired brain injury. Jacqueline’s poetry credits include A Slant of Light: Contemporary Women Writers of the Hudson Valley (2013), and Riverine: An Anthology of Hudson Valley Writers (2007). Her plays have been produced in NY, NC, and MO.
Bryanna Anderson
Univeristy of Connecticut
Bryanna Anderson serves as an Assistant Director at the Center for Students with Disabilities at the University of Connecticut (UConn) working directly with students and focusing on outreach and programming. She has been working at the Center for 8 years, fulfilling various roles from graduate assistant to Program Coordinator and now Assistant Director. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Hartwick College and her Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Higher Education and Students Affairs from UConn. In addition she holds a Sixth Year Diploma in Professional Education in Postsecondary Services for Student with Disabilities from UConn’s Neag School of Education. Bryanna is a general case manager but has an interest and focus in working with students with psychiatric disabilities. She also is the primary contact for students with visual disabilities. She enjoys presenting to the UConn Community on topics such as disability awareness, strategies to work with students and how to best access the Center. Bryanna also has an interest in increasing the number of students with disabilities studying abroad and experienced her first study abroad trip in the summer of 2014.
Luccia Arruda
North Shore Community College
Luccia Arruda served as chapter Vice President of the Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society. She is a 2015 graduate of the Liberal Arts Transfer program at NSCC. During her two years in the honor society, Luccia contributed to many initiatives. She tutored at the Brickett Elementary School, participated in leadership workshops, represented the honor society at an admissions event for incoming students, spoke at a public panel event about learning strategies, and helped organize a poetry reading in which her writing was presented. Luccia earned a 3.64 GPA and plans to continue her education at Lesley University to become a teacher.
Alan Babcock
Pennsylvania State University-Harrisburg
Alan Babcock, a school psychologist, has been the Disability Services Coordinator at Penn State Harrisburg since 2006, where he provides services to students with disabilities, develops and monitors academic support programs, and presents workshops to students and faculty. He presents First Year Seminars on How to Succeed in College, Recovering from Adversity and Disappointment, Study Skills, and Test Taking. He is dedicated to finding ways to give all students the opportunity to succeed.
Through Alan’s various professional roles and experiences, he has developed a wealth of knowledge about a wide array of issues related to serving individuals with disabilities. Students awarded him Multicultural Academic Excellence Program Staff Partnership of Excellence Award, and the faculty and staff recognized him with the Staff Diversity Award. Alan has presented to the Pennsylvania Psychological Association and the Association of School Psychologist of Pennsylvania on transitioning students from high school to college.
Manju Banerjee
Landmark College
Manju Banerjee, Ph.D. is Vice President of Educational Research and Innovation and Director of Landmark College Institute for Research and Training. She is the former Associate Director of the Center for Students with Disabilities at the University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT. She is also Research and Education consultant for the Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ, and has over 27 years experience in the field of learning and other disabilities. Dr. Banerjee is a certified diagnostician and teacher-consultant for learning disabilities. She has worked as a postsecondary disability service provider, faculty member, rehabilitation counselor, and research consultant for many years. Dr. Banerjee has published and presented extensively, both nationally and internationally on topics including disability documentation, technological competencies for postsecondary transition, and Universal Design. She is on the editorial board of the Journal of Postsecondary Education Disability and the advisory board for Learning Ally ( formerly Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic), New England Unit.
Kirsten Behling
Suffolk University
Kirsten Behling is the Director of the Office of Disability Services (ODS) at Suffolk University. Kirsten established the Office of Disability Services at Suffolk in 2008. ODS oversees access to all university sponsored events, including commencement and convocation. Kirsten frequently provides direct service to faculty on the topics of differentiated instruction, Universal Course Design, accessible online courses and materials and best practices for working with students with sensory disabilities through individual consultations or workshops. Prior to joining Suffolk, Kirsten work for the University Centers of Excellence on Disability at both the University of Massachusetts Boston and the University of New Hampshire. At both institutions Kirsten wrote and directed projects funded by the Office of Postsecondary Education, US Department of Education on inclusive practices for students with disabilities in postsecondary education. Kirsten is currently leading a team of disability service professionals in partnership with the University of Connecticut in the development of an online Master’s Program for Disability Services in Higher Education. In addition to Kirsten’s role at Suffolk, she serves at the president of the New England Association of Higher Education and Disability Services (AHEAD).
Lisa Bibeau
Salem State University
Lisa received her BS in Elementary Education at the University of Hartford and her Master’s in Education from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. She began her career at the University of Massachusetts in their Learning Disabilities Center. Upon completion of her degree she attained a position in the Office of Disability Services at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro as an Assistant Director. After three years at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Lisa joined the staff of the Disability Services Office at Salem State University in 2002 and was promoted to Director in 2003. The Disability Services Office at Salem State University has grown with the population of students seeking services from two full time employees to four full time and one part time professional staff positions.
Loring Brinckerhoff
Educational Testing Services
Loring C. Brinckerhoff, Ph.D. is Director of the Office of Disability Policy at Educational Testing Service (ETS). He also serves as a higher education and disability consultant to Columbia University and Harvard Medical School. He received his doctorate in learning disabilities from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is past-president of the Association of Higher Education and Disability (AHEAD) and former secretary of the National Joint Committee on Learning Disabilities. Area of expertise: Transition from high school to post-secondary education for students with learning disabilities; high stakes testing and accommodations; gifted adults with disabilities.
