Staff Bios
Debra Hart, M.S.
Debra Hart is the Director of the Education and Transition Team for the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts, Boston. She serves as the Principal Investigator for the NIDRR funded Center on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, the ADD funded Consortium on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and Office of Postsecondary Education funded National Coordinating Center. Debra has over 25 years of experience working with youth and adults with disabilities, their families, faculty, and professionals that support youth in becoming contributing valued members of their community via participation in inclusive secondary and postsecondary education, and competitive employment. Since 1997, Ms. Hart has directed five federal grants designed to create access to postsecondary education for youth with intellectual disabilities.
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Meg Grigal, Ph.D.
Dr. Meg Grigal is a Senior Research Fellow at University of Massachusetts Boston at the Institute for Community Inclusion where she Co-Directs Think College. Dr. Grigal is the Co-Principal Investigator for the NIDRR funded Center on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities, the Office of Postsecondary Education funded National Coordinating Center and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities funded Consortium for Postsecondary Education for People with IDD. Prior to joining ICI, Meg was Senior Research Associate at TransCen, Inc. where she served as the Principal Investigator of the Postsecondary Education Research Center (PERC) project, conducting research on the efficacy and outcomes of college based dual enrollment programs for students with intellectual disability. Dr. Grigal also previously directed On-Campus Outreach (OCO) at the University of Maryland. She has provided technical assistance and training across the country, conducted research studies on the provision of postsecondary education services for students with intellectual disability and has coauthored two books and published numerous journal articles on the topic.
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Cate Weir, M.Ed.
Cate is the project coordinator for the NIDRR funded Center on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. the ADD funded Consortium on Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities and the Office of Postsecondary Education funded National Coordinating Center at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Previously, she served as project coordinator for the OSEP funded Postsecondary Education: A Choice for Everyone and the OPE funded Equity and Excellence in Higher Education at the Institute on Disability at the University of NH. She also has experience as a disability support coordinator and faculty member for the NH Community College System. Cate’s expertise includes the provision of individual supports for postsecondary education for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, universal design for learning, person-centered planning and strategic planning for organizations.
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Maria Paiewonsky, Ed.D.
Maria Paiewonsky is the Participatory Action Research Coordinator for Think College. She uses a number of inclusive research methods with students, transition staff and college personnel to evaluate postsecondary education initiatives and to develop training and technical assistance materials for Think College. In addition, Maria serves as a transition specialist at the Institute for Community Inclusion, where she oversees numerous transition related projects with teachers, interdisciplinary team members, students and families to develop positive transition outcomes. Her work also includes online course development and teaching, as well as face-to-face training and technical assistance on transition and postsecondary topics. These training topics include youth development and self -determination, career development, access to postsecondary education, school-college partnerships, and, most recently, inclusive research and dissemination.
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Maria Dragoumanos, MS, CRC
Maria is a Transition Specialist at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she participates in numerous postsecondary and transition-related projects. Maria also has experience working as a state-level transition specialist for the Arizona Department of Education and as a member of the disability support services office of a community college. Maria’s areas of expertise include transition-related policies and effective practices, person centered planning and providing training and technical assistance to high school and college staff on preparing students for postsecondary education and employment. Maria holds a Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Boston University and is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor.
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Karen Zimbrich, M.Ed.
Karen is a transition and education specialist at the Institute for Community Inclusion, a University Center of Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, affiliated with the University of Massachusetts/Boston. She has been a special educator, teaching in a range of K-12 schools, and a university instructor, developing and teaching online and face-to-face graduate-level courses, always working to include and support students with intellectual disabilities, as well as their families, in inclusive educational, vocational, and community settings. She has provided professional development to general and special educators on topics such as school-to-adult transition, transition assessment, and positive behavioral supports within the context of response to intervention. Currently with Think College's National Coordinating Center, Karen facilitates monthly cohort meetings and helps coordinate various publications for the project. She enjoys travel, cooking, and nature photography.
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Molly Boyle, M.A.
Molly is the project coordinator for the Equity and Excellence in Higher Education project at the University of Massachusetts Boston. She also works as a trainer and technical assistance provider for Think College. Molly provides professional development to college faculty, administrators and disability support personnel on Universal Course Design and effective teaching strategies for ensuring equal access to all students, including those with disabilities. Previously, she coordinated the Inclusive Concurrent Enrollment project for students with intellectual disabilities at MassBay Community College in Wellesley, MA. Molly's expertise includes the provision of individual supports for postsecondary education for people with intellectual/ developmental disabilities, universal design for learning, online teaching, and adaptive technologies.
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Lori Cooney, M.Ed.
Lori Cooney is a Project Coordinator & Instructional Design Specialist at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Prior to joining ICI, Lori served as an Instructional Designer at a postsecondary institution and a secondary Coordinator of Technology Integration. Lori has extensive experience in designing and delivering professional development for faculty and staff on instructional resources, universal design techniques, lesson plans and assessment strategies that meet the learning styles of all students. Some of the integration tools that she currently uses are online lesson plan builders, rubric generators, Web 2.0 tools, tablet devices (i.e. iPad), and open-source applications. Lori has received a Technology Humanist Award from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and is recognized as a Christa McAuliffe Teacher by the Challenger Learning Center at Framingham State University. Additionally, Lori was a respite care provider for children with special needs, is a board member of the EGID Boston group, and has two children with special health care needs.
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Joe Timmons. M.A.
