Dr. Wehman has been a Professor of Physical Medicine with joint appointments in the Departments of Rehabilitation Counseling and Special Education / Disability Policy at VCU for over 30 years. He serves as Chairman for the Division of Rehabilitation Research in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and has managed NIDILRR funded RRTCs and DRRPs. He was one of the pioneers in the development of supported employment in the early 1980s and has published over 200 articles and authored/edited 40 books and has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation,(JVR) since 1991. Dr. Wehman has three adult children with disabilities to include congenital heart disease, severe rheumatoid arthritis and ADHD/LD and brings a strong parental perspective to the project. He has been recognized as one of the 50 most influential people in special education for the millennium and on a daily basis works with PWD, communicates regularly with VA DARS and other VR Directors, policy makers, and professionals related to disability and diversity. Dr. Wehman is active in teaching and mentoring undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students.
Jaclyn Camden is a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University and has been supporting individuals with disabilities in a variety of capacities for over 10 years. She has experience with research and demonstration projects that look at planning for and supporting employment for individuals with disabilities in K-12, postsecondary education, and in the community. She serves as the career coordinator for VCU's postsecondary education program for students with I/DD: ACE-IT in College. Ms. Camden is the study lead for Effects of Trained Personnel Providing Employment Supports in Higher Education on the Employment Experiences of College Students with I/DD: A Quasi-Experimental Study.
Stephanie Lau, Ph.D., is a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University with over 10 years of experience in vocational rehabilitation and transition for students with disabilities. She has experience conducting and coordinating research and demonstration projects focused on supporting employment for individuals with disabilities in K-12, postsecondary education, and in the community. Dr. Lau is the study lead for Effects of Knowledge Translation Methods on VR Counselors Providing Pre-ETS to Youth with Significant Disabilities 14-16 Years of Age: A Pilot RCT, and Project Co-Coordinator of the VCU-RRTC on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities.
Kelly Ligon has been a Virginia Commonwealth University faculty member since 2000. She has provided training and technical assistance, scholarship, research, and demonstration in the field of special education at the local, state and national level. Since 2014, she has had primary responsibility for designing and implementing the Start on Success (SOS) program in Virginia, and providing training and technical assistance to ensure program sustainability and expansion of SOS within school divisions across the state. She co authored a replication guide for SOS that can be used by school divisions interested in starting this school-to-work program. Kelly is the study lead for Effects of Paid Internships on Competitive Integrated Employment/Postsecondary Education Outcomes for At-Risk YWD Earning a Regular Diploma: A Randomized Control Trial.
Susan McKelvey, Ph.D., has over 20 years of quantitative and qualitative experience in developing, implementing, and carrying out research and evaluation plans from the grant-writing phase through the final reporting. She has experience conducting research with students with and without disabilities in K-12 settings; learners in the corporate world, community colleges, and universities; conducting needs assessments; and developing assessment systems. Dr. McKelvey is the Director of Research and Evaluation of the VCU-RRTC on Employment of Transition-Age Youth with Disabilities.
Shannon McManus Jones has been a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University for 20 years. She has extensive experience in the development and design of accessible online courses, information, and publications. Ms. Jones is responsible for assisting in the development and implementation of all products including designing accessible web based materials, videos, and the online course.
Carolyn Cage is a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University. She began her encore career at VCU in 2019 after serving 36 and a half years with Norfolk Public Schools as a classroom teacher, department chair, district transition specialist, and senior coordinator for secondary transition. She is credited with developing innovative programs and services to facilitate and implement transition planning for students with disabilities like "Project Search" and "Start on Success". Currently, she is research staff on Effects of Knowledge Translation Methods on Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors Providing Pre-ETS to Youth with Significant Disabilities 14-16 years of age.