Jane Thierfeld Brown
University of Connecticut School of Law
Jane Thierfeld Brown is Director of Student Services at the University of Connecticut School of Law, Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale Child Study, Yale Medical School and Director of College Autism Spectrum. She has worked in Disability Services for 35 years. Dr. Brown received her B.A. from the University of Rhode Island in SpeechPathology. While coordinator of disability services at URI she received her M.S. in Counseling and M.A. in Education. She holds an Ed.D from Columbia University, Teachers College. Dr. Brown consults with many families, students school districts and institutions of higher education. Dr. Brown has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS News and NPR. She has co- authored “ Student with Asperger’s: A Guide for College Professionals,” (2009) “The Parent’s Guide to College for Students on the Autism Spectrum,” (2012) and “Behavior Management and Self-Regulation,” (2012) along with many textbook chapters and articles. Dr. Brown is married and has three children, the youngest being a 23 year old son with Autism.
Kathi Jo Burker-Weinert
Northampton Community College
Kathi Jo Burker-Weinert is a Professor and Disability Services Specialist at Northampton Community College, located in Bethlehem, Pa., for the past sixteen years. Kathi Jo is a recipient of both FIPSE and US Department of Education grants, specializing in the transition of students with disabilities from high school to college and incorporating Universal Instructional Design principles in the post –secondary environment. During the Fall 2015 semester, part of her sabbatical will focus on developing training modules on assistive technology for NCC students employed in NCC’s “Customer Service Helpdesk” and professional development modules on assistive technology and Universal Instructional Design for faculty to incorporate in their procurement and course development process. She is a graduate of Lehigh University and Clarion University of Pennsylvania.
Lisa Caringer
Pepnet 2
Lisa Caringer is a Technical Assistance Specialist with Pepnet 2, a federal program which seeks to improve post school outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. She received her BA in Sign Language Interpreting and a MS in Rehabilitation Counseling. Lisa’s professional experience in the disability services field spans 25 years, from coordinating disability services in higher education to work in state and federal disability agencies and programs. Her interests are in best practices in working with previously underserved students who are deaf or hard of hearing. She currently serves on the Interpreter Licensure Advisory Board for the Illinois Deaf and Hard of Hearing Commission.
Andrew Cioffi
Suffolk University
Andrew Cioffi is a graduate of Suffolk University in Boston Massachusetts, where he earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Education in Foundations of Education. Andrew has returned to Suffolk University professionally as the Assistant Director of Disability Services. His areas of interest include integration of technology into all aspects of a disability services operation, as well as training faculty, staff, and students on the usage of academic and assistive technology, in addition to the creation of alternative format course materials, with particular focus on materials for blind and low vision students, and ultimately, universal design. Andrew’s adjunct teaching experience includes Anatomy and Physiology, First Year Seminar, Career Exploration and Development, Issues in Postsecondary Disability Services, and Assistive Technology in Postsecondary Education. Currently, Andrew serves as the chair of the New England AHEAD Assistive Technology Committee.
Michael Connor
Suffolk University
Michael Connor has been the Alt-Text Specialist at Suffolk University since October 2014. He is responsible for providing alternative text accommodation support to undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students. These students have been diagnosed with attention deficit or hyperactivity disorder, low vision or blindness, hearing loss or deafness, autism spectrum disorders, temporary disorders, medical conditions, psychiatric disorders, and learning disabilities.Before working at Suffolk he worked for 3 years at Perkins School for the Blind in the DeafBlind department, where he worked with students in their academic programs. Michael has also coached adapted basketball and golf and ran an adapted fishing program in which students from the Secondary and DeafBlind programs attended. Michael is a graduate of Boston College where he earned his Bachelors of Arts degree in History.
Brian Cuzzolina
Thomas Jefferson University
Brian Cuzzolina is the Academic Development Specialist at Thomas Jefferson University where he directly facilitates the student writing center and the strategic academic support consultation program. Prior to his current position he worked in academic support at Penn and Princeton University. Brian holds a Masters of Liberal Arts from the University of Pennsylvania where he studied the influence of postmodern American Poetry on contemporary culture. He also received a Master of Science in Education from Penn where he focused on the literacy practices of high achieving college and graduate students.
Keyonna Dailey
Auburn University
Keyonna Dailey is the Associate Director of the Center for Disability Services at Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) and has a master’s degree in Counseling Psychology with an emphasis in Rehabilitation Counseling. She has ten years of experience in disability services with an emphasis in providing accommodation and assistive technology services to college students with disabilities. Her past experiences include three years at McInnis School a Special Education school that is a public school that provides special services for children with disabilities (physical, mental, or learning needs).
Laura DiGalbo
Central Connecticut State University
Ms DiGalbo received her B.A in psychology from Randolph-Macon Woman’s College in Lynchburg Virginia and her M.Ed at the University of Hartford in Education /Counseling. During her career she has completed several clinical fellowships including those in mental illness and substance abuse. Laura has worked in the field of Rehabilitation & Education for over 40 years. It was during this time that she developed an interest in the issues affecting students who have difficulty coping with rigors of post-secondary education including those with psychiatric disabilities. Ms DiGalbo co-authored a chapter in the 30th Institute on Rehabilitation Issues monograph entitled “Innovative Methods of Providing Services to Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities” .
She is adjunct faculty in the Marriage, Family therapy and Counseling graduate program at Central Connecticut State University. Laura’s expertise in psychiatric disabilities and post-secondary education has led her to present at National and International conferences as well as to provide in-service training at Colleges and Universities throughout the country.
Kimberly Doan
Tufts University
Kimberly Doan has been with the Tufts University Student Accessibility Services Office since 2012. She attended University at Buffalo in NY, receiving a BA in Psychology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences. In her role as the Learning Specialist at Tufts, Kimberly provides academic strategy instruction and student access support to SAS registered students who seek to develop executive functioning strengths, improve personal organization, and the growth of academic strategy tools. Encouraging students to self-advocate and utilize their individual learning style strengths, Kimberly supports students’ intellectual and emotional development as they adapt to the demands of a college environment.
