Cal-TASH 40th Anniversary Conference
Los Angeles March 4-5th 2023

Diane Ryndak, Ph.D., is Professor of Special Education in the Department of Specialized Education Services at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Principal Investigator on an OSEP Leadership Development Grant (Project LEAPS). She had been the Principal Investigator on a sub-contract for The TIES National Technical Assistance Center on Inclusive Practices and Policies, and Co-Principal Investigator on an IES Research Project studying the impact of malleable factors on long-term outcomes for students with significant disabilities. Previously she was a Professor at the University of Florida for 19 years, and Chair of the Department of Specialized Education Services at UNCG. Her work focuses on teacher and doctoral level preparation, with a focus on collaborative teams meeting the complex needs of students with extensive and pervasive support needs (e.g., severe cognitive impairments; autism; multiple disabilities) through the use of evidence-based practices that result in access to grade-level general education curriculum, contexts, instruction, and classmates. Additionally, she works with state departments of education and school districts to facilitate sustainable systemic reform, multi-tiered systems of support, and specially-designed instruction in general education contexts to improve outcomes for all students. She has served multiple terms on the Executive Board for TASH; is on editorial boards for several professional journals; and has completed Fulbright Research related to inclusive education in Poland, where she continues to work with colleagues at universities and in the schools.