Alumni
Our graduates are finding careers ranging from academic appointments in the burgeoning field of Disability Studies (3 tenure track positions), to leadership positions in social service and government agencies (Policy Analyst, AUCD; Assistant Vice President for Development, Easter Seals), to advocacy positions internationally (Development Manager, International Paralympic Committee).
Joe Caldwell
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Joe Caldwell finished his doctoral degree in UIC Disability Studies program in 2005. He is currently a Policy Analyst with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) and Adjunct Assistant Research Professor with the Department of Disability and Human Development. Joe's research has primarily focused on consumer-directed supports, aging caregivers, and family support policy. Read more |
Cathy Ficker-Terrill
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Cathy Ficker-Terrill graduated from the Masters program in Disability and Human Development at the Department of Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago. She is President and CEO of the Ray Graham Association for People with Disabilities and past President of the American Association on Mental Retardation. Other accolades include a leading position in the President's Committee for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities and past Executive Director of the Illinois Planning Council on Developmental Disabilities. She also serves as a member of the IDHD advisory board. Read more |
John Kramer
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John Kramer earned his PhD in Disability Studies while working in the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Aging with Developmental Disabilities at the University of Illinois at Chicago. His dissertation was on the mutual support roles between siblings and people with disabilities. John is currently working as a research associate at the Institute for Community Inclusion at the University of Massachusetts Boston on a variety of studies related to employment of people with disabilities. John also has ongoing leadership position in the Sibling Leadership Network. Read more |
Andrea Dinaro
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The knowledge and skills I gained in the Disability and Human Development (DHD) program at UIC significantly enhanced my role as an educator and instilled a desire to mentor professionals. I can say with confidence that I am a better teacher, ally for, and advocate with my students and am more informed as a team member. The program provided vital experience in problematizing how we have been conditioned to understand disability and how we can merge theory and practice for vital social change. I received innovative and extensive instruction in disability history, culture, technology, policy, theory, collaboration, research, and leadership. The professors are experts and leaders in the field, yet easily accessible outside the classroom. Read more |
Amy Farakas
Thanks to the perspective and knowledge gained from the Disability Studies program at UIC, I have been able to develop a career internationally and in multiple areas. My initial interests were with physical activity and disability research but have steadily expanded into broader issues. Read more