Kyle Droz
Northeastern University
Kyle Droz received his M.Ed. from Springfield College in Higher Education Administration, and a B.A. in Psychology from Stonehill College. Currently he works as a Disability Specialist in Northeastern University’s Disability Resource Center where he provides support services to students with psychiatric disorders, ensuring the student’s equitable participation in the academic experience.
Lyman Dukes, III
University of South Florida St. Petersburg
Dr. Lyman Dukes III, is a Professor of Special Education at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg. He has more than 20 years of educational experience. He is co-editor of the book, Preparing Students with Disabilities for College Success: A Practical Guide to Transition Planning and he has published and presented extensively on topics related to postsecondary education and students with disabilities. He has also received transition-relevant grant funding totaling more than $2 million. His current research interests include transition from school to adult life, the Summary of Performance, and the evaluation of postsecondary disability services. He can be reached via email at: ldukes@usfsp.edu
Laura Evangelista
University of Connecticut
Laura Evangelista is an Assistant Director in the Center for Career Development at the University of Connecticut where she has worked since 1999. Current job responsibilities include counselor training and development. In addition, Laura is the liaison to the School of Nursing and the Center for Students with Disabilities. Laura earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from Eastern Connecticut State University, a Master of Arts in Experimental Psychology from the University of Hartford and most recently completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Postsecondary Disability Services from the NEAG School of Education at the University of Connecticut. Prior to her career in higher education, Laura worked as a Human Resource Generalist at Scan-Optics, Inc.
Joseph Fisher
The George Washington University
Joseph P. Fisher holds a Ph.D. in English from The George Washington University, where he works as a Communications and Writing Specialist in the Office of Disability Support Services. Additionally, Joe teaches composition and technology ethics in George Washington’s College of Professional Studies. Joe is the co-editor of the collection The Politics of Post-9/11 Music: Sound, Trauma, and the Music Industry in the Time of Terror, which was published by Ashgate Publishing in 2011. He is also a staff blogger for the website PopMatters, where he has written variously about popular music and the television series Breaking Bad. His article, “Queer Time, Queer Space, and Queer Edge in Lynn Breedlove’s Godspeed,” was recently published in the volume Write in Tune: Contemporary Music in Fiction. Joe is currently editing a special issue of The Journal of Bioethical Inquiry and continues to research the intersections of DiY music scenes and disability culture.
Wade Fletcher
The George Washington University
Wade Fletcher holds an MFA in Creative Writing and Poetry from George Mason University, where he also earned his BA in English and a minor in Special Education. Wade currently holds a Special Service Faculty at The George Washington University. In that role, he splits his time between GW’s Office of Disability Support Services, where he works as a Writing Specialist, and GW’s University Writing Program, where he teaches composition. Wade brings to this position a variety of university-level teaching experience in composition, literature, and creative writing courses at the university level, as well as a past career working in Virginia’s public school system. Wade’s professional interests include poetry, writing pedagogy, and visual and popular culture, and his published work includes two poetry chapbooks and multiple journal and anthology publications.
Elizabeth Gasparini
Tufts University
Elizabeth Gasparini recently completed her M.A./Ed.S. in School Psychology at Tufts University, where she also served fellow students as a graduate consultant at the University’s Academic Resource Center and Student Accessibility Services office. As a central part of her work in education, Liz believes strongly in a holistic approach to student success, supporting both academic skill development and social-emotional wellbeing. Liz brings past research experience along with her own personal mindfulness practice to her work with students in both the college and public school settings. In efforts to expand the message of mindfulness to the larger Tufts community, Liz planned and led an eight-week workshop for undergraduate and graduate students under the supervision of Claire Weigand.
Nicholas Gelbar
University of Connecticut Health Center
Dr. Nicholas Gelbar received his doctoral degree in School Psychology at the University of Connecticut. He is a former high school social studies teacher, a Nationally Certified School Psychologist (NCSP) and a licensed psychologist. He is an assistant professor in Community Medicine at the University of Connecticut Health Center and the research director of the UConn Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Gelbar is an applied researcher focusing on creating effective inclusion programs and improving school-based service delivery systems as the transition needs of individuals with low-incidence disabilities including Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Brianna Giacoppe
Tufts University
Brianna Giacoppe has been with Tufts University Student Accessibility Services office since 2013. She received a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies and Special Education from Fitchburg State University in MA. As Tuft’s Assistive Technology Specialist, Brianna produces alternate formats of text and other course materials for students in various forms, such as Braille and audio files. Brianna also creates accessible documents from PDFs, along with coordinating interpreting and CART services for students registered with the Student Accessibility Services office.
Daphne Gilles
Community College of Rhode Island
Daphne Gilles is Program Director for Disability Services for Students Office at the Community College of Rhode Island. She is a dynamic professional dedicated to helping students self-advocate and understand the academic and personal strengths they possess. By counseling toward self-awareness and self-advocacy, this results-driven administrator has guided students, staff, faculty, and parents to understanding how equal access to educational programs, services, and career opportunities may be reasonably achieved, despite physical or mental health challenges.