Joe has an M.A. in Rehabilitation Teaching and has worked with adolescents and adults with disabilities in rehabilitation and educational settings for twenty-six years. Since 2002, he has served as Coordinator and Research Fellow at the Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the University of Minnesota. At ICI, he has worked on projects with the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability for Youth, the Rehabilitation Services Administration, the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development, and Think College. His work at ICI includes research projects and providing technical assistance to individuals and organizations, including federal grantees; he focuses on assessment, work and careers, mentoring, and the transition from secondary to postsecondary school settings.
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Amy Dwyre, MA, CRC
Amy Dwyre is a Senior Associate at TransCen, Inc, assisting with activities of the Center for Postsecondary Education for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities. Amy is working to collect and disseminate materials related to postsecondary education for individuals with intellectual disabilities. Additionally, she is working on the Post-Secondary Education Research Centers project funded by OSEP to set up technical assistance centers and collect data on college-based transition programs for students with intellectual disabilities. Formerly, she was the Coordinator of the Baltimore Transition Connection, a 5-year federally funded transition project integrating the efforts of the Baltimore City Public Schools, Maryland adult service providers, local colleges and universities, the local community, and TransCen, Inc. She has over 10 years of experience in job development and training, including work with the Chicago Public Schools and community rehabilitation programs and school systems around the country, and has designed and facilitated several strategic planning sessions conducted by TransCen, Inc. for the National Supported Employment Consortium at Virginia Commonwealth University. Ms. Dwyre is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and holds a master's degree in Rehabilitation Counseling, Supported Employment and Transition from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. In addition, she is a sibling of an individual with severe disabilities with whom she has spent a great deal of personal time assisting in transition, career, and self-determination planning.
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Becca Smith
Becca Smith is a Research Associate for TransCen, Inc. She has extensive experience utilizing Microsoft Office software to optimize the performance of the projects she participates in. She is currently pursuing her Specialist Certification in Access 2007, is a certified Community Work Incentives Coordinator, Project Coordinator for the Employment and Benefits Resource Center at TransCen, and has a Masters Level Certificate in Job Development and Job Placement from the University of Maryland.
John Butterworth, Ph.D
John has over 30 years of experience as a manager of community-based day and employment services, trainer, consultant, and researcher. He is Principal Investigator of Access to Integrated Employment, a 20 year national data collection project on day and employment services for people with developmental disabilities, is ICI’s Project Director for the State Employment Leadership Network, and is on the staff of the CMS funded Massachusetts Medicaid Infrastructure and Comprehensive Employment Opportunities initiative. His interests include organizational and systems change, employment outcomes, natural supports, person-centered planning, and program management.
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Paul Foos
Paul Foos is a Web Specialist at the Institute for Community Inclusion. He has developed and maintained several sites for ICI, including Think College. The focus of his work is helping non-technical folks to communicate via the Web. He also makes every effort to provide accessible sites. His background is in education and technology, and he worked for several years as a counselor in halfway houses for the mentally ill. Paul has a Ph.D. in History and an MLIS degree.
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Alberto Migliore, Ph.D.
Alberto Migliore joined ICI as a postdoctoral research fellow in September 2006. He develops research and analyzes data for several ongoing projects at ICI, including working on the RSA-911 database of individuals with developmental disabilities served by Vocational Rehabilitation.
Along with his academic work, Alberto has several years of experience in the public, private, and nonprofit sectors. In Italy, he helped found a social co-operative where he worked for about ten years involving individuals with intellectual disabilities in community work activities. Before moving from Italy to the U.S., he was a regional government official for workplace health and safety.
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Kate Sambuco
Kate Sambuco is an Instructional Technology Specialist in the ICI Marketing and Communications department. She has a bachelor's degree in film and television production, and a master's degree in educational media and technology from Boston University. Before working for the Institute for Community Inclusion, Kate worked for the Educational Media Center at the Boston University School of Medicine, helping faculty members integrate technology into their curriculum. Her areas of expertise include video production, educational media, and Web 2.0 technologies.
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David Temelini
David Temelini coordinates and implements marketing and communications strategy for the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI). He oversees web development and eLearning strategies, and is directly responsible for the design, production, and dissemination of ICI print publications and materials. His areas of expertise include layout, graphic design, marketing, and web strategies.
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Alvaro Tobar
Alvaro Tobar is responsible for coordinating instructional technology at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI). His areas of expertise include education, technology integration, multimedia design, and video production. Alvaro runs the Institute's multimedia lab, where he designs and implements a range of accessible instructional technology strategies to meet projects' needs. Current tactics include webconferences, distance education courses, digital video, blogs, and podcasts. A native of Chile, Alvaro is fluent in three languages.
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Jeff Coburn
Jeff is the Web Services Manager at the Institute for Community Inclusion (ICI) at UMass Boston. Jeff coordinates and builds accessible online services and websites; advocates, writes, and speaks on Universal Design and accessible web development; and serves as a resource for all things technical at ICI. Prior to ICI, Jeff worked in commercial web development for companies in Boston and London, and earned a degree in Journalism from Saint Michael's College in Vermont.
Frank A. Smith, M.A.
Frank A. Smith, M.A., is a Research Associate at ICI and the Evaluation Manager for the TPSID Coordinating Center. Frank has experience in survey research methodology, data management, data analysis, and data systems design. He is one of the authors of StateData: The National Report on Employment Services and Outcomes, 2010. He has also made multiple presentations on the use of employment outcomes data to State Vocational Rehabilitation Agency Directors. Frank is a two-time graduate of the UMass system, having earned a bachelor's degree in legal studies at the Amherst campus and a master's degree in applied sociology at the Boston campus.
