2018 SEPSEA Presenter Biographies

Marla Aldrich
Marla is the Special Education and 504 Coordinator for Shelby County Schools, supervising
programs in 33 schools. Marla collaborated with business stakeholders, as well as
representatives from the University of Montevallo, to develop Falcon Flight, which is a
Transition Program developed to assist students with developing life, communication, and
employability skills through instruction and job-training opportunities in an environment with
their peers.

Drew Andrews
W. Drew Andrews, Ed.D. is the Technical Assistance Coordinator at the Florida Center for
Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida. He received his
undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of North Florida and his specialist
and Ed.D. from the University of Florida. Drew has taught elementary, middle and high school
students with disabilities and developed transition programs for students ages 18-22.

Sheryl Arno
Sheryl Arno currently is the Director of the Down Syndrome Association of Atlanta. She
consults with the Georgia Inclusive Postsecondary Education Consortium, housed at the
Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University. She is also a private consultant
through her company, Ability Matters. She is the foremost leader of inclusive postsecondary
education in Georgia and the leading founder of the Academy for Inclusive Adult Education at
Kennesaw State University, and continues to sit on their Advisory board. Sheryl was recently
appointed to the DD Advisory Council for DBHDD for the State of Georgia. Sheryl was the
Executive Director of the Dekalb Developmental Disabilities Council. In this role she consulted
with various agencies and individuals providing informational and referral services as well as
directing them on how to navigate through “systems”. She also has provided “Disability
Awareness” training to schools, corporations, non-profit organizations all over the state and
Cairo, Egypt.

Diana Bawcum
Diana Bawcum received her Bachelors in Social Work from Union University in 1998. She has
been employed at Neighborhood Network in Henderson, TN since 2000 and now serves as the
Executive Director for this organization that provides Independent Support Coordination for
individuals with disabilities through The TN Department Intellectual and Developmental
Disabilities. She returned to Union University to obtain her Masters of Social Work in 2016
during that time she completed her Graduate Assistant Internship with The Union EDGE and
remains employed part-time with the program as their Community Resource Coordinator.
Kathleen Becht
Dr. Becht is the Director of the Florida Consortium on Inclusive Higher Education, comprised of
4 IHEs which provide technical assistance, resources, and research dissemination to Florida
IHEs with the goal of increasing and enhancing inclusive postsecondary education for students
with intellectual disability. Dr. Becht is also the parent of a college student with ID. With 35+
years of family experience as a sister and parent, and teaching, and advocacy, Dr. Becht brings
rich perspective and experience to the field.

Lauren Bethune-Dix
Lauren Bethune-Dix oversees the program of study and all academics support initiatives at
Next Steps at Vanderbilt. She works closely with a growing number of faculty and academic
support services to expand academic course participation and progress. Her responsibilities
include supporting admissions/recruitment, supporting faculty, collaborating with various on-
campus academic supports on best teaching practices for faculty, and assisting with the
evaluation of academic supports. Lauren earned her Doctorate of Philosophy in special
education from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2015. During her doctoral
studies, she worked with the National Secondary Transition Technical Assistance Center
(NSTTAC) as a graduate researcher focusing on synthesizing research on evidence-based
practices in academic skills, transition policy, Common Core State Standards, and 21st century
skills. Prior to doctoral pursuits, she served as a coordinator for the Arc Jacksonville’s
Academy- On Campus Transition program, an 18-22 year old transition program dedicated to
providing an authentic college experience for students with intellectual and developmental
disability.

Jabreel Brandon
Jabreel N. Brandon is a first-year student in the Integrative Community Studies Program
through Beyond Academics, at the University of North Carolina-Greensboro. Jabreel will reflect
on his first-year experience as a student in the program. Jabreel seeks to develop his public
speaking skills as well as to bring the first-person account of college life as a person with
disabilities. Jabreel has held a variety of paid and unpaid positions in his home community of
Durham, North Carolina and plans to live independently upon graduation.

Carol Britton Laws

@cblaws
Dr. Carol Briton Laws is a Clinical Associate Professor and Interdisciplinary Training Director for
the Institute on Human Development and Disability (UCEDD) at the University of Georgia
where she instructs in, and coordinates, the Disability Studies Certificate program at the
undergraduate and graduate levels. She is the Director of Destination Dawgs, UGA's Inclusive
Postsecondary Education program, and a Fellow of the American Association for Intellectual
and Developmental Disabilities. She has worked in the disability field, in roles that range from
direct support professional to state-level program design, for almost 20 years. She lives in
Athens Georgia with her wonderful husband Jason and spoiled cat, Harley.