Mark Greenberg
Harvard University
Mark S. Greenberg, Ph.D., is Boston-based clinical neuropsychologist specializing in the diagnostic assessment and treatment of a range of medical, neurological and psychiatric conditions. Following his undergraduate years at SUNY Stony Brook, he pursued graduate study in clinical psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, receiving a Masters degree in 1979 and a Doctorate in 1981. Following an internship year, he accepted a post-doctoral fellowship at the New England Deaconess Hospital, where he went on to establish and head the Psychology Service. Since 1991, he has been engaged in private practice. In 2009 he joined a team at the Massachusetts General Hospital that is investigating the recovery of function from mild traumatic brain injury. Dr. Greenberg consults to a range of private and public sector agencies and institutions, and is an experienced teacher and lecturer. He holds the title of Clinical Instructor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the Harvard Medical School.
Debra Hart
Think College
Ms. Hart is currently the PI on the Think College National Coordinating Center for Postsecondary Education Center (Office of Postsecondary Education) for 27 Transition Postsecondary Programs for Students with Intellectual Disabilities (TPSIDs) across 23 states and 44 institutes of higher education. In this role she oversees all the coordination, evaluation system development, dissemination activities including development of the Think College website (www.thinkcollege.net) and provision of TTA for each grantee. Finally, she is a Co-PI on a U.S. Department of Education Investing in Innovation (i3) development grant designed to conduct a randomized controlled treatment evaluation of the Think College Transition Model in partnership with Boston Public Schools, College of Education and Human Development at the University of Massachusetts, Boston, and Roxbury Community College.
Linda R. Hecker
Landmark College
Linda Hecker, M.Ed., has taught at Landmark College since its founding in 1985, serving in multiple roles: directing tutorial and teacher training programs, teaching English, study skills, and music classes, and serving as an academic advisor and dean. She was appointed to the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training in 2001, and currently serves as Lead Education Specialist. She frequently presents workshops, seminars and graduate courses for educators and parents. Ms. Hecker is the author of numerous articles and book chapters, including work on multisensory learning and Assistive Technology. She received her B.A. from Brandeis University and her M. Ed from the University of Hartford. In her free time she doubles as a free-lance violinist/violist.
Salome Heyward
Salome Heyward & Associates
Salome Heyward, a civil rights attorney with over 35 years’ experience in the field of disability discrimination law and disability management is the president of Salome Heyward & Associates. Dr. Heyward is frequently sought out by media personnel to provide legal background for their productions concerning disability issues, e.g., NBC, CNN, ESPN, the New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, and the Chronicle of Higher Education. She is a well-known and respected speaker and trainer in the area of disability discrimination law and disability management. She has been a featured presenter for national associations and organizations such as the American Association for Affirmative Action, American Association of Medical Colleges, the Association of Higher Education and Disability, the Council of State Governments, the National Association of State Personnel and the International Learning Disabilities Association. Dr. Heyward’s firm, Salome Heyward & Associates, helps postsecondary institutions, agencies and employers develop and maintain effective and compliant ADA/Section 504 programs and services. Services
Sherry Hillyard
Shippensburg University
Sherry Hillyard is the Associate Director of Disability Services at Shippensburg University in Shippensburg, PA. A native of Williamsport, PA, Sherry received her undergraduate degree from Penn State University and Masters of Education degree from Lock Haven University of PA. With years of teaching experience in pre-K through adult public and private classrooms, her career history includes work as a high school transition counselor with the PA Office of Vocational Rehabilitation and as a small business owner of individualized, direct instruction for students with reading disabilities. Sherry has been employed at the university since July, 2010. Shippensburg’s Office of Disability Services serves over 500 students with a professional staff of two, one part-time clerical support, and fifteen undergraduate student employees.
Katie Hudd
University of Connecticut
Katie Hudd is a Disability Specialist at the Center for Students with Disabilities at the University of Connecticut (UConn). Katie works directly with a diverse population of students with various disabilities and assists on outreach initiatives within the Center such as the Delta Alpha Pi international honor society and the Center’s social media platforms. Katie also serves as a member on the Academic Advising and Suicide Prevention committees. She has been working professionally at the Center for one year, however, she was a Graduate Assistant for two years prior, working as a Strategy Instructor for the Beyond Access program. Katie received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Anthropology at UConn, and stayed at UConn to complete her Master’s Degree in Education, with a focus in Special Education.
Tia Ivanko
Pepnet 2
Tia Ivanko is one of several staff members of Pepnet 2, a federal program which seeks to improve post school outcomes for deaf and hard of hearing individuals. She received her BA in Teaching of Speech & Hearing Handicap, from Ithaca College and a MS in Deaf Education, From Western Maryland College. Her professional experience includes over 15 years working with individuals who are deaf and hard of hearing, in a various capacities, in k-12, postsecondary, and community settings. She is a nationally certified interpreter, and currently serves as the President of the NJ affiliate chapter of the Association of Higher Education and Disabilities [AHEAD].
Patty Kean
Curry College
Patty Kean, Ed.D, is an Associate Professor in the Program for the Advancement of Learning at Curry College, Milton, MA. She is also a professional member in the Association of Educational Therapists. Dr. Kean continues to revise and implement her decision-making program for secondary and post-secondary students. Her curriculum provides students information on current behavioral neuroscience and uses narratives to facilitate self-authorship and multiple-perspective-taking. Dr. Kean administers neuropsychological assessments through the Educational Diagnostic Center at Curry College and facilitates self-regulation, metacognition, and strength-based cognitive strategy development for high school and college students.
Christopher Kennedy
Curry College
Christopher (Chip) Kennedy has been the Director of Disability Services at Curry College since September 2010, and has been working with students with disabilities in postsecondary education for the past 16 years. He is responsible for providing accommodations, auxiliary aids, and personal support to undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education students with diagnosed learning disorders; attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder; psychiatric disorders; traumatic brain injury; deaf and hearing impairments; blind and low vision; mobility impairments; medical conditions; autism spectrum disorders; and temporary disabilities. He also coordinates accommodations due to environmental allergies, food allergies, and other housing needs.
