:: About

Staff

Gary N. Siperstein, PhD.

Professor

Director

Dr. Gary Siperstein is founder and director of the Center for Social Development and Education at the University of Massachusetts Boston. A professor at UMass Boston since 1974, Dr. Siperstein received his Ph.D. at the Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, Yeshiva University. He has published more than seventy-five articles, chapters, and books on the social relationships and social development of children with disabilities. His most recent book, Promoting Social Success, focuses on improving the social competence of children in the classroom. He has served as associate editor of the American Journal of Mental Retardation and editor of the Research Monograph Series of the American Association on Mental Retardation. The recipient of more than twenty research grants from federal agencies, including NICHD (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) and the U.S. Department of Education, Dr. Siperstein received the prestigious Merit Award from NICHD for his work on the social aspects of mental retardation. Enhancing the social competence of children with mental retardation in inclusive educational settings has been the focus of his most recent projects. Presently, he serves on the State Advisory Council for the Department of Mental Retardation (DMR), the National Academy of Sciences Committee on "Eligibility Determination of Mental Retardation," and is past president of the Research Division of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). Under Dr. Siperstein's direction, CSDE also works collaboratively with Special Olympics Inc. as a Global Collaborating Center (GCC). The purpose of the GCC is to conduct rigorous scientific research that is of value to the international community. The UMass Boston/Special Olympics Global Collaborating Center is solely responsible for all international research related to attitudes and intellectual disabilities.

Jennifer Norins Bardon

Assistant Director, Attitude Research

Special Olympics Regional Collaborating Center

Jennifer Norins Bardon has a B.A. in social psychology from the University of Massachusetts Boston.For more than five years, Ms. Norins Bardon has been involved in different aspects of the Center for Social Development and Education.Ms. Norins Bardon currently serves as the Research Coordinator for the UMass Boston/Special Olympics Regional Collaborating Center, which focuses on documenting attitudes toward individuals with intellectual disabilities worldwide and evaluating the environments in which individuals with ID engage.Recently, Ms. Norins Bardon directed a study involving 10,000 middle school students in the United States and Japan on their attitudes toward their peers with intellectual disabilities and their beliefs about inclusion.She is currently involved in an evaluation of the impact of Special Olympics Unified Sports in Europe and the expansion of the youth attitude survey in China.

Paul Benson, Ph.D.

Associate Professor

Senior Research Associate

Paul Benson, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology and senior research associate, has been affiliated with CSDE since 1999. Dr. Benson received his doctorate at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1981. Before coming to UMass Boston in 1988, he held prior faculty positions at UCLA and Tulane University. A medical sociologist by training, Dr. Benson has served as associate editor of the Journal of Health and Social Behavior and a number of other scholarly journals in the areas of mental health services research and medical sociology. From 1996 to 1998, Dr. Benson serviced as vice provost for sponsored projects and public service at UMass Boston.

Dr. Benson's past research has focused primarily on issues relating to the care and treatment of severely mentally ill adults. He has published more than twenty-five articles and book chapters on a variety of topics in this area, including psychiatrists' treatment practices, psychiatric research and informed consent by mentally ill subjects, community care of the mentally ill, and mental health policy issues in the U.S. and abroad. He has also conducted research and written extensively on issues related to family caretaking of mentally ill adults.

In 1994, Dr. Benson's oldest daughter, Colleen, was diagnosed with autism. After leaving university administration in 1998, he refocused his research interests on issues relating to autism and its impact on the family. In 2001, Dr. Benson was awarded a three-year grant by the U.S. Department of Education to study parent involvement in public school programs for young children with autism and related disorders, The Family-School Autism Project.

Katie Bountress

Research Assistant

Katie Bountress joined CSDE in July 2006 as a research assistant after receiving her B.A. in psychology and sociology from the University of Virginia. While completing her undergraduate coursework, she grew increasingly interested in child psychopathology, and specifically the role home environments play in improving or exacerbating children's mental health problems. She assists in data collection and statistical analysis for Project ARCHES and other CSDE projects.

Mary Brady, Ph.D.