Mary Bryant-Likens
Mary Bryant-Likens is a student in Clinical Mental Health Counseling and a former graduate
assistant at the University of Memphis Institute on Disability.

Caitlyn Bukaty
Caitlyn Bukaty Ph.D. is the Evaluation Coordinator and Analyst for the Florida Center for
Students with Unique Abilities at the University of Central Florida. Prior to joining FCSUA she
worked at Cornell University evaluating transition-focused professional development
programming in New York State. Caitlyn earned her PhD in Exceptional Education from UCF in
2016 where she was a U.S. Department of Education funded scholar and Presidential Fellow.

Gwendolyn Carey
Ms. Carey has been educating students with disabilities for nearly twenty years. She is
currently the coordinator at Florida Atlantic University's Academy for Community Inclusion.
Ms. Carey is also in the process of earning a doctorate in Exceptional Student Education.

John Cayton
John Cayton serves as the Director of Student Supports and Campus Life for Next Steps at
Vanderbilt. He oversees the 80+ peer mentors, called Ambassadores, and collaborates with
the campus community to ensure mutually beneficial inclusive opportunities. John also directs
the Next Steps Summer Institute, a weeklong residential experience for both incoming Next
Steps students and prospective students considering inclusive higher education.

Prior to joining Next Steps, John earned his Master’s in Leadership in Higher Education,
focusing on student development and various peer-led initiatives. He has also supervised
direct-care staff who provided residential and community supports to adults in the disability
community.

Britta Clark
Britt is a third year Destination Dawgs student from Hoschton, GA. She likes hanging out with
her friends and going to Starbucks, and hopes to pursue a career working with children.

Hollie Cost
@MayorHollieCost
Hollie Cost is the Mayor of Montevallo, AL and a Professor at the University of Montevallo. She
holds a Ph.D. in special education from Auburn University. Dr. Cost is committed to
empowering youth in civic life through the Kettering Foundation Community Politics Exchange,
Montevallo Junior City Council and David Mathews Center Students’ Institute. Her honors
include the Outstanding Service-learning Collaboration in Higher Education Award, UM
Commitment to Service Award, Academy for Civic Professionalism Award, Outstanding ACE
Mayor Award and selection for 2017-18 Leadership Alabama.

Rebekah Cummings
Rebekah Cummings, Ph.D. has been the Academic and Life Skills Coordinator for the Scholars
with Diverse Abilities Program at Appalachian State University since 2016. She has been
teaching in higher ed for 9 years. She has a Ph.D. in Human Development from Virginia Tech
with a graduate certificate in Autism Spectrum Disorders from University of North Carolina -
Charlotte.

Edie Cusack
@ediecusack
Edie Cusack is an award-winning Nationally Board Certified Teacher who has been advocating
for and educating students with intellectual and developmental disabilities for over 30-years.
Inclusion and self-determination were the philosophies she incorporated into the REACH
Program, a postsecondary certificate program for student with intellectual and/or
developmental disabilities at the College of Charleston that she created and developed in
2010. As the Program’s Executive Director, Edie continues to break down barriers.

Tammy Day
Tammy Day is the inaugural director of Next Steps at Vanderbilt and chairperson of the TN
Inclusive Higher Education Alliance. Prior to working with Vanderbilt she was the transition
coordinator for Rutherford County Schools, and prior to that was a special education
classroom teacher for 18 years. Tammy earned her master's degree from Vanderbilt University
and her bachelor's from the University of Tennessee.

Shari Deason
Shari has been a special educator in Tennessee and Shelby County Schools in Alabama. Shari
spent the first semester developing a curriculum and securing locations at the University of
Montevallo for Falcon Flight.

