Affiliates
Dr. Laura Rice
Laura A. Rice, PhD, MPT, ATP is an Associate Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health at the University of Illinois and Interim Director of the Master of Public Health and Master of Health Administration Programs. Her research focuses on management of secondary impairments associated with physical disabilities and increasing quality of life and community participation. In addition, Dr. Rice is interested in the development of outcome measures to evaluate functional mobility skills. Dr. Rice also remains active as a Seating and Mobility Specialist.
Dr. Mariana Kersh
Mariana Kersh is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Science and Engineering and Health Innovation Professor of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also serves as the Integrative Imaging Theme Co-Chair at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