Partnership Demonstration Team Members
CDS Staff | Partnership Demonstration Team Members
Joan Mali Bird, J.D., as a student with hidden disabilities, more specifically, learning disabilities (LD), first sought accommodations as a law student at William S. Richardson Law School. Raised in Hawai‘i and a product of the public school system, at a time when LD was not fully recognized, Joan attended the University of Hawai‘i. She received a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts and a Certificate in Peace Studies in 1993. As a student intern she traveled to Mexico and Guatemala to work with refugees as part of her internship with Witness for Peace. Before graduating with a bachelor’s degree, Joan worked as a Congressional Intern in D.C. for Congressman Fofo Sunia, was part of the honors program, and the Campus Center Board running the art gallery and working on student activities. After graduation she served as a Volunteer in Service to America (VISTA) in California and Hawai‘i, for the Los Angeles Free Clinic and the Hawai‘i Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association. Later Joan worked as an advocate for the Domestic Violence Clearinghouse and Legal Hotline. She graduated from the William S. Richardson Law School with a Juris Doctorate and a Certificate in Environmental Law. Before graduating from law school Joan worked as an extern in American Samoa for the Department of Commerce’s Coastal Management Program. Joan currently works as an information specialist for the Hawai‘i State Office of Elections/Disability and Communication Access Board’s Election Assistance for Individuals with Disability grant.
Bryan Cook, Ph.D, is an Associate Professor of Special Education at the University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Manoa. Before coming to UH, he was a faculty member at Kent State University (KSU) for nine years. At KSU, Cook was co-principal investigator, with Dr. Phillip Rumrill, on the Access to Quality Higher Education Project, a 3-year project funded by the Office of Post-secondary Education. Through this project, Cook worked with university faculty members in the use of effective instructional techniques for college students with disabilities, such as the principles of Universal Design for Instruction. Cook is guest co-editor, with Rumrill, of an upcoming special issue of Learning Disabilities: A Multidisciplinary Journal focused on higher education and learning disabilities.
Quinn Jackson was diagnosed with Dyscalculia in the 8th grade. Unfortunately, after being diagnosed no changes were made to her educational plan. She graduated from high school in 2000 and started attending the University of Texas at San Antonio. Quinn registered with the Students with Disabilities Office, yet she was required to attend a non-credit remedial math class for that entire year. Unable to pass the remedial math class, Quinn transferred to San Antonio Community College (SAC) in the fall of 2001 to pursue a degree in Interpreting for the Deaf. Here too, the math requirement held although she was told she would receive a course substitution for the math requirement. After three years at SAC the course substitution was never approved and Quinn was required to make the 6-hour a week deadline in the remedial math lab or all her classes would be dropped. At this point Quinn came across the Educational Interpreting program for the Deaf at Kapiolani Community College (KCC). She was offered a scholarship with the program and was told KCC would provide a course substitution. Quinn transferred to KCC in January of 2004. After two attempts at inappropriate course substitutions, it was evident that her learning disability, dyscalculia or the inability to perceive patterns, was misunderstood. Quinn was re-tested by a Neuropsychologist and then referred to an optometrist who specialized in Visual Functioning. The nature of her Learning Disability was beginning to become clearer, not just to herself but to the persons involved in making accommodations. Finally, in the fall of 2005 Quinn was granted an Independent study. She now has an associate degree in interpreting for the deaf. Quinn plans to work for the Hawai‘i Department of Education as an interpreter for the Deaf.
Karen Kane, M.A., is currently a Counselor for Students with Disabilities at Hawai‘i Community College. She was a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor for 2 years specializing in vocational planning for individuals who are blind and have multiple disabilities. She is a certified Secondary Education Teacher in Social Studies, has a Bachelor’s in Psychology, with minor degree in Hawaiian Studies and a Master’s Degree in Higher Education Administration. Her experience spans 12 years as a Disability Service Provider in higher education. Working at the only community college on the Big Island of Hawai‘i, opens opportunity to network with 15 high school transition coordinators, as well as state, private and federal vocational rehabilitation agencies to improve transition opportunities for individuals with disabilities. She currently provides services to 140 students who represent all types of disabilities. She has participated with CDS to coordinate research focus groups and has provided support services to CDS grant projects. She manages a technology lab on campus to educate all parties about Assistive Technology supports to enhance student opportunities and foster independence in learning.
