Schuyler Beecher, Ph.D., graduated from Texas Woman’s University with her PhD in special education in 2023. She currently is in special education administrator in a local school district in the DFW metroplex. Schuyler adjunct teaches at several universities in DFW. Her research interests are teacher education and professional development, social emotional learning for educators, and technology-based learning for educators. Schuyler serves on the Board of Trustees for CLD as a co-chair for the Technology Committee. She also serves as the secretary of the Texas CLD chapter.

Jenna Gersib Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. Presently, her research focuses on early STEM interventions for students with and at risk of disabilities. Such work includes Precision Mathematics, a Tier 2 intervention for students with intersecting mathematics needs and language needs and Scientific Explorers, a Tier 1 science program focused on providing evidence-based science practices that meet the range of learners in K-2 classrooms.

Qingli Lei, Ph.D., is a Bridge to Faculty Fellow in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois, Chicago. She earned her Ph.D. in Educational Studies from Purdue University, with a focus on special education. Dr. Lei coordinated a multi-year model-based mathematics problem-solving program funded by the National Science Foundation. Her research interests include developing effective mathematics interventions for students with disabilities, analyzing teacher-student discourse to empower mathematics reasoning and problem-solving skills, and exploring cognitive and non-cognitive factors that influence mathematics learning. 

Karen Omohundro is an OSEP scholar and doctoral candidate in Special Education at George Mason University with a dedicated focus on improving literacy outcomes for adolescents with reading difficulties and disabilities. Drawing on her extensive teaching experience in justice settings, her research centers on advancing equitable literacy instruction through the application and adaptation of evidence-based strategies and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), tailored to the unique challenges of these and other alternative educational settings. 

Josh Otarola is a doctoral candidate at the University of Maryland, College Park, where he is pursuing a Ph.D. in Special Education. He and his advisor, Dr. Susan De La Paz, recently concluded a three-year research practice partnership focusing on historical thinking, reading, and writing. His research interests include disciplinary discourse, argumentative writing, and the transfer of disciplinary discourse to argumentative writing. Prior to pursuing his doctoral degree, Josh was a middle school special education and social studies teacher for eight years in Prince George’s County Public Schools and District of Columbia Public Schools. He obtained an M.A. in Special Education and Leadership in Teaching from Notre Dame of Maryland University and a B.A. in Political Science from UNC Chapel Hill. Josh enjoys travelling, reading, and playing soccer in his spare time.

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