Mary Louise Diffy

Dr. Mary Lou Duffy is a Professor of Exceptional Student Education at FAU. She has been a
professional in special education since 1979. She has taught in both public and private schools
as well as advised at the Community College level. Dr. Duffy works with colleagues and
students on projects revolving around transition from school to work, technology to support
more independent living, and using and teaching strategies to adolescent learners. She
teaches classes at FAU in the area of classroom management, assessment, transition,
strategies, and assistive technology. She works with students on dissertations and field
projects that are the capstone activities of their graduate programs. Dr. Duffy is the Project
coordinator for FAU-Academy for Community Inclusion, a post secondary certificate program
for individuals with IN/DD. The Academy operates on the beautiful Jupiter campus of FAU.

Robert Evans
Robert Evans is a self-advocate trainee in Leadership Education at the Carolina Institute for
Developmental Disabilities at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He completed the
Scholars with Diverse Abilities Program (SDAP) at Appalachian State University last year. His
goal is to become a minister.

Kelsey Forrest
I feel like I have always been a teacher even though I am now officially a Social Worker. I
thought that I would only want to work with children, however I have found that children
grow up and the need for services and programs for adults is huge. I love working with adults
and complexity that comes with age. I have been working specifically with individuals with
Autism Spectrum Disorder for the past four years. This year, I have had the honor to help
facilitate the T-STEP Program for young adults in Charlotte, NC

Kathy Hargis
Kathy holds an MBA from Lipscomb University. She is the Associate Vice President, Risk
Management & Compliance in the Office of Risk Management at Lipscomb University.

Lalenja Harrington,
Dr. Lalenja Harrington brings more than 10 years of experience in postsecondary education for
students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) to the discussion of universal
design for learning (UDL) in higher education. In her role as Academic and Program Director,
she has been responsible for ensuring that program coursework is accessible and universally
designed, and helping students learn how to advocate for accommodations in all coursework.

Dr. Harrington completed her doctoral program in Educational Studies and Cultural
Foundations during her tenure as program director, involving students as co-researchers in a
community engaged research process designed to center student voice in program
development. Her direct engagement in the evolution and shaping of her program of study, as
well as her work in making the research process accessible to participants with a variety of
strengths and needs, gives her a valuable and practical perspective on supporting students
with IDD in college.

Debra Holzberg
@debbie.holzberg
Debra Holzberg, Ph.D. is a visiting assistant professor at UNC Greensboro (UNCG) and a
research associate with Beyond Academics, a four-year, inclusive, comprehensive transition
program at UNCG. In her role with Beyond Academics (BA), Dr. Holzberg works with professors
on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) to facilitate access to course content. She also serves as
the external evaluator for BA. Her research focuses on the extent to which UDL is used among
college faculty and the effects of self-advocacy instruction to access academic
accommodations in postsecondary educational settings. Dr. Holzberg has presented at
numerous conferences on a variety of topics. Additionally, she has co-authored book chapters,
and has publications in the area of secondary transition.

In addition to her scholarship and teaching activities, Dr. Holzberg is active in several
subdivisions of CEC including DCDT, DLD, DR, and TED. She also serves on the boards of NC CEC
and NC TASH.

Matthew Humphries
Matthew is a grad student from Shelby, NC and is hoping to pursue a career in student affairs
at a public university.

Sam Hutchins
Sam Hutchins is a 2012 graduate of Wartburg College with a Bachelor's in Psychology. Sam
also holds a Master's of Divinity from Beeson Divinity School. While at Beeson, he served as a
chaplain in a rehabilitation hospital in Birmingham. Between these two degrees he worked as
a mental health associate for an acute care hospital in Illinois where he gained experience in
crisis intervention and emergency response, both for the general population and for those
with ID/DD. He was a resident assistant in college and has spent the past several summers
leading college students on mission trips, giving him valuable experience with student and
campus life.

Friggita Johnson
Friggita Johnson, is a doctoral student in special education at Clemson University with a
research emphasis in High Incidence Disabilities. She is a Research Assistant working with the
Clemson LIFE Program. Previously, Friggita Johnson worked for 10 years as Special Educator in
a K-12 setting in South Carolina. She holds her Master’s Degree in Rehabilitation Science and
Special Education from Bharathidasan University, India and Post-Graduate Degrees in Public
Relations, Personnel & Human Resource Management. Friggita Johnson primary area of
research focuses on evidence-based intervention and technology-based intervention for
students with High Incidence Disabilities.

