AccessSTEM Leadership

AccessSTEM leaders work to make STEM programs more welcoming and accessible to high school and college students with disabilities; expand the engagement of stakeholders; implement evidence-based practices to increase the number of students with disabilities transitioning to college; and expand an online resource center that shares research and promising practices with others.

AccessSTEM Partner Leaders

Kathy

My name is Kathy Ackerman, and I work with SPS as a transition resource specialist. I help students, families, and teachers with transition planning. My relationships with community agencies are a great help during this process. I also provide training and resources to teachers, and I serve as the liaison between agencies and high schools. I am active on several boards and am the point person for AccessSTEM and the King County School to Work program. I received my bachelor's degree in special education from Illinois State University and my master's degree from City University.

Susan

Hi, my name is Susan Gjolmesli. I am the program director for the Disability Resource Center at BC. I have worked professionally in the field of disability for thirty years. My favorite part of my job is getting to know all of the students in the program. I graduated from Gonzaga University as an education major. My husband Bjorn is from Norway and a member of the Puget Sound Norwegian community. We often travel to Norway to visit family. I also enjoy visiting my son Bryan in Orlando; he is a powerful advocate for elder care in the state of Florida. I enjoy a wide array of friends, gardening, and caring for my seeing eye dog, Inez.

Myrna

Hi, I'm Myrna Muto. I work with SPS. My current position combines my educational experience as a career and technical education (CTE) teacher and school counselor. As a CTE guidance specialist, my responsibilities include oversight of the City Campus program, as well as being the point person for tech prep and special education. As the school counselor and career and college specialist liaison, I work with middle and high school counselors and the district's career and college specialists. Additionally, I participate on several community, business, and SPS boards and committees. I earned my bachelor's degree from UW and my master's degree from Seattle University.

My name is Al Souma, and I'm a rehabilitation counselor. I've been coordinating disability support services since 1991 at SCCC. In the past, I've worked as a rehabilitation counselor at an inpatient psychiatric setting in Madison, Wisconsin and in an outpatient setting in Santa Barbara, California for a total of fourteen years.

Dyane

Hi! My name is Dyane Haynes. I am the director of the Disability Resources for Students office at the UW Seattle. My passion is for the full inclusion of students with disabilities in our campus community. I work with AccessSTEM on recruiting students, providing training and resources to faculty and administrators, developing project newsletters and publications, and promoting universal design.

AccessSTEM Staff Leaders

Sheryl Burgstahler, DO-IT Director

Sheryl

My name is Sheryl Burgstahler, and I am the founder and director of DO-IT, including AccessSTEM. I have a husband, Dave, and a son, Travis, who are both dedicated project volunteers. Dave is a professor at the UW Seattle and Travis just finished his sophomore year at the school; he is currently pursuing engineering and business fields. I have a master's degree in mathematics, with a strength in computer science, and a Ph.D. in higher education. I am the director of the Accessible Technology division at the UW Seattle and an affiliate associate professor in education. DO-IT combines my personal, academic, and professional interests.

Scott

I'm Scott Bellman. I work as a program manager for AccessSTEM. I supervise project staff and help students find challenging internships and jobs throughout the year. I also help collect data, write reports, plan activities, coordinate meetings, supervise the A-Team, and recruit participants. I earned master's degree in 1996 in rehabilitation counseling. I am currently a licensed mental health counselor in Washington State. Outside of work, my interests include performance art, camping and hiking, carpentry, and travel.

Brianna

My name is Brianna Blaser, and I am a counselor/coordinator for AccessSTEM. I plan activities, deliver presentations, and help recruit students and faculty. Originally from the East Coast, I moved to Seattle to attend graduate school at the UW Seattle, where I earned my Ph.D. studying women in science. I like to spend my free time practicing yoga, riding my bike, and watching reality television.

Doug

My name is Doug Hayman. I'm a technology specialist. I deliver presentations at Seattle public schools and share information about accessible technology. When not at work, I play guitar, hike, and hang out with friends.

Tami

Hi! My name is Tami Tidwell. I work as a project coordinator for AccessSTEM. My main role is to liaison with community colleges and help facilitate quality work-based learning experiences for students, such as internships, informational interviews, and job shadows. I enjoy working closely with AccessSTEM participants. I also plan activities for advisors and faculty. I was born and raised in Cowtown (a.k.a. Ft. Worth, TX). I earned my degree in psychology from Texas Christian University.

Terry

My name is Terry Thompson. I am a technology specialist for DO-IT, which includes AccessSTEM. In this position I help to educate K?12 and postsecondary educational institutions, technology vendors, government agencies, and others on how to ensure that technology is accessible to individuals with disabilities. I live in Bellingham and work most of the time from an office at Western Washington University. When I am not working, you can usually find me hiking in the mountains, playing guitar, or spending quality time with my family.

Debra

My name is Debra Zawada. I am a project coordinator for AccessSTEM. I work most closely with Seattle public schools, to help facilitate student involvement in the project and provide training and resources to educators and administrators. My biggest events include Disability Mentoring Day and Transition-to-College Fairs at community colleges. I completed my undergraduate work in special education in Buffalo, N.Y. and my graduate work at the UW Seattle. My background is as a high school teacher and transition counselor for students with disabilities. Outside of work, when not spending time with friends and family, I love to garden and create art using recycled materials.

AccessSTEM Student Leaders

A number of active AccessSTEM participants were formalized into a student advisory and action group called the "A-Team." The A-Team is charged with validating potential activities at partner schools from the perspective of STEM students with disabilities and to help design, schedule, and implement them. A-Team meetings are facilitated by the project PI and project manager. Project staff discuss reports from the A-Team and—based on their consistency with project goals, what is known about evidence-based practices, past experiences in this and earlier projects, and project objectives—some are recommended for consideration by partners.

Some activities of the A-Team include:

Evaluating labs on partner campuses to make accessibility recommendations.
Providing leadership for student contests and events.
Conducting student recruitment in disability services offices at the start of a term.
Provide assistance with partner campus resource dissemination.
Maintain the AccessSTEM Activities and Events website.
Hanging flyers on partner campuses to promote the project.
Contributing content for newsletters and project products.
Sending information about scholarships and internships to AccessSTEM Team members.
Delivering presentations at college classes and campus workshops.
Engaging with career centers to educate them about the AccessSTEM project.
Hosting social events for AccessSTEM Team members.
Providing information to student groups and student-run organizations.