Millions of disabled college students have such a different experience on campus that it threatens their lifelong success — a national crisis that Stephanie is leading research to address.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that up to 1 in 4 (or 27 percent) of adults have at least one type of disability — including over 4 million college students — and studies show disabled college students face barriers that make them less likely to persist in their studies, graduate with degrees, and achieve their career goals.
In August 2023, Stephanie launched the National Disability Center for Student Success when she received a $5 million federal grant awarded by the Institute for Education Sciences, a division of the U.S. Department of Education focused on rigorous research.
“My career is devoted to empowering disabled students to thrive in classrooms and succeed in life,” says Stephanie. “With the formation of the National Disability Center, we can lead a disabled-centered effort to address the gaps in research and practices.”
It’s a national research center that can have a far-reaching impact on students, researchers, and higher educators. Its mission: Provide the first actionable research foundation to support disabled student experiences and achievement after high school.
As the Executive Director and principal investigator, Stephanie works on a day-to-day basis to lead its ambitious research agenda and achieve its innovative goals for systemic change.
The research center is housed at The University of Texas at Austin, where Stephanie is a professor in the Department of Educational Psychology with a courtesy appointment in Special Education. Stephanie’s award is the second-largest IES grant in UT Austin’s history. Her research has been funded by over $50 million in federal and other grants.