In addition to his daily work with students, Chip serves as an instructor at the University of Connecticut and teaches courses in its Online Graduate Certificate Program in Postsecondary Disability Services. Chip earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Dartmouth College and a Master of Education degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs Administration from The University of Vermont.
Melissa Kistler
Johns Hopkins University
Melissa Kistler has served as the Johns Hopkins University’s Center for Talented Youth’s Disability Services Administrator since the position’s inception in 2010. She is a certified ADA Coordinator and holds a master’s degree in Gifted Education. In her current position, she works with families, staff, and students associated with the program to ensure ADA compliance and equitable experiences for constituents of the program. Melissa also chairs the Medical/Disabilities committee for CTY’s summer programs and has served as a program administrator. In addition to her experience at CTY, Melissa taught middle school mathematics for over four years. Melissa has presented on the topics of serving individuals with disabilities in programs for K-12 students at a variety or local and national conferences.
Jeanne Kincaid
Drummond Woodsum
Jeanne Kincaid is a nationally known disability lawyer and consultant, representing colleges and universities nationwide and public and independent schools regionally on a host of disability and special education issues, including the physical accessibility requirements imposed by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act. Jeanne has been a special education hearing officer and mediator for the State of New Hampshire, and has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of New Hampshire’s Graduate School of Education, Antioch University and Franklin Pierce Law Center (now the University of New Hampshire School of Law). Jeanne worked in an advisory capacity with AHEAD, a national organization whose membership consists of higher education staff that coordinate services for students with disabilities. She has held staff attorney positions with the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights, the Oregon Department of Education, and served as a hearing officer for the Oregon Bureau of Labor and the New Hampshire Department of Education. She has been a contributing author to “Section 504, the ADA and the Schools” and “Disability Compliance for Higher Education.” Jeanne represents institutions of higher education before the Office for Civil Rights and the U.S. Department of Justice. She has an active practice serving in a consulting capacity to the Office of General Counsel for numerous private universities throughout the country. An engaging presenter whose improvisational comedic background affords participants a unique approach to understanding complex legal issues, Jeanne has shared her expertise in dynamic presentations on hundreds of campuses from coast to coast.
Donna Korbel
University of Connecticut
Donna M. Korbel has been Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs at the University of Connecticut since 2011 and is also the Director of the Center for Students with Disabilities. Ms. Korbel received her M.Ed. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Springfield College and completed doctoral coursework in Educational Psychology in the Neag School of Education at the University. In addition to her administrative responsibilities, she is a member of the Higher Education and Student Affairs Faculty at the Neag School of Education. Ms. Korbel has more than thirty five years of experience in the disability services field. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, a licensed clinical social worker and a certified expert witness. She has presented at numerous conferences throughout the country and has co-authored several publications. Her research interests include the transition of postsecondary students with disabilities to college, Universal Design for Instruction and its benefits for the postsecondary education of individuals with disabilities as well as the professional development of college student personnel.
Jennifer Kowitt
University of Connecticut
Jennifer S. Kowitt, M.A., is a doctoral student in the Department of Educational Psychology in the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. She is also a research assistant in the Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability. Her research and practice interests include transition, postsecondary education for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder, and social skills instruction for adolescents and adults with disabilities.
Adam Lalor
University of Connecticut
Adam R. Lalor, M.Ed., is a doctoral student in the Department of Educational Psychology in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. He is also a research assistant in the Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability. His research interests include postsecondary transition of students with disabilities, student affairs preparation and training on disability, and higher education administration.
Martha Lee-Sullivan
University of Pennsylvania
Marty is the Learning Instructor for Students with Disabilities at University of Pennsylvania’s Weingarten Learning Resources Center. She has worked with children and adults with disabilities for 20 years including the last eight years in Higher Education. Marty received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Education from Cedar Crest College and her Master’s Degree in Education from Lehigh University. At UPenn, she provides individual instruction in academic reading, writing, studying and time management for Penn students, develops and facilitates workshops and outreach events on a variety of learning and study strategies and serves on several university-wide committees.
Pearl Levey
University of Toronto
Dr. Pearl Levey has worked in the field of learning disabilities for 37 years. She has a Ph.D. degree in Special Education and she has been working as a Learning Disability Specialist at Accessibility Services at the University of Toronto since 1990. In addition, she has a private practice where she conducts psycho-educational assessments and provides consultations for both children and adults. She is one of the founding members of the Ontario Branch of the International Dyslexia Association.
Will Lindstrom
University of Georgia
Will Lindstrom earned his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Georgia (UGA) in 2005. He completed postdoctoral training at the Regents’ Center for Learning Disorders (RCLD) at UGA and the Neurocognitive Assessment Lab of the University of Virginia School of Medicine. He returned to the RCLD at UGA as Head of Evaluation in 2007, becoming the Director in 2009. Will is licensed as a psychologist in Georgia and Virginia. He is a member of the National Academy of Neuropsychology, the American Psychological Association, and the Georgia Association of School Psychologists. His research interests relate to postsecondary students with high-incidence disabilities and include secondary to postsecondary transition, documentation practices, and symptom validity assessment. First-authored papers have appeared in Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, The Clinical Neuropsychologist, Journal of Attention Disorders, Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal, Psychology in the Schools, and Social Psychology of Education.
Kathy Loder-Murphy
Rutgers University
Kathy Loder-Murphy is a Disability Coordinator at Rutgers University where she focuses on supporting the needs of students with learning disabilities, ADD, or traumatic brain injuries.