Joan Johnson
Joan Johnson is the first director of Beyond Academics, a four-year credential program for
students with ID at UNC at Greensboro. She is the recipient of the 2016 Institute of Higher
Education Leadership Award and the 2015 Riddle Advocacy & Leadership Award from the NC
Council on DD. Ms. Johnson represented the UNC Greensboro program in the three-year
legislative study discussed in the presentation. Now as a volunteer, she continues to work
closely with Beyond Academics and is considered one of the state's most ardent and informed
advocates for postsecondary education for students with ID.

Caroline Jurisich
Caroline Jurisich serves as the Lead Program Coordinator for UL LIFE at the University of
Louisiana at Lafayette. Prior to joining the program in 2015, Caroline taught in the public
school system in a self-contained special education classroom. She holds a Master of Arts in
Teaching degree from UL Lafayette and is currently pursuing her doctorate in educational
leadership from the University. Her research focus includes barriers and challenges students
with intellectual disabilities and their families face as they transition to postsecondary
educational settings and development of postsecondary programs for students with
intellectual disabilities.

Jordan Knab
@KnabJordan
Jordan Knab is a research faculty member in the College of Education at the University of
South Florida St. Petersburg. He currently serves as the Principal Investigator on a federal
grant, the Florida Consortium on Postsecondary Education and Intellectual Disabilities, a
funded project aimed at increasing the participation of students with intellectual disabilities on
postsecondary campuses. Jordan also serves as the principal investigator and co-project
director of Project 10: Transition Education Network, Florida’s statewide discretionary project
addressing the transition needs of Florida’s youth with disabilities, ages 14 to 22. To date,
Jordan has managed over 17 million dollars in both federal and state grants. He was appointed
to the Governor’s Commission on Jobs for Floridians with Disabilities by Governor Rick Scott in
2011.

Paula Kohler
Paula D. Kohler Ph.D. is Executive Director of the Florida Center for Students with Unique
Abilities and Professor of Exceptional Student Education at the University of Central Florida.
She also serves as co-director of the National Technical Assistance Center on Transition
(NTACT) funded by the U. S. Department of Education, and is an Emeritus Professor at
Western Michigan University from where she retired as Associate Vice President for Research.
Dr. Kohler conducts research regarding effective transition education and services for youth
with disabilities across a range of topics, including college and career readiness. She has
accomplished this work with support from the U.S. Department of Education, the National
Science Foundation, and state departments of education. Her Taxonomy for Transition
Programming and Taxonomy 2.0 are recognized as an effective model for planning,
implementing, and evaluating transition-focused education, and has influenced the
implementation of transition education across the U. S. and other countries. The Taxonomy
provides a heuristic for organizing the evidence-based and promising practices at the core of
NTACT’s work. Dr. Kohler has a background in business administration, educational leadership,
career and technical education, and special education. In 2001, 2006, and 2016, Kohler was
recognized for her work by the Council for Exceptional Children‘s Division on Career
Development and Transition, WMU College of Education, and the Association on Career and
Technical Education Research. Dr. Kohler also received the Excellence in Research to Practice
Award in recognition of work on the Taxonomy from the Research Use Special Interest Group
(SIG) of the American Educational Research Association at the 2017 Annual meeting.

Lindsay Krech
As the Assistant Director of Career Development for Next Steps at Vanderbilt, Lindsay Krech
oversees all career development initiatives for freshmen and sophomores enrolled in
Vanderbilt through Next Steps. Lindsay earned her Bachelor’s degree in political science from
Butler University and graduated with a Master's degree in Community Development from
Vanderbilt in 2012.

Carla Layton
@layton_carla
Carla is a Program Specialist for Special Education in Shelby County Schools, supervising
transition programs and acting as LEA for middle and high schools.

Laura Lee
Laura Lee is a doctoral candidate in Educational Psychology with a special interest in quality of
life of persons with disabilities.

Justin Mejias
Justin is a third semester Destination Dawgs student from Commerce, GA. He likes bowling
and playing his guitar, and hopes to pursue a career in music therapy.

