Cynthia Gomez has been the editor of Disability Compliance for Higher Education since 2005. Since then, she has written and edited articles, pamphlets and books on a variety of disability-related topics. She also regularly attends conferences such as the Association on Higher Education And Disability and others to keep a close pulse on current trends and challenges facing her readers. Cynthia works closely with outside columnists, including attorneys specialized in disability law and disability service providers, as well as the newsletter’s Advisory Board members. She also conducts research reports each year to give readers information that they can find nowhere else on critical topics. In 2010, the newsletter won an Apex award for “best how-to writing” for an article that explained how DS providers can use assessment data to advocate for additional resources for their units. Cynthia previously served as editor of two other subscription newsletters for higher education professionals. Prior to that, she worked as a reporter for a daily New England newspaper, where she covered various topics, including education. Cynthia is a graduate of Northeastern University, where she received her bachelor’s degree in print journalism.
She currently serves as a faculty member at Walden University, where she teaches special education courses and mentors doctoral students pursuing their Ph.D.s in special education. Stephanie has also taught educational foundations, educational psychology, reading and English courses.
As an administrator, she founded and directed a disability service office and a nationally recognized postsecondary program for students with high-incidence disabilities. She currently provides service in her community as a special education advocate and serves as a member on several social service agency executive boards.
Stephanie actively publishes her research in several professional journals, is a regular columnist for Disability Compliance in Higher Education, and presents at national conferences.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a master's degree in education leadership. His professional experience and positions within disability resources include sign language interpreter, disability access consultant, assistant director and director.
Lance's professional areas of expertise and personal interests include working with students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, program development and assessment, universal design of instruction, and Americans with Disabilities Act compliance.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminology and psychology and is currently enrolled in a master’s in psychology degree program at MSU. She is involved in advocacy and public affairs efforts, both at MSU and in the community, and is the chair of the Staff Senate at her institution.
His professional experience and positions include being a special education teacher for three years, and the director of a rehabilitation facility for 150 adults with disabilities and director of residential programs in Illinois for 10 years, and four years as a University of Wisconsin academic staff member at the UW-Center on Work.
Tom holds a bachelor’s degree in special education and a master’s degree in rehabilitation administration. He also operates the Heffron White House, a family owned rooming house for 15 individuals, including for persons with disabilities.
University of Connecticut since 1993.
She received her M.Ed. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Springfield College and has more than 30 years of experience in the disability services field. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a licensed clinical social worker.
In addition to her graduate work in educational psychology at the University of Connecticut, she is a member of the higher education and student affairs faculty at the Neag School of Education and an associate research scholar at the Center for Postsecondary Education and Disability.
Her research interests include the transition of postsecondary students with disabilities to college, and Universal Design for Instruction and its benefits for the postsecondary education of individuals with disabilities.
She has more than 20 years experience in higher education and has served as an adjunct faculty member for the Departments of Reading, Media Communications and Technology, Special Education and Rehabilitation, and Academic Enrichment and Learning.
She received a doctorate of education in the psychology of reading from Temple University; her master’s of education at East Stroudsburg University with special education certification and reading specialist certification; and a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Gettysburg College. .
Edith has published Effective Strategies for Tutoring Students with LD and ADHD, a manual for training tutors to work with students who have disabilities, and co-authored UDL: Universal Design in Learning for Educators, also a manual. She has also authored several journal articles and delivered numerous national and international presentations on successful strategies for students with learning disabilities and instruction for college-age readers.
She is a consultant with C & E Miller Associates and Klucher School-Neuropsych and has served as an expert panelist for The College Board. She is co-founder and president of Delta Alpha Pi International Honor Society, the only honorary in the country that recognizes the high-achievement of college students with disabilities.
She has also served as a supervisor of instruction and pupil services and a supervisor of special education. In addition, she has 10 years of experience in higher education disability services administration in both public and private institutions.