Allison Lombardi
University of Connecticut
Dr. Lombardi teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Special Education Program. Dr. Lombardi studies college and career readiness and higher education experiences of underrepresented groups, particularly students with disabilities, aspiring first generation college students, and student athletes. She focuses on survey design methods and has experience in the development, field-testing, and initial validation of several measures intended for secondary and postsecondary students and college faculty. Before joining the faculty at the University of Connecticut, Dr. Lombardi was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Oregon’s College of Education. She earned her doctorate from the University of Oregon in Special Education, and she holds an MA in Education and BA in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley.
Jason Manett
University of Toronto
Jason Manett is a Disability Counsellor at Accessibility Services, University of Toronto and an Academic and Life Skills Coach at the Redpath Centre. He is also a doctoral student in the Human Development and Applied Psychology program at OISE/UT. He has worked with children, adolescents and adults with learning disabilities, ADHD and Autism Spectrum Disorders for 17 years. He developed and facilitates the Social Association for Students with Autism (SASA) at the University of Toronto.
Tamara Massey-Garrett
Auburn University
Tamara Massey-Garrett is the Director of the Center for Disability Services at Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) and has a master’s degree in Rehabilitation Services. She has seventeen years of experience in disability services with an emphasis in providing accommodation and assistive technology services to college students with disabilities. Her past experiences include four years working in the field of vocational evaluation and rehabilitation counseling for veterans and high school students participating in TRIO programs at AUM. She collaborates with Auburn University on a grant funded by the National Science Foundation as the Co-PI for the AUM Alabama Alliance for Students with Disabilities – STEM program and coordinates a summer College Prep program with Easter Seals Central Alabama, Faulkner University and the Alabama Department of Rehabilitation Services. She serves as a state president of the Alabama Association on Higher Education and Disability and the Learning Disabilities Association of Alabama.
Aillie McKeever
North Shore Community College
Aillie McKeever has worked in Disability Services at public and private colleges for over a decade. After serving as an educator in different capacities (counselor, academic coach, learning specialist, adjunct professor), she became interested in ways to expand students’ sense of academic authority. She has run a chapter of the Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society for four years and works closely with members to create opportunities that capitalize on their leadership talent and establish space for students to connect and redefine their perspectives on disability. Aillie has an MFA from Emerson College and a BA from Bard College.
Susan McMenamin
The George Washington University
Susan McMenamin is the Director for Disability Support Services at The George Washington University. Susan has served with the Capital Area AHEAD affiliate as a board member, and as its President for two years. Her professional credentials beyond an MA in Special Education and Professionally Recognized Special Educator certification in Educational Diagnosis (Council for Exceptional Children) include collaborating with faculty in the Graduate Clinical Psychology and Medicine/Health Sciences Nursing and Physician’s Assistant programs lecturing on topics related to disability law and supporting those with disabilities within all levels of a higher education academic arena and in clinical practice. In addition, she participated as a Round Table Contributor to the American Bar Association Commission on Mental and Physical Disability Law, January-June 2012. Susan has presented on the local and national front including at the National Conference for College Women Student Leaders and the Physician Assistant Educators Association Annual Conference.
Jody Miele
University of Connecticut
Jody Miele is a master’s student in the Higher Education and Student Affairs program in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut. She is also a second-year graduate assistant with UConn’s Center for Students with Disabilities.
Elisabeth Morel
Western Connecticut State University
Elisabeth Morel is Director of AccessAbility Services at Western Connecticut State University. She has worked in this position since 2012. Previously she served as a Program Coordinator at the Center for Students with Disabilities at the University of Connecticut. Elisabeth’s primary interest is in meeting the unique needs of at-risk students with disabilities. She utilizes student empowerment, disability awareness, and academic coaching to help them reach their goals. She holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Special Education from the University of Connecticut. In addition she holds a Sixth Year Certificate in Professional Education, along with a Certificate in Postsecondary Disability Services also from the University of Connecticut.
Brent Mosser
Johns Hopkins University
Brent Mosser directs student disability services for all full-time undergraduate and graduate students in the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences and the Whiting School of Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Mosser earned his doctorate in Higher Education from the Ohio State University while working as Associate Director of the institution’s Walter E. Dennis Learning Center. In his current position at JHU, he strives to support the needs of students with disabilities through accommodations, mentoring, learning support, and advocacy. His office’s efforts also focus on education and awareness throughout campus and across the local community. Dr. Mosser’s research interests lie in academic engagement and curricular development, including the implementation of active learning principles in college coursework.
Morgan Murray
Educational Testing Services
Morgan Murray joined Educational Testing Service (ETS) in July 2014 as the Disability Policy Consultant. She assists with the review of documentation from test takers with disabilities and developing polices as well as procedures that guide ETS in accommodating individuals with disabilities. Morgan previously worked in higher education at New York Institute of Technology and Barnard College-Columbia University in the Office of Disability Services. At Barnard College her role as the ADA and Section 504 Director consisted of her working with students and employees of the College with various types of disabilities. After completing her master’s degree in education from Hofstra University, she worked as a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor at Nassau BOCES – Career Support Services, completing vocational evaluations, work readiness training, job development, and career counseling for adults with disabilities.
Paul Nolting
State College of Florida
Dr. Nolting is a national expert in assessing math learning problems, developing effective student learning strategies, assessing variables that affect math success and helping students with disabilities and Wounded Warriors become successful in math. He has been the key note speaker at several state disabilities conferences and has presented at national disability and math conference for 25 years. He has consulted with over a 150 campuses and has helped thousands of students become successful in math. He was interviewed in the Journal of Developmental Education and U.S. News and World Report as a national math. He is the author Math and Disabilities Handbook and two math study skills texts Winning at Math and My Math Success Plan which the latter is for students with disabilities and Wounded Warriors. Finally he was the major facilitator of the first two National Math Summit in 2013 and 2014.