Director of Professional Development

Dr. Mary Brady serves the Center as director of professional development, designing and orchestrating its graduate certificate programs and courses. Dr. Brady earned her M.Ed. at the University of Southern California, and both her M.B.A. and Ph.D. in education at Boston College. Before joining the CSDE staff, she was a researcher and curriculum developer at the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST). Earlier in her career, she was a teacher of students with severe special needs, principal of Boston College Campus School, and director of training at the Shriver Center University Affiliated Program.

Dr. Brady identifies field-based training needs and customizes programs for busy educators. She brings education and instructional design experience to CSDE's grants and projects, including the Tools for Teachers project. Because of her background and interest in technology for students with special needs, she represents CSDE on technology accessibility, with an emphasis on Universal Design Learning. Dr. Brady's interests include developing more flexible models of professional development and embedding technology within instruction to reach a wider range of diverse learners.

Dr. Brady teaches courses, supervises students and interns, and serves on committees within the Graduate College of Education. She is therefore able to bring CSDE's research and policy work to graduate students and faculty. The courses she typically teaches include: Moderate Practicum Experience and Seminar, Technology in Special Education, Assessment in Teaching, and Behavior and Classroom Management.

Karen Friedman

Assistant Director for Administration and Community Services

Karen Friedman joined CSDE in 2007. Ms. Friedman is responsible for communications and outreach for CSDE and coordinates fundraising efforts. In her role as program coordinator for Camp Shriver at UMass Boston, Ms. Friedman is responsible for the recruitment of campers and staff and liaising with Camp Shriver's partners at the University and in the local schools and community.

 

Prior to joining CSDE Ms. Friedman worked at the Maryland Governor’s Office for Individuals with Disabilities and assisted in transitioning the office to the Maryland Department of Disabilities, a cabinet level department in the State of Maryland, in 2004.  Once the Department was created, Ms. Friedman became the first Director of Housing Policy for the Maryland Department of Disabilities.  She has a BA in Sociology from the University of Illinois and served in the Peace Corps in Bulgaria from 1999 until 2001.

 

Gary C. Glick

Research Assistant

Gary C. Glick joined CSDE in July 2006 as a research assistant after receiving his B.S in psychology and B.A in sociology from Drake University. Mr. Glick’s research interests center on children’s peer relationships in middle childhood and adolescence. He assists in data collection and statistical analysis for the Special Olympics Global Collaborating Center, as well as with other CSDE projects. Mr. Glick also serves as a teaching assistant in courses on Human Development.

Coreen M. Harada, Ed.D

Co-Director

Special Olympics Global Collaborating Center

Dr. Harada currently serves as co-director of the Special Olympics Global Collaborating Center. Her duties also include directing sport research initiatives of the SOGCC. Her work includes the Special Olympics Impact Study, a national study of active and inactive Special Olympics athletes and families throughout the United States. This study was the first of its kind to provide insight on the characteristics of a nationally representative sample of Special Olympics athletes. Most recently she has been involved with an expansion of the Unified Sports Evaluation in Europe and the evaluation of Camp Shriver sites in the United States. She is currently completing an expansion of the Special Olympics Impact Study with active athletes and families in China, Brazil, Argentina, and Peru.

Dr. Harada received her doctorate in counseling psychology with a focus in sport psychology from Boston University. She received her B.A. in psychology from Wellesley College and an M.A. in kinesiology with a focus in sport psychology from the California State University, Fresno. Her previous research has focused on elite athletes on such topics as group dynamics, social support networks, talent development, and stress and coping skills.

Kristie Karlof

Senior Research Assistant

Kristie Karlof is a senior research assistant for The Family-School Autism Project.As senior research assistant, Ms. Karlof is responsible for coordinating all project activities. Her responsibilities include interviewing families participating in the project, observing school programs, collaboration on the development of project instruments, and data collection/analysis.

Ms. Karlof spent her undergraduate years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received her degree in mathematical sciences in 1997. It was during her junior year that her interest in the field of autism began. She started working with children with autism in a community inclusion program through the Autism Society of North Carolina.Following graduation, she joined the staff at the Carolina Living and Learning Center, a residential-vocational program for adults with autism that primarily uses the methods of TEACCH.She moved to Massachusetts in the fall of 1999 to pursue her interest in The Son-Rise Program at The Option Institute. This center teaches parents to create an innovative home-based program for their child with special needs. Ms. Karlof joined the Family-School Autism Project at its inception in November of 2001.

