Teaching All Students, Reaching All Learners Staff (in alphabetical order)

CDS Staff | Partnership Demonstration Team Members

Steven E. Brown, Ph.D., Project Coordinator and Associate Professor, Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, also teaches in the graduate, interdisciplinary Certificate Program in Disability and Diversity Studies. Dr. Brown, whose education is primarily in history, is affiliated graduate faculty with the Department of Political Science and the MCH-LEND program. He is also Media Reviews editor of the CDS publication, Review of Disability Studies: An International Journal.

Dr. Brown is a respected chronicler of the disability rights and disability movement and a leading advocate and writer about disability culture. His 2003 book, Movie Stars and Sensuous Scars: Essays on the Journey from Disability Shame to Disability Pride joins dozens of articles and five previous monographs about disability, including Independent Living: Theory and Practice, which has been translated into several languages; and Investigating a Culture Of Disability: Final Report, the result of a prestigious Switzer Fellowship from the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation and Research of the Department of Education, the first funding of its type for research into the field of Disability Culture. He is also a sought-after speaker and trainer who has worked throughout the U.S., and in Canada, Germany, Hungary, Norway, Saipan, and Sweden.

Bryan Cook, Ph.D, is a Professor of Special Education at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Cook is the 2007 recipient of the Early Career Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division for Research, and the 2008 James M. Kauffman Publication Award. Cook was previously co-principal investigator on the Access to Quality Higher Education Project, a 3-year project funded by the Office of Postsecondary Education. Through this project, Cook worked with university faculty members regarding the use of effective instructional techniques for college students with disabilities, such as Universal Design for Instruction (UDI). Cook was guest co-editor of a 2006 special issue of Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal focused on higher education and students with learning disabilities. Cook has also participated in the Distinguished Lecture Series at Kent State University in both 2007 and 2008 where he presented to faculty members on UDI.

Megan A. Conway, Ph.D., Training Coordinator and Assistant Professor at the Center on Disability Studies (CDS) and an Associate Faculty member with the Department of Special Education at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. She serves as a core faculty member for CDS’s Disability and Diversity Certificate Program. Dr. Conway received her doctorate in Special Education from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2001. While at Berkeley, she became increasingly aware of the problems facing individuals with disabilities as they pursue higher education, leading to her interest in improving postsecondary options and supports for individuals with disabilities. She has also developed an interest in the emerging field of disability studies in education, and has published an RDS forum focused on this issue. Dr. Conway also has strong interests in disability studies as it relates to law and public policy, sociology, and technology.

Dr. Conway has published numerous articles, and given national and international presentations focused on postsecondary education access, special education, self-advocacy, technology, and dual sensory loss. She worked for several years in the United Kingdom as a consultant on communication and technology access for people with dual sensory loss, and as a result of her work had the opportunity to meet other people with disabilities in the U.K. and continental Europe. She currently enjoys living and working in Hawai‘i, and particularly enjoys the beautiful weather and landscape that allow her to pursue her favorite outdoor activities year-round.

Madeline Harcourt, M.A., Product Developer and Assistant Specialist, has been at CDS since 2001 where she worked as a Leadership Trainee while working on a doctoral degree in Exceptionalities. As a doctoral intern at the Center for Teaching Excellence she created a handbook for faculty called Great Expectations: Creating a Welcoming Environment for All Students. In response to the on-going needs of students with hidden disabilities, in 2005 she created the Hidden Disabilities Peer Support Group where she currently acts as the faculty advisor.

Ms. Harcourt has presented on working with people with hidden disabilities at various community venues. Her area of expertise also involves working with volunteers with disabilities. She served on three CDS service grants since 2002. Ms. Harcourt’s undergraduate work is in political science and print journalism. She was awarded the Outstanding Faculty Contributions to People with Disabilities award in 2007 and nominated for a Leadership Award that same year.

Michelle McDow, B.A., Graduate Assistant, Center on Disability Studies (CDS) at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. Ms. McDow received a B.A. in Pan African Studies and Communication Studies from California State University Northridge. She is a Qualified Mental Retardation Professional (QMRP) certified by the state of California (2007). Ms. McDow was the 2007 Black Family Specialist Award Recipient. She has two years experience as a direct care staff/case manager for adults with Developmental Disabilities, including comprehensive experience as a one-on-one tutor for students with learning disabilities. She also has completed one year of formal training in American Sign Language and looks forward to one day becoming a Certified Interpreter in ASL. Ms. McDow is a first-year student in the Educational Psychology M.Ed program at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa. She is also a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Incorporated and has an interest in advocacy for individuals with hidden disabilities and health conditions within employment and educational institutions.

Kelly Roberts, Ph.D., Project Director & Associate Professor, Center on Disability Studies at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, holds a Ph.D. in Education (Exceptionalities) with an emphasis on learning disabilities and assistive technology (AT). She has nearly 20 years experience working in the education field. She holds an Assistive Technology Practitioners Certificate from the Rehabilitation and Engineering Society of North America (RESNA) and is well versed in the application of AT.

Her research interests include assistive technology and learning disabilities. She also has applied experience working with individuals with a broad range of disabilities. Dr. Roberts is the Co-PI on the Office of Postsecondary Education grants Innovative and Sustainable Teaching Methods and Strategies to Ensure Students with Disabilities Receive a Quality Higher Education and Students with Disabilities as Diverse Learners. She is also the director of several other projects as well as the CDS Pacific Outreach Initiative.

Robert A. Stodden, Ph.D., Principal Investigator & Professor, Center on Disability Studies, University of Hawai‘i at Manoa, is a past president of the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD). Professionally trained in Psychology, Special Education, and Rehabilitation, Dr. Stodden has served more than twenty-five years as a national leader in the fields of special education, school to adult transition, postsecondary education, and employment for persons with disabilities. Since 1988, he has served as the founding Director of the Center on Disability Studies (a University Center for Excellence) and professor of special education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He also serves as the originator and director of the National Center for the Study of Postsecondary Educational Supports (NCSPES) and the National Technical Assistance Center (NTAC) for the Employment of Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders with Disabilities at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Over the past 25 years, Dr. Stodden has served as principal investigator/director for more than 100 research and training projects focused upon improving the quality of life for all persons with disabilities. He has been a keynote speaker and invited presenter for many international and national conferences, and has served as a consultant within numerous foreign countries and for more than 20 different states within the United States. In 1995, Dr. Stodden was selected as a Joseph P. Kennedy Foundation Senior Policy Fellow, working in the United States Senate to develop and draft policy language for major pieces of disability legislation. He serves on policy committees of the National Association of Rehabilitation Research and Training Centers, and as a member of the Board of Directors for Division on Development Disabilities, International Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).