Building a More Inclusive Campus: Strategies for Higher Education Leaders

Our panel of experts include:

Lillian Nave is a Faculty and Educational Development Specialist at Appalachian State University in Hickory, NC, where she supports the teaching needs of the faculty. She has taught at the State University of New York at Oneonta, and Assumption University in Massachusetts and North Carolina. She is also the creator and host of the Think UDL podcast where she speaks with faculty and innovators around the world who reduce barriers in learning. Most importantly, Lillian is the mother of three college aged students at public and private universities who provide her with valuable inside information on the student experience that continuously informs her teaching.

Dr. Liz Norell serves as Associate Director of Instructional Support in the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) at the University of Mississippi. She has spent more than 20 years teaching in higher education, including stints in composition, journalism, new media, and political science. She completed a PhD in political science at the University of Texas Dallas, along with master’s degrees in journalism from the University of Arkansas and library science from Texas Woman’s University. Liz’s first book, The Present Professor, will be published in December 2024 in the University of Oklahoma Press’s brand-new series, Teaching, Engaging, and Thriving in Higher Ed, co-edited by James Lang and Michelle Miller. The book is aimed at educators who know they want to create meaningful relationships with students but aren’t quite sure how to do that in authentic ways. Liz is passionate about equitable, inclusive teaching, constructive conversations across differences, and fostering meaningful learning. In addition to her work with faculty in CETL, she is also passionate about boosting awareness of disability in higher education. You can find Liz on social media (@liznorell) and at her website, liznorell.com.

Dr. Jennifer Pusateri is the author of Transform Your Teaching with Universal Design for Learning: Six Steps to Jumpstart Your Practice and serves as the Universal Design Consultant for the University of Kentucky’s Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) where she fosters the advancement of accessibility and inclusive teaching practices across campus. Jennifer formerly served as the co-chair of the international UDLHE (UDL in Higher Ed.) Network, and continues to present workshops at international UDL conferences across the U.S. Dr. Pusateri has also been featured as a guest UDL specialist in podcasts such as Think UDL and Teaching in Higher Ed. Jennifer serves as owner and lead presenter for Jennifer Pusateri Educational Consulting (www.JenniferPusateri.com).

Before arriving at the University of Kentucky, Jennifer worked for the Kentucky Department of Education (KDE) where she served as an education consultant and specialist in differentiated learning and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). Jennifer taught Arts & Humanities for grades K-8 at a nationally recognized school for students with specific learning disabilities (SLD) in Louisville, Kentucky. 

Pusateri received her undergraduate degree from Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, Master of Arts in Teaching from the University of the Cumberlands, and her PhD in Education Sciences (focus on Curriculum and Instruction) at the University of Kentucky.

Our Moderator:

Rachel Kruzel, ATP, is the Higher Education Specialist for Texthelp where she supports higher education institutions across the United States and Canada as they explore, adopt, and implement technology based literacy, STEM, and accessibility solutions to help create more inclusive, equitable, and accessible campuses and learning spaces for all students and campus members. She is a RESNA Certified Assistive Technology Professional and spent over ten years working as an Assistive Technology and Accommodations Specialist in Disability Resource Offices prior to coming to Texthelp. During her time in higher ed, she built and developed assistive technology programs at both schools she worked at, as well as coordinated the provision of accommodations. Rachel is a national expert in the areas of assistive technology, digital accessibility, accessible course materials, and accommodation provision around testing and notetaking. Rachel presents both regionally and nationally on these topics and others.