Kathleen O. Kane, Ph.D, is a tenured faculty at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa in the Office of Faculty Development and Academic Support. Her contributions in the field of faculty development include being a faculty specialist at the Center for Teaching Excellence and director of the Faculty Mentoring Program. Dr. Kane is an affiliate faculty teaching in the Women’s Studies Program, the Department of Political Science, and the UH- Manoa Honors Program. She is a former director of the UH-Manoa Office of Women’s Research and former chair of the UH-Manoa Commission on the Status of Women. Dr. Kane coordinates a program at the John A. Burns School of Medicine to train medical students in the area of women’s health care and has co-authored an article on it: Linking Medical Student Professionalism and Clinical Competence in the Hawai‘i Medical Journal. Other articles include chapters in The Quest for Equity in Higher Education: Towards New Paradigms in an Evolving Affirmative Action Era and Teaching Introduction to Women’s Studies: Student Resistance and Classroom Strategies.
Linda Laine is a lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Hawai‘i Honolulu Community College. She has taught in high schools and community colleges in California and Hawai‘i for the past fifty years. Her initial purpose in becoming a teacher was to do mathematics, but very quickly her primary interest shifted to how students learn. Following this interest, she obtained a master’s degree in Special Education with an emphasis in what was then known as “Educationally Handicapped.” Most recently, in 2005, she trained to test clients for dyslexia.
Mari S. Nakamura, M.A., is an Instructor for several of the Developmental & Remedial Studies programs at the University of Hawai‘i, Windward Community College/Employment Training Center. Mari has a BA and an MA in English Literature. She has taught a variety of subjects including English Literature, Shakespeare, and Chaucer and is the Communications instructor for the Essential Skills program and the Integrated Academics instructor for the Auto Body & Repair program. Mari is very aware of the issues that students with disabilities—especially hidden learning disabilities—face. She is fully cognizant of the overwhelming challenges all her students face in their efforts to succeed and achieve their full potential and strives continuously to improve delivery of learning through all possible systems for the best student learning outcomes.
My Lien T. Nguyen, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor with the Center on Disability Studies (CDS) at the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa (UHM). Nguyen’s academic background includes a B.A. in Biology, M.S. in Curriculum and Secondary Science Education, and Ph.D. in Botany. Nguyen also holds the Pacific Partnerships in Diversity and Disability Studies certificate from CDS; with a focus on disability culture and underrepresented groups in the sciences. Before coming to CDS, Nguyen was a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Botany at UHM. In that position, Nguyen coordinated grants for the improvement of undergraduate science education in Ethnobotany and the development of culturally relevant curriculum designed to encourage students historically underrepresented in the sciences to pursue scientific careers. Nguyen has been involved with both recreational and science education programs for people of diverse ethnicities and disabilities; securing funding, volunteering as a mentor and counselor, and serving on boards and steering committees. The My Lien Nguyen Honor Fund for the SportsNet program in Rochester, New York, was established in recognition of Nguyen’s advocacy for improving recreational opportunities for people with disabilities.
Adam Tanners, M.A., is currently a doctoral student in exceptionalities at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa. Before starting his doctoral program, Adam worked for the Disabled Students’ Program (DSP) at the University of California at Berkeley. Adam’s position at UC Berkeley was the Assistive Technology Specialist where he administrated a computer lab for students with disabilities. In addition to administrating the lab Adam evaluated and trained the students on a variety of assistive technologies. Adam received his MA from The University of Iowa where he worked as a graduate assistant in the Student Disability Services (SDS) office. While working in this office Adam’s jobs included, among other things, the arranging of alternative exam accommodations.
Carol I. Waslien Ph.D., R.D. has extensive experience across a range of academic areas. She is currently a Professor and the Chair of the Public Health Science- Epidemiology, School of Medicine at the University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa. She is in support of universal design for learning strategies, making education more accessible for all students. In addition to her work in Hawai‘i, Carol has over 11 years experience with nutrition problems in Africa and the Middle East. She also has 25+ years experience in directing Dietetics training programs. Her research expertise is in nutrition epidemiology in chronic and infectious disease.
