Project Staff
Paul Wehman, Ph.D.
Principal Investigator
Dr. Wehman has directed the VCU-RRTC on Workplace Supports for 25 years and has been part of a group of professionals, advocates, and consumers who have pushed hard to improve competitive employment opportunities for disenfranchised persons with severe disabilities. He is currently a Professor of Physical Medicine, Rehabilitation and Special Education at VCU and Chairman of the Division of Research in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation. Most recently, Dr. Wehman co-authored a book on Transition for youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders to be released by Brookes Publishing in the fall of 2008. He has been Editor of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation for 15 years. Dr. Wehman is the parent of two children with disabilities.
John Kregel, Ed.D.
Director of Research & Evaluation
Dr. Kregel is Professor of Special Education at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). Dr. Kregel has been heavily involved in providing technical assistance services to the Faison School for Autism as well as leading the development of a regional program for students with autism spectrum disorders in the Richmond metro area. He has spent the past 18 years conducting demonstration and program evaluation research on supported employment programs across the nation, focusing primarily on consumer choice, quality assurance, and program funding. Dr. Kregel is the former editor for the Journal on Autism.
Jennifer McDonough, M.S., C.R.C.
Program Coordinator
Jennifer Todd McDonough has been a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and working in the field of employment for people with disabilities for over 10 years. She earned her M.S. from the Medical College of Virginia at Virginia Commonwealth University in Rehabilitation Counseling. Ms. McDonough is the Associate Director of Training at the VCU Rehabilitation Research and Training. She is also the Project Coordinator for the Vocational Rehabilitation Service Models for Individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders DRRP. Additionally, Ms. McDonough provides technical assistance and disseminates resources nationally to individuals interested in pursuing self-employment. Ms. McDonough is a national expert on Social Security Disability Benefits and Work Incentives. Throughout her career with VCU-RRTC, Ms. McDonough has worked directly with individuals with disabilities assisting them in locating employment and determining accommodation needs.
Elizabeth Evans Getzel, M.A.
Research Associate
Ms. Getzel has extensive experience conducting research, evaluation, and training in the areas of transition planning, postsecondary education, and career planning/employment for individuals with autism and other disabilities. She currently directs grant-funded projects focusing on supported education in postsecondary education, career development for college students with ASD and a variety of other disabilities, faculty professional development focusing on universal design principles, and secondary education transition services. She has authored or co-authored journal articles and book chapters on transition, career development, postsecondary education, and employment and is the co-editor of the book Going to College: Expanding Opportunities for People with Disabilities.
Carol Schall, Ph.D.
Research Associate
Dr. Carol Schall is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education and Disability Policy and the Director of the Virginia Autism Resource Center. She has over 20 years experience supporting adolescents and adults with ASD as a teacher, group home supervisor, administrator, and consultant. She was honored by TASH in 2005 with their Positive Approaches Award for exemplary support of people with disabilities through the use of positive behavior support. She has authored multiple articles and book chapters focusing on the needs of young adults with ASD, a new book due to be published by Paul H. Brookes in the fall of 2008 with the working title Growing up with Autism. Her research interests include transition from school to work and adult life, psychotropic medication management and monitoring for individuals with ASD, and training for parents and professionals serving individuals with ASD.
Tony Gentry, Ph.D., OTR/L
Research Associate
Dr. Gentry is an assistant professor in the occupational therapy department at Virginia Commonwealth University. He received his BA in History and Literature from Harvard University, his MA in occupational therapy from New York University and his PhD in instructional technology from the University of Virginia. Dr. Gentrys career has focused on neurological rehabilitation and assistive technology for people with autism spectrum disorders and other disabilities. Over the past six years, he has conducted a series of funded community-based research projects focused on exploring the efficacy of portable computers as cognitive aids for individuals who have autism, brain injury or multiple sclerosis. Dr. Gentry has published and spoken nationally and internationally within the disability community.
Teri Blankenship, M.Ed.
Distance Education Coordinator
Ms. Blankenship holds a M.Ed. in Human Resource Development with a concentration in Technology. She is Assistant Director of Instructional Technology at the VCU-RRTC and has worked in the field of disabilities services for over thirteen years and worked in Instructional Technology for eleven years. She has extensive experience in Web site development and management; database management and design, file structure for web site; creating HTML documents and images, streaming media, and performing online evaluation surveys and needs assessments.