Ann Panetta
Quinsigamond Community College
Ann Panetta, M.Ed. has been a Coordinator of Disability Services at Quinsigamond Community College in Worcester, MA for seven years. She manages a caseload of over 125 diverse students with learning disabilities and ADHD, including advising first-year students with disabilities. Before moving to post-secondary education, she worked for nine years in the K-12 system in both public and private schools as a special educator. She earned a B.S. in Psychology from Springfield College and a M.Ed. in Special Education from Fitchburg State College.
David Parker
Children’s Resource Group
David R. Parker, Ph.D., is a Postsecondary Disability Specialist and ADD/Life Coach at CRG (Children’s Resource Group), a multi-specialty behavioral healthcare practice in Indianapolis, IN. He received his Ph.D. in Special Education (Postsecondary focus) from the University of Connecticut. Before transitioning to private practice, David coordinated LD/ADHD services at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, UCONN, and Washington University in St. Louis. He is also a researcher and author of two books and numerous peer-reviewed journal articles. He is completing an extended term as Executive Editor of AHEAD’s Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability and serves on three additional editorial review boards. David’s professional interests include tech-infused strategy instruction, ADD coaching, self-determination, and the intersection of disability and culture.
Nora Pollard
Educational Testing Services
Dr. Nora L. Pollard is the Senior Disability Policy Coordinator for Educational Testing Service (ETS) in Princeton, NJ. She earned her Ph.D. in special education and school psychology at the Pennsylvania State University in 1998. She has 30 years experience working in the field of special education at both the K-12 and college level. She holds certifications as a New Jersey Learning Disability Teacher-Consultant and as a Nationally Certified Educational Diagnostician through the Council for Educational Diagnostic Services at CEC. As the Senior Disability Policy Coordinator for ETS Nora reviews disability documentation for over 6,000 test takers seeking accommodations on test such as the GRE, PRAXIS, and TOEFL. She has presented on topics dealing with transition from secondary to post-secondary education, documenting autism spectrum disorder and applying for accommodations with ETS.
Cassandra Record
North Shore Community College
Cassandra Record is currently in the Accounting program at NSCC and maintains a 3.56 GPA. She has been a member of the Delta Alpha Pi Honor Society and their Treasurer for two years. Cassandra has participated in a wide variety of Delta Alpha Pi leadership activities, including speaking at a college-wide panel presentation, running new member orientations, writing and publishing an essay about her personal academic journey, and completing fundraising initiatives.
Liz Reinhardt
Washington University in St. Louis
Liz Reinhardt serves as the Disability Resource Coordinator at Washington University in St. Louis where she assists students seeking disability-related accommodations and coordinates testing accommodations. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Social Work degree from Xavier University in Cincinnati, Ohio. She earned her Master of Education degree in Educational Leadership and Policy Analysis with an emphasis in Higher Education Administration and Leadership from the University of Missouri. Ms. Reinhardt joined Washington University after serving in a variety of roles in both the higher education sector and social service sector. Some of these roles include working as the Graduate Assistant with the MU Career Center at the University of Missouri and serving as a Program Coordinator and Match Support Specialist with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Eastern Missouri.
Stephanie Sarkis
Sarkis Media, LLC.
Stephanie Sarkis is a specialist in the treatment of ADD/ADHD and the author of four books on adult ADHD. She is a practicing Licensed Mental Health Counselor and National Certified Counselor based in Boca Raton, FL. She specializes in ADHD and its impact on college performance and personal finance. Sarkis’ experience with having ADHD is profiled in the book The Gift of Adult ADD by Lara Honos-Webb. She earned a Ph.D. in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Florida in 2002.
Alexa Schriempf
Pennsylvania State University
Alexa Schriempf is an avid technology hacker, accessibility consultant, and instructional designer. She is deaf and bi-lateral cochlear implants allow her to hear. She has a dual degree Ph.D. in Philosophy and Women’s Studies. While teaching and taking residential and online courses as a graduate student, she invented and implemented teaching, learning, and technology hacks to improve her own and students’ access to educational content. Today Alexa is an Accessibility Technologist at Penn State. Dividing her time between the TLT Accessibility team and Office of Disability Services, Alexa ensures compliance of Penn State’s information technology resources with policy and federal law by providing testing and consulting services, and personalized support for assistive technology. This is achieved by helping students identify and optimize appropriate access technologies and developing custom knowledge management systems and workflows to promote learner success and independence. She also edits, reformats, and redistributes course texts and content in accessible formats for STEM fields.
Allison Shefcyk
University of Connecticut Health Center
Allison Shefcyk is a Masters candidate at the UConn Education Psychology/Special Education program, as well as a graduate assistant at the UConn University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Drawing from her experiences as a self-advocate, Allison aims to bring students with disabilities and researchers closer together through person-centered collaborations. Her areas of interest include higher education disability services, participatory research, females with autism and competitive employment.
Christine Street
Washington University in St. Louis
Christine Street is the Assistant Director of Disability Resources at Washington University in St. Louis. Prior to assuming her current position, she was the Assistant Director for Health Law Studies at Saint Louis University, where she taught courses in public health law and bioterrorism policy. She has practiced law as a commercial litigation attorney in St. Louis. At Cornerstone, Ms. Street is the Assistant Director of Disability Resources (DR), where she oversees all aspects of DR services. In addition to providing direct student services, Ms. Street represents the needs of students with disabilities in all areas of campus policy. She is also the principal investigator of a National Science Foundation grant that studies how to make learning environments as universally accessible as possible. Ms. Street was a TRiO eligible college student.