Susanna Miller-Raines
@susannaemiller @gaipsec
Susanna Miller-Raines, MSW is the Chair of the Board of Directors for the Southeast
Postsecondary Education Alliance. Susanna is the Operations Coordinator for the Center for
Leadership in Disability in the School of Public Health at Georgia State University, a University
Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities. Her responsibilities are related to inclusive
postsecondary education, transition, college and career readiness, as well as leadership
development for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She is the
Statewide Coordinator for the Georgia Inclusive Postsecondary Education Consortium and is
the Project Coordinator for the Consortium’s TPSID Grant. She is also a consultant for Think
College in the area of state and regional alliance building. Susanna received her Masters of
Social Work from the University of Georgia. Prior to her position at Georgia State, Susanna was
the Camp Director for Talisman Summer Camps where she managed program implementation
for campers with Autism Spectrum Disorders and ADHD.

Chelsey Moore
For over a decade, Chelsey Moore has been committed to reaching and teaching unique
populations. Formally trained as an educator, she began teaching special education students
with severe emotional disturbances. After several years teaching a wide range of age and
ability levels, she transitioned to adult education, leading the Central Arkansas team of the
Nurturing the Families of Arkansas program at the MidSouth School of Social Work. Through
these experiences, Mrs. Moore has remained committed to inspiring individuals to set and
achieve their highest goals. As Director of the 3D Program at UA-PTC CAHMI, she is committed
to redefining the dimensions of diversity in the Little Rock community and beyond by
empowering students with intellectual disabilities to demonstrate their strengths in the
hospitality industry. Mrs. Moore is an Honors College Fellow from the University of Arkansas,
and has a Master’s degree in education from the University of Central Arkansas.

Baiyina Muhammad
@hist_prof
Dr. Baiyina W. Muhammad is Jabreel’s mother, parent advocate, former LEND fellow (2016-
2017) at the Carolina Institute for Developmental Disabilities at UNC-CH, and Associate
Professor of History at North Carolina Central University in Durham, North Carolina. Baiyina
along with her husband, Dr. Dwayne T. Brandon are parents of Jabreel and three additional
sons, their youngest son also has a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder.

Kagendo Mutua
Kagendo Mutua is a professor of special education in the College of Education at The
University of Alabama. Her specialization is in the area of secondary/transition programming
for youth with significant intellectual disabilities. At The University of Alabama, she teaches
classes in severe disabilities and secondary programs for students with severe and multiple
disabilities and has published related research in several journals in Education. She co-founded
the CrossingPoints program at The University of Alabama 2001 and currently serves as the
Director.

Glenna Osborne
Glenna Osborne has been a special education teacher for children and adolescents with
various disabilities and a Research Associate and Coordinator with the NC Early Diagnosis of
Autism Longitudinal Study with Dr. Catherine Lord, for the University of Chicago and the
University of Michigan. She is currently the Director of Transition Services after serving as
Assistant Director of the UNC TEACCH Autism Program Supported Employment Program and
an Adolescent/Adult Therapist for the Greensboro TEACCH Center. Ms. Osborne has served as
Program Administrator/Clinical Supervisor for three grant projects involving transition and
employability skills training. She is involved in the creation of the Project SEARCH Autism
Enhancement program, and a key author for the T-STEP (TEACCH School Transition to
Employment and Postsecondary Education Program). She has trained audiences both
nationally and internationally about the TEACCH model.

Misty Parsley
Dr. Parsley has bachelors and masters degrees in Speech Language Pathology and a doctorate
degree in Special Education Administration. She has dedicated her career to students with
disabilities, previously serving as an autism consultant and special education coordinator in
public schools. She also worked for 4 years in the Vanderbilt TRIAD program providing state-
wide consultation to schools and providing support to families and students with autism
through social skills programs and home consultations. She has presented both locally and
nationally on autism and postsecondary topics. Misty is an assistant professor and the Director
of Special Education Programs at Lipscomb University where she teaches in the graduate and
undergraduate special education programs. Misty’s passion is including people with
disabilities in all aspects of the community and ensuring that they have the same opportunities
to participate as do all other individuals. She started the IDEAL program, Igniting the Dream of
Education and Access at Lipscomb, in January 2014.

Andrea Pewitt
Andrea received her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education in 1999, a Master of Arts in
Curriculum and Instruction with a specialization in Special Education in 2005 and completed
her Education Specialist degree in Administration and Supervision in 2015 from Austin Peay
State University. She is a current doctoral candidate with an anticipated completion date of
2018. Andrea has taught children of all ability levels for 12 years, receiving multiple honors
and awards before accepting a position at the district office as the Supervisor of Special
Education in which she served 6 years. She has presented to teachers and administrators of all
grade levels in the K-12 arena, specifically about teaching children with disabilities. Andrea has
a strong belief that all students can learn when given the right environment.

