Meet Brian Bryant Leadership Academy 13 2024

The Brian R. Bryant Leadership Academy 13 was announced at the 46th International Council for Learning Disabilities conference in Charlotte, NC. The Leadership Academy is now named for Brian R. Bryant who was CLD President from 1995-1996. He served as co-editor-in-chief with his wife Diane P. Bryant for our CLD journal, Learning Disability Quarterly for 9 years. He was a research professor at The Meadows Center for Preventing Educational Risk and taught special education courses in the department of special education at The University of Texas. His many contributions to the disability field have been well recognized, yet it is his dedication to developing new leaders in the field for which we are honoring him. He was there when the Council for Learning Disabilities began and felt that the association stood apart from others for our journals, fiscal responsibility in always having a prudent reserve, and the conference that is small enough to build lasting relationships and develop new leaders in the field.

This newest academy of future leaders in the field of learning disabilities and within the Council for Learning Disabilities have each been assigned a mentor to work with them throughout the year. In their second year of the Leadership Academy, they will work together on a project. The following are the members of the Brian Bryant Leadership Academy 13:  

Lola Aneke, a dedicated advocate and Ph.D. student in Special Education at the University of North Texas (UNT), leads initiatives globally. As Founder/CEO of the Comprehensive Autism and related Disabilities Education and Training (C.A.D.E.T.) Academy in Nigeria, she’s at the forefront of inclusive education. A consultant for UNICEF and Mott MacDonald, Lola’s impact transcends borders. She has organized the annual Global Inclusive Education Virtual Summer Camp in Nigeria since 2020, and addresses conferences worldwide. She also lectures as a guest lecturer to university students at UNT.

Roba Hrisseh, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Towson University. She earned her doctorate from George Mason University as an Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) scholar. Before pursuing her doctoral studies, Dr. Hrisseh’s career focused on implementation of assistive and educational technology for individuals with disabilities in K12. Dr. Hrisseh’s research interests center on assistive technology, educational technology, accessibility, UDL, computer science instruction for students with disabilities, and single-case design research methodology.

Joo Young Lee, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of special education at the University of Maine. Her research focuses on mathematics interventions for students with learning disabilities, with a specific emphasis on mathematical language development. Her recent work investigates how students’ written communication for mathematical reasoning can be effectively facilitated through self-regulated strategy development and assessed to make informed instructional decisions. Prior to her current position, she earned her Ph.D. from the Pennsylvania State University and served as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Maine. 

Catharine Lory, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Early Childhood, Multilingual, and Special Education at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Her scholarship focuses on (1) addressing the needs of individuals with autism and developmental disabilities through identifying and developing effective assessments and interventions, and (2) promoting equitable access to high quality education and services by partnering with and empowering communities to engage in inclusive practices. She currently serves as a co-chair on CLD’s Membership Committee.

Kimberly McFadden is a doctoral student in Special Education at Lehigh University. Her research focuses on reading interventions for secondary students, with particular emphasis on word reading interventions. Before beginning her program at Lehigh, Kimberly was a special education teacher in grades 6-12, in both public and private school settings. She earned a B.S. in Middle Level and Special Education as well as an M.Ed. in Reading with reading specialist certification at East Stroudsburg University.

Reagan L. Mergen, Ph.D., is a Research Associate in the Educational Psychology Department at University of Minnesota. She has over 15 years of experience as an educator in a variety of settings including K-12 public schools and institutions of higher education. Reagan’s research interests include educational technology and evidence-based practices to promote learner agency and outcomes in mathematics and literacy interventions, and preparing teachers to educate all learners through universally designed and culturally responsive practices. Reagan is a member of several professional organizations and is the co-editor of the New Times for DLD, a publication of the Division for Learning Disabilities (DLD) of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC). She also served as President of the PhD in Education Student Organization (PESO) at George Mason University.

Marilyn Roberts is a Ph.D. candidate in the College of Professional Education, Special Education department. A dedicated special educator, my research interests are culturally responsive instructional practices that promote equitable and inclusive learning environments for students with disabilities. Currently, I serve as a Special Education Instructional Coach in a large, urban school district, an Adjunct Clinical Field Supervisor at Texas Woman’s University and as an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Special Education. I am committed to contributing to the development of pre-service teachers and to providing professional development and instructional coaching for classroom teachers and administrators who are responsible for educating the growing body of diverse learners, especially those with disabilities.

For more information about the Leadership Institute, click here.

For more information about the Leadership Academy, click here.