AREAS OF EXPERTISE
DISABILITY IN HIGHER EDUCATION
My research focuses on the role of disability within the higher education setting. Compared to their counterparts who do not identify with disability status, disabled individuals* are less likely to enroll in college, feel accepted within the postsecondary environment, and obtain a bachelor's degree. Due to these documented discrepancies in the postsecondary success of disabled students, I have made it my purpose to investigate the complexity of disability in the postsecondary setting. Understanding that disabled individuals - the largest minority group in the United States - are less likely to feel engaged in and persist toward degree completion in the college setting, I commit my academic career to examine this student group, through different methodologies and theoretical approaches.
*intention use of identity-first language
POST-TRADITIONAL STUDENTS
My research investigates the experiences of post-traditional students within the higher education environment. Defined by the American Council on Education (2020) as students who are “typically ages 25 and older, care for dependents, and work full time while enrolled” (para. 1), this student group is not as frequently examined in the way that the “traditional” (under 25 years old, attend college at full-time level, enroll directly from high school, etc.) student group is researched within higher education scholarship. As such, my current research explores post-traditional students’ accommodation use and trends for post-traditional students identifying with a disability, use of global learning through an andragogical lens, as well as the impact of caring for dependents on student success.
ACCREDITATION & ASSESSMENT
I have significant experience planning and implementing thoughtful assessment strategies to gauge student and program success. Examples of this work include instrument development and piloting, program reviews, and annual institutional reporting. Additionally, my professional efforts focus on ensuring that programs adhere to necessary state organizations and national accrediting bodies. My accreditation has worked directly with academic programs requiring accreditation and review from the Association for Advancing Quality in Educator Preparation (AAQEP), Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), New Jersey Department of Education (NJDOE), and the New York State Education Department (NYSED).
THE MULTIDIMENSIONALITY OF ACCESSIBILITY
It is important to understand accessibility as a multidimensional element of one's environment. When one is committed to the idea of accessibility, it allows for better participation in preventing barriers, as well as promoting and engaging inclusion in the world around us.