Kay Reeves
Dr. Reeves teaches undergraduate and graduate classes in the special education program at
The University of Memphis. In November, 2016, she began working directly with the TigerLIFE
instructors with course curriculum, strategies, and activities. Dr. Reeves' area of expertise is
Intellectual Disabilities and Learning Disabilities. Her research interest is outcomes of students
graduating from a high school special education program.

Holly Riddle
Holly Riddle, M.Ed., J.D. is the policy advisor to the NC Division of Mental Health,
Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services. She holds a J.D. from Georgetown
University, an M.Ed. from UNC-CH, and has been honored by the NC Council on
Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) with the creation of a leadership award in her name. She
is the primary author of three reports, 2015-2017, to the NC General Assembly on
postsecondary education for students with intellectual disabilities (ID).

Laura Roberts
Laura graduated from the University of Tennessee at Martin with a Bachelors of Science in
Education and holds a Masters degree in Educational Leadership from Bethel University. She
served in public education for 6 years as a high school math teacher, softball coach, 504 and S-
Team coordinator, and a Common Core Coach for the Tennessee Department of Education. In
her current role as the Assistant Program Director with Lipscomb’s IDEAL program, Laura
provides curriculum support and plans IDEAL classes, maintains contact of and support of
Lipscomb faculty, and oversees class selections. Laura’s career goal is to continue extending
her experience and education to serve in a variety of capacities and roles in the field of
Education.

L. Danielle Roberts-Dahm
@LDanielleRD
L. Danielle “Danie” Roberts-Dahm, Ph.D., is the Co-Director for Project 10: Transition
Education Network and the Director of the University of South Florida St. Petersburg (USFSP)
partnership within the Florida Consortium on Inclusive Higher Education. Danie is the Past-
President for the Florida Division on Career Development and Transition (FDCDT) and is
involved in many service organizations locally. Her early experiences working with students in
transition and inclusive higher education inspired her to dedicate her career to the field of
secondary transition as well as inclusive policy and practices.

Keita Rone Williams

Dr. Keita Rone Wilson is a native of Detroit, Michigan and is currently an Assistant Professor of
Special Education at the University of Louisana Lafayette where she teaches courses on
Inclusion for teacher candidates. Prior to coming to the university Dr. Rone Wilson was an
Education Program Consultant for the Louisiana Department of Education where she worked
in the Special Education Policy Office. Her work at the state included federal reporting and
monitoring as well as providing professional development and technical assistance to school
districts in the areas of special education services, dropout prevention, family involvement,
and disproportionality in special education. Dr. Rone Wilson’s career in the field of education
spans over 18 years and she considers herself an advocate for equality in education. Her
current research interests at UL Lafayette include access to postsecondary education for
students with disabilities, international trends in inclusive education, and effective pre-service
teacher training that supports inclusive practices.
Taylor Sain
Taylor is a junior special education major at Lipscomb University. She has been involved with
IDEAL since her freshman year as a peer mentor, job coach, and now the girls' Resident
Assistant.

Chrisann Schiro-Geist
Chrisann Schiro-Geist is a professor at the University of Memphis and Director of the
University of Memphis Institute on Disability.

Elizabeth Schroeder
Elizabeth Schroeder is an M.Ed. Candidate in the Special Education program. In her work at
Next Steps, Elizabeth primarily assists with student course selection, university course syllabus
modification, and student progress monitoring. She also helps with the organization of
program-wide data collection and grant reporting. Elizabeth received her Bachelor's degree in
psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where she spent much of her
time outside of class conducting research on parental expectations at the UNC TEACCH Autism
Program. Prior to coming to Vanderbilt, Elizabeth worked at Best Buddies International in
program management, expansion, and fundraising.

Jackson Smith
Jackson Smith is the Residence Hall Director of Sewell Hall at Lipscomb University and he
works in Student Life. His role at Lipscomb involves managing emergency responses, both
medical, mental health, and disciplinary, as well as maintaining the building and developing
programming for the residents. Sewell Hall is one of two residence halls that house Lipscomb
students in the IDEAL program. He is from Troy, Tennessee and is currently studying part-time
at the Institute of Conflict Management at Lipscomb.