Joanne Kersh, Ph.D.

Senior Research Associate

Joanne Kersh joined the Center for Social Development and Education in 2007. She received her doctorate in developmental psychology from Boston College and her M.Ed. in educational research from Northeastern University. Between completing her undergraduate studies at New York University and beginning her graduate work, Dr. Kersh was an early childhood educator in San Francisco and Boston.

Dr. Kersh's research focuses primarily on the development of children with disabilities and the well-being and adaptation of their families over time, considering the influences of individual, family, and community factors. Her work has focused largely on understudied members of the family, specifically siblings and fathers. Her professional interests also include the exploration of appropriate methodologies for conducting research with people with intellectual disabilities and with young children.

At CSDE, Dr. Kersh directs family-focused research within the Special Olympics Global Collaborating Center. She is currently conducting research that explores the assets of youth with intellectual and developmental disabilities and the value that they have in their families, with the aim of providing a more authentic and balanced representation of the experiences of these families.

James Leffert, Ed.D.

Senior Research Associate

James Leffert, Ed.D., has been on the CSDE staff since 1993. Dr. Leffert has a bachelor's degree from Dartmouth College and a doctorate in counseling psychology from Northeastern University. He has worked extensively in outpatient community mental health settings and with community residential and day programs.

Dr. Leffert's research interests include social skills instruction, social-cognitive assessment, and the development of peer relationships in children with special needs. Drs. Leffert and Siperstein have jointly written many publications that reflect these interests and have been partners in developing and implementing several major projects at CSDE. For example, they have conducted extensive research concerning the social development of children with mental retardation and other disabilities, and worked to translate this research into practical intervention programs that promote successful participation by children with disabilities in general education settings. These practical applications include the Promoting Social Success instructional program and curriculum and Tools for Teachers social skills assessment and instructional planning instruments. Dr. Leffert is currently co-director of CSDE's Tools for Teachers Project, funded by the U.S. Department of Education. Through this project, CSDE is developing and field testing innovative tools for teachers and other school personnel to use in assessing “social thinking skills” and for planning instructional interventions.

In addition to his work at CSDE, Dr. Leffert conducts a part-time, private mental health practice in Framingham and Cambridge, Mass.

Samantha Paris

Research Assistant

Samantha Paris joined CSDE as a research assistant in June 2007. She received her B.A. in psychology and sociocultural anthropology from The George Washington University in Washington, DC. She assists in data entry and statistical analysis for various CSDE projects. Ms. Paris is currently a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts Boston in the school psychology M.A./C.A.G.S. program. Her academic interests include special education, early intervention, and assessment. Ms. Paris is a student member of the National Association of School Psychologists and the Massachusetts Association of School Psychologists.

Robin C. Parker

Research Consultant

Robin Parker has been affiliated with CSDE since 1995. She holds a B.A. in psychology from Skidmore College and an M.S. in educational psychology and statistics from the University at Albany. During her first five years with CSDE, Ms. Parker worked on research concerning the stress, social support, and adjustment of students with and without learning disabilities during the transition into middle school. This research culminated in the published curriculum, Moving to Middle School: Life Skills and Coping Skills for Successful Student Transition. Activities for Grades 5-8. (Wenz-Gross, M., Anderson, K., Parker, R., O'Meara, A., & Carreiro-King, I., 2002).

After taking time off to start a family, Ms. Parker has rejoined the CSDE staff and is currently involved in several ongoing projects, including work with the Special Olympics Global Collaborating Center.Her work at present involves report writing and preparing manuscripts for publication.

Kari A. Russ

Public Relations Consultant

Kari Russ joined CSDE in 2005. Ms. Russ assists with media and public relations for CSDE and edits publications. In her role as enrichment coordinator for Camp Shriver at UMass Boston, Ms. Russ is responsible for developing enrichment sessions on topics such as hygiene, fitness, nutrition and environmental science.