Pamela holds a bachelor’s degree in audiology and speech sciences, a master’s degree in speech pathology, and has completed extensive coursework toward a master’s in educational administration.
She has also served as an adjunct faculty member for Kean University’s graduate program in educational administration. She has been a consultant to public and private K-12 school districts and higher education institutions on ADA compliance and postsecondary transition issues for students with disabilities.
She completed her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, San Diego in 1987 and her master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling from San Diego State University in 1989. Maria is currently in a joint doctoral program, majoring in higher education at Claremont Graduate University and San Diego State University.
Tom holds a master’s degree in rehabilitation counseling and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and philosophy. Besides working at Harper College, he has twice served on the board of the Association on Higher Education And Disability, was a founding member of the Illinois-Iowa AHEAD chapter, and has presented at numerous conferences on program development, budgeting and program assessment.
His particular interests and specialization include working with students who are deaf and hard of hearing, program review methods, and mentoring new professionals. He has taught as an adjunct faculty member in allied health for Northern Illinois University and in Northeastern Illinois University’s rehabilitation counseling graduate program. He has also been a consultant to higher education institutions on the issues of ADA compliance, accessibility, grants management and program evaluation.
Gail M. Zimmerman is the associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students at Keene State College. She has been working in higher education for more than 25 years in a variety of student support roles. Currently, she supervises Keene State College’s Counseling Center, Center for Health and Wellness, and the Office of Disability Services. She also serves as the college’s ADA compliance officer.
Gail received her doctorate in education in higher education leadership from the University of Massachusetts Boston; her master’s degree in student personnel administration from State University of New York’s College at Buffalo; and her bachelor’s degree in biology from D’Youville College.
Gail’s doctoral dissertation focused on supporting students with psychiatric disabilities in higher education. Her interests including the historical, legal and organizational issues involved in serving students with disabilities.
She was the founding president of the Georgia Association on Higher Education And Disability, and held several other offices in that organization. She served on the board of directors and the professional advisory board of the L.D. Adults of Georgia and on the Georgia Board of Regents' Administrative Committee on Learning Disorders. She has also been a member of the advisory board of the Alternative Access Media Center of the University System of Georgia and the Georgia Board of Regents Veteran’s Task Force. She was co-chair of the Georgia Board of Regents Administrative Committee for Disability Service Providers. In addition to private consultation, counseling and coaching, she is a frequent speaker for professional and community organizations.
Louise has particular expertise in cognitive and psychological disorders. She is the co-author of College Students with Asperger Syndrome: Practical Strategies for Academic and Social Success and The Disability Services Office Manual: Model Forms, Policies, and Procedures. She is a regular columnist for Disability Compliance for Higher Education.
Elizabeth C. Hamblet is a disability consultant. She was a postsecondary learning disabilities specialist for more than a decade, first at Simmons College in Massachusetts and then at Rutgers University in New Jersey.
Now based in Princeton, N. J., she speaks, writes and consults on transition to college for students with disabilities and is the author of a laminated guide on this topic, published by National Professional Resources. A regular contributor to Disability Compliance for Higher Education, she has also been published in the Journal of College Admissions and Career Development for Exceptional Individuals. Her website, www.ldadvisory.com, offers information and helpful links for families and professionals.
Dannee Polomsky is currently a consultant, helping college and high school students with disabilities tackle the transition from high school to college. Previously, she held various positions in the Office of Services for Students with Disabilities at Northwestern University,
She is the author of Beyond the Usual Accommodations: Supporting College Students with Disabilities in Clinical Settings, published by LRP in 2008. In addition to accommodations in clinical programs, her areas of interest are in academic integrity and serving students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing.
She has a bachelor’s degree in speech pathology and a master’s in communicative disorders, with a specialization in deafness rehabilitation counseling. Before focusing on disability access in higher education, she served children with disabilities in early intervention and middle school settings and provided training on equal access for City of Chicago employees.