Mary Strong
Mary Strong, MSW serves as the Transition and Career Coordinator for SDAP. She is an alumni
of Appalachian State University where she obtained her Bachelors and Masters degree in
Social Work. Her professional background includes providing supports and services for
individuals with disabilities. Her professional background includes providing vocational
supports, advocacy and inclusion for individuals with intellectual and physical disabilities.

Ashley Thigpen
Ashley is a Destination Dawgs student intern from Folkston, GA. Ashley hopes to pursue her
MSW at UGA in the Fall.

Jasmine Thompson
Jasmine has been an instructor for TigerLIFE for several years. She has been creative and an
effective teacher for the TigerLIFE program.

Memory Turner
Memory Turner is a graduate assistant to TigerLIFE for ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis). She
completed her undergraduate degree and licensure programs for TALN k-6 and k-12 Special
Education at The University of Memphis. Her passion is teaching. She wants to enhance the
lives of individuals with intellectual and behavioral challenges as well as work along side
families to create intervention strategies to meet the needs of the individuals, their lifestyles,
and their families.

Lisa Ulmer
Lisa Ulmer joins Destination Dawgs as the Academic Instructor through a partnership with
Georgia Vocational Rehabilitation Agency. Lisa earned her PhD from UGA in Special Education
and her Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from Florida State University. Lisa has worked in
special education for the past fifteen years and has taught students with intellectual
disabilities in a community based vocational setting as well as in an inclusive classroom setting.
She most recently served as a Department Head for Special Education in the State of Georgia.
She is a member of the Association on Higher Education and Disability, NEGATT RESA
Transition Consortia and the GA Council for Exceptional Children among others.

Karla Wade
@karla.wade
Dr. Wade is a career educator, and early supporter of IPSE programs in Georgia. She is a
founding member of the Georgia Inclusive Post-Secondary Education Consortium Leadership
Steering Team and is currently employed by GVRA to support IPSE programs.

Donna Wadsworth
Dr. Donna Wadsworth holds an endowed Professorship in Special Education and is the
coordinator of the special education program at the University of Louisiana at Louisiana. Her
graduate studies include work at Illinois State University, University of Southwestern
Louisiana, and doctorate from Louisiana State University. She also serves as the faculty advisor
to UL LIFE. She has over 20 years special education teaching experience at both the university
and public school levels. Her research focus has been on inclusion and inclusive practices at
elementary and secondary education levels. Most recently her research has expanded to
exploration and development of inclusive post-secondary options for students with disabilities.

Erica Walters
Erica Walters, from Clemson, SC, serves as the coordinator of the ClemsonLIFE Program at
Clemson University. ClemsonLIFE is a postsecondary transition program that provides a
collegiate experience for young adults with intellectual disabilities. The ClemsonLIFE Program
at Clemson University aims to provide a coordinated course of study that includes career
exploration and preparation along with self-awareness, discovery, and personal improvement
through a framework of courses, job internships, and community participation. Erica is the
South Carolina state representative for SEPSEA, serves on the advisory boards for Pickens
County Department if Disabilities and Special Needs, Pickens County First Steps, and the South
Carolina Child Well-Being Coalition.

Anna Ward
Anna Ward, MA MFA, has served as program director for SDAP since 2013 and is PI for the
current TPSID grant. Her academic, artistic and professional background includes Theatre Arts,
Public Education, and Clinical Community Counseling with an active interest in social justice.
She attended Appalachian State University for both BS and MA degrees, and holds an MFA
from UNC Greensboro.

Amy Williamson
Dr. Williamson has worked in transition and other related fields for over 15 years. Currently
she serves as the Program Coordinator for the CrossingPoints Program on campus at the
University of Alabama. Dr. Williamson has conducted research in the areas of transition,
behavior, sexuality, and other disability related areas.

Deborah Zuver
Deborah Zuver leads the North Carolina PSE Alliance and mentors self-advocate trainees in a
leadership program. She directs efforts to start IPSE at UNC-Chapel Hill where she is involved
with self-advocacy and transition projects at the Carolina Institute for Developmental
Disabilities, UNC.