Ms. Russ is currently pursuing an M.A. in English with a focus on composition and literacy. She holds a B.A. in English from Boston College and previously worked as an editor. She is a volunteer with Literacy Volunteers of Massachusetts, the Big Sister Association of Greater Boston, and the Coolidge Corner Community Chorus.

Lindsey Sauer

Research Assistant

Lindsey Sauer received her B.A. in psychology from the University of Nebraska Lincoln. As an undergraduate, she interned for the Nebraska State Education Association where she became increasingly interested in bridging the fields of mental health counseling and education. After leaving Nebraska, she attended Denver Seminary where she earned an M.A. in Community Counseling. After working with several children through both individual and group therapy, Lindsey decided the best way for her to help children learn and grow would be to work with them daily as their classroom teacher. Therefore, she decided to pursue a M.Ed. in Elementary Education at the University of Massachusetts Boston. Lindsey joined the CSDE in December of 2007 as a graduate assistant and is working on a variety of research projects. Her interests include teaching children from diverse backgrounds, coordinating services between schools, families, and community agencies, and helping children succeed in an inclusive setting.

Thea Showstack

Research Assistant

Thea Showstack received her B.A. in psychology and philosophy from the University of Vermont in 2002. She has worked on several diverse research projects, including nutrition and physical activity interventions for adolescents with intellectual disabilities and children with autism, before joining CSDE as a research assistant in July 2007.

At CSDE, Ms. Showstack is involved in family research, including the Athlete in the Family project, a qualitative research project in collaboration with Special Olympics. Ms. Showstack is currently a graduate student at the University of Massachusetts Boston in the school psychology M.Ed. /C.A.G.S. program. Her academic interests include working with children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities, autism, and learning disabilities. Ms. Showstack is a student member of the National Association of School Psychologists and the Massachusetts School Psychologists Association.

Greg Tilley

Director of Finance Administration

Greg Tilley is responsible for the finance and administration areas within CSDE.  Mr. Tilley has more than fifteen years of experience in the areas of accounting, finance, and operations. He started his career in public accounting and then worked in Samoa (in the South Pacific) for five years. While in Samoa he was a Peace Corps volunteer and then was the CFO/COO for a bottled water company, responsible for all the accounting, finance, and operations. In addition, he also taught business subjects at the National University of Samoa (he was the Acting Dean for 18 months). Upon returning to the U.S., he worked as a consultant while studying full-time for his MBA at the Yale School of Management. He joined CSDE in 2004.

 

Greg received his M.B.A. from The Yale School of Management, a B.S. in accounting from Bentley College, and is licensed as a CPA in the state of Massachusetts.

Andrew Wiley, Ph.D.

Project Director

Andrew Wiley joined CSDE in 2005. Mr. Wiley received his doctorate in special education at the University of Virginia in 2007. Mr. Wiley has a bachelor's degree and a Master of Teaching degree from the University of Virginia. He has worked as a behavior resource teacher in an intensive center program for elementary students with emotional/behavioral disorders, as an autism resource teacher, and as a behavior specialist in Fairfax County, Virginia. Mr. Wiley has taught graduate courses in behavior management and methods for teaching exceptional children.

Mr. Wiley's research interests include identification of students with emotional/behavioral disorders, systems of behavior management, teaching methods for students with and at risk for emotional/behavioral disorders, and research-to-practice issues.

At CSDE, Mr. Wiley directs research on how students with and at risk for emotional/behavioral disorders differ and progress over time through Project ARCHES. He also assists in other Center activities.

 

CSDE Fellows

Rick J. Brigham, Ph.D.

Rick J. Brigham, Ph.D., is an associate professor of special education at George Mason University.

Paddy C. Favazza, Ed.D.

Paddy C. Favazza, Ed.D., is assistant professor of special education at Rhode Island College.

Steven Forness, Ed.D.

Steven Forness, Ed.D., is professor emeritus in the department of psychiatry and bio-behavioral sciences at UCLA.

Donald MacMillan, Ed.D.

Donald MacMillan, Ed.D., is distinguished professor of special education at the University of California Riverside.

Keith F. Widaman, Ph.D.

Keith F. Widaman, Ph.D., is professor of psychology at the University of Calfornia Davis.