Tami Strouth
Quinsigamond Community College
Tami Strouth, new to Massachusetts, has been a Coordinator of Disability Services at Quinsigamond Community College for three and a half years. A military wife for 26 years, her last position was with Disability Services at Butler Community College in Kansas. Previous experience included teaching students of all ages to read because reading was her first love. Tami earned her B.A. in modern languages and business from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, and earned a M.Ed. with a Reading Specialization from National University in San Diego, California.
Linda Sullivan
Tufts University
Linda is the Director of Student Accessibility Services at Tufts. She has been with the University since 2010. She earned her MA from Tufts in Child Development with a focus on Developmental Clinical Psychology in emerging adult populations. Additionally, Linda is trained as a mental health counselor earning a Certificate of Advanced Graduate Studies from Fitchburg State University.
Charnetta Teel
Educational Testing Services
Charnetta Teel joined Educational Testing Service (ETS) in October 2000 as a customer service agent. Her role evolved to one of the lead workers in assisting test takers and disability policy consultants in requesting testing accommodations. Charnetta joined the Office of Disability Policy in May, 2012. Her role in this capacity includes assisting the Director in organizing his presentations and ensuring that accessibility guidelines are met. Charnetta also assist in developing policies and procedures that guide ETS in accommodating individuals with disabilities.
Kathryn Weber
Northeastern University
Katie Weber holds an M.A. in Sociology from Columbia University, a B.A. in Sociology and English Language and Literature from Gordon College, and a certification in Post-Secondary Disability Services from University of Connecticut. In her role as a Learning Disability Specialist at Northeastern University, she provides disability-related support services to students with learning disabilities and/or AD(H)D, ensuring the student’s equitable participation in the academic experience. She also helps students understand their disability, and the impact it has on their academic lives, offering one-on-one, specialized advising and instruction on academic skills and other compensatory strategies specific to each student’s needs.
Yan Wei
University of Connecticut
Yan Wei is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Educational Psychology in the University of Connecticut’s Neag School of Education. She is also a research assistant in the Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability and the Center for Behavioral Education and Research. Her research and practice interests include reading instruction and reading motivation for adolescents with learning disabilities, as well as the transition support for English language learners.
Claire Weigand
Tufts University
Claire Weigand runs the Time Management & Study Strategies Consulting program at Tufts University through the Academic Resource Center. She manages a team of graduate students who she trains as TM&SS consultants. The program is available to any enrolled undergraduate or graduate student. The consultants collaborate with students one-to-one on planning, organization, life balance, perfectionism, goal setting, study skills, test anxiety, relaxation strategies, and more. Claire meets with some students one-to-one as well. She also gives presentations on TM&SS topics around campus. Claire completed her Master’s in Child Development through the Eliot-Pearson department at Tufts University.
Lorre Wolf
Boston University
Dr. Wolf is the Director of Disability Services at Boston University. She holds a doctorate in clinical neuropsychology from the City University of New York and has over 25 years of experience working with children, adolescents and adults with neurodevelopmental disorders. She has taught experimental psychology, assessment, and neuropsychology at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Dr. Wolf has published and presented nationally and internationally on issues for students with attention and learning disorders, psychiatric disabilities, and autism spectrum disorders. She holds faculty appointments in psychiatry and in rehabilitation sciences at Boston University. She was a co-editor of Adult Attention Deficit Disorders: Brain Mechanisms and Life Outcomes (2001, New York Academy of Sciences), is the senior co-editor of Learning Disorders in Adults: Contemporary Issues (Psychology Press, 2008), and is the co-author of Students with Asperger Syndrome: A Guide for College Personnel (2009, Autism Asperger Publishing Company) and Students on the Spectrum: A College Guide for Parents (2012, AAPC). Dr. Wolf’s interests include the neuropsychology of neurodevelopmental disorders and developing effective services for students with disabilities in higher education. Along with her co-presenter Jane Thierfeld Brown, she developed a model of service delivery for college students entitled “Strategic Education for students with Autism spectrum Disorders”. She is the parent of twin teenagers, one of whom is on the spectrum which gives her a unique insight into these courageous young people.
Gerri Wolfe
University of Georgia
Dr. Gerri Wolfe, Liaison for the University System Georgia’s Regents’ Center for Learning Disorders and the Program Coordinator for BreakThru, a National Science Foundation project designed to provide online, avatar-based virtual mentoring to students in STEM courses, brings 22 years of experience in postsecondary disability services and administration. She works to advance equal access for students with disabilities through the development of local/statewide policies specializing in transition, grant writing, policy & program development, alternative media, and services to students with disabilities. Dr. Wolfe earned her doctorate in Rehabilitation and Special Education from Auburn University and was instrumental in organizing the Alabama state organization for disability service providers. She is published in peer reviewed journals and presents at the local and national levels.
John Woodruff
Rowan University
John Woodruff is the Director/Coordinator, Disability Resources for the Academic Success Center at Rowan University. He holds a Master of Science degree in Health Education from St. Joseph’s University and Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from St. Francis College, Loretto, PA. His professional career reflects over 32 years of education, training, administration and program management of employment and training programs for persons with disabilities. In 2007 John joined Rowan University’s Academic Success Center team. As Director and Coordinator, Disability Resources, John assists students who qualify for classroom and or housing accommodations based on their disability. John and the staff of the Academic Success Center coordinate an academic coaching program as well a College Compass Summer Transition Program tailored to the needs of incoming students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and other disabilities.