Think College Staff

Meg’s work focuses on research, policy, and practice in inclusive higher education for people with intellectual disability (ID). She is the principal investigator on multiple federally funded projects focused on transition to college and employment for students with ID. She has co-authored three books, over 30 peer reviewed research articles, and 15 book chapters on college access. In addition to research, Meg has provided professional development to thousands of professionals and families around building expectations and expanding opportunities for students with ID to go to college.

Clare Papay (she/her) is Senior Associate, Inclusive Postsecondary Education, at Think College at the Institute for Community Inclusion, UMass Boston, where she conducts research and provides technical assistance on higher education for students with intellectual disability. Clare is the co-Principal Investigator for the National Coordinating Center for the TPSID model demonstration program and for the Think College Inclusive Higher Education Network: A Technical Assistance and Dissemination Center, both funded by the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Postsecondary Education. She is also co-Principal Investigator for the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) funded project “From College to Career (FCTC): Strengthening Employment Outcomes after Postsecondary Education for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD).” She serves as co-editor for the Journal of Inclusive Postsecondary Education (JIPE) and as a special advisor to the board of the Inclusive Postsecondary Education (IPSE) Association.

Danie is the project coordinator of the Think College National Coordinating Center, a national technical assistance and dissemination center on postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disability. She leads project planning and implementation, including training and resource development. Prior to Think College, Danie worked in leadership roles supporting postsecondary education programs for students with intellectual disability in Florida. She was also the director for a state technical assistance center supporting positive secondary to postsecondary transitions for students with disabilities. Danie’s career has been focused on the development of college and employment opportunities for students with disabilities.

Odgerel (Oge) is a program assistant for the Think College project, a national initiative dedicated to developing, expanding, and improving inclusive higher education options for people with intellectual disability. She has over 15 years of experience in international development, managing education, economic development, poverty alleviation, and post-transition community development areas. Odgerel is passionate about improving the lives of disadvantaged groups, including women, ethnic minorities, migrants, and people with disabilities.

Caitlyn works with the Think College National Coordinating Center’s evaluation team supporting collection and review of TPSID data. She comes to the NCC with diverse experience supporting transition, post-school opportunities and outcomes, and evaluation of postsecondary education programs at the state level. Caitlyn’s additional research interests focus on leveraging technology and Universal Design for Learning to optimize students’ lifelong living, learning, and earning.

Pam works closely with several projects, including the National Coordinating Center, Employment Services, SELN, and Vision Studies. She has experience with multiple database applications, including Quickbase and Filemaker, and online data collection applications such as Qualtrics and Survey Gizmo. As an undergraduate at UMass Boston, Pam was a member of the Golden Key International Honor Society and interned with the Adolescent Acute Residential Treatment program at McLean Hospital. Before joining ICI, Pam managed clinical data for National Institutes of Health-funded clinical trials and longitudinal studies.  

Matthew is a Research Associate II at Think College, working across multiple projects to support inclusive postsecondary education. He contributes to the IPSE team, supporting the National Coordinating Center and the Think College Network while assisting with the Think Data project alongside the MAIPSE team. He holds a PhD in Global Inclusion and Social Development from UMass Boston, where his research focused on the experiences of underrepresented college students. He brings expertise in qualitative research and collaboration within higher education initiatives.

Belkis’ work focuses on special education and transition related research and inclusive employment experiences for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She works with the evaluation team at Think College, focusing on data analysis. Belkis has presented her research over 30 times in international and national conferences, co-authored six peer-reviewed publications, three book chapters, and served as co-PI on university research grants. In addition, Belkis provides transition professional development to school districts and teachers across the country.

Rebecca manages the social media presence for Think College, fields questions from families and program staff, and coordinates publications for the NCC and related projects, including editing and proofreading. Rebecca has over 20 years’ experience as an editor and dissemination expert in the disability field, developing and disseminating information about best practices related to the education, employment, and self-determination of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities to the broader community. Rebecca has coordinated over 60 webinars on a wide variety of topics related to inclusive postsecondary education and keeps the thinkcollege.net website up to date.

Sheila Johnson makes research easy to understand by breaking down complex information into clear, engaging, and practical content. She has developed learning modules, email marketing campaigns, and social media content for three ICI projects: the National Coordinating Center, Employment First Florida, and the State Employment Leadership Network. Before joining the ICI, Sheila taught English and communications courses at several colleges across New England.

Olivia serves as the Digital Content Specialist for Think College, creating and managing digital communications via social media and the Think College website. Prior to her work with Think College, Olivia served in a variety of roles at an independent living-focused post-secondary program in Portland, Maine, and worked in communications for several years at the National Down Syndrome Society.

Chelsea manages technical assistance and related research for Think College. Chelsea has almost a decade of experience in the field of IPSE across several roles- from peer mentor and instructor to program director and faculty member. Chelsea engages in technical assistance and research activities to increase opportunities for college students with intellectual disability across all domains of programming but is specifically interested in building students' agency and wellness.

Mindy Lingo is a training developer for the Think College Inclusive Higher Education Network Project. Prior to coming to the ICI, Mindy was the co-founder and director of an inclusive postsecondary program at the University of Oklahoma, where she also served as the Assistant Director of Postsecondary Education at the Zarrow Institute on Transition and Self-Determination. Mindy has 20 years of experience serving as an educator and advocate for people with disabilities through her roles as transition specialist, board certified behavior analyst, and special education teacher. Mindy lives in Oklahoma City, OK.

Caroline is the Technical Assistance Associate for Think College, where she assists the TA team with programming and training to continue the development of inclusive post-secondary education programs and students. Caroline is a licensed speech therapist and most recently served as a coordinator for an IPSE program at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Her work with IPSE centered around internships, person-centered planning, and community engagement for students and stakeholders.

Russ provides consultation to college programs related to partnering effectively with vocational rehabilitation agencies. He has 30+ years in rehabilitation counseling and held vocational rehabilitation agency positions including executive director and rehabilitation counselor. Russ has been recognized with the 2014 “Ethics in Government” award from The Daniels Fund & University of Utah Eccles School of Business as well as the 2009 Excellence in Rehabilitation Award from the Utah Rehabilitation Association.

Susanna is a program manager for the Think College Inclusive Higher Education Network and a training and technical assistance provider working closely with regional and state alliances and those that are in development. Prior to Think College Susanna led the Georgia Inclusive Postsecondary Education Alliance out of the Center for Leadership in Disability at Georgia State University. Susanna is also the co-founder and was the founding board chair of the Southeast Postsecondary Education Alliance. Her work has been focused on supporting exploration and implementation of inclusive higher education programs in Georgia as well as building state and regional alliances.

Caroline assists with the oversight and management of regional alliances for the Think College Network. Prior to working with Think College, Caroline was the Executive Director of the University of Louisiana Lafayette LIFE Program. She currently contracts with AUCD to support their policy work, specifically on inclusive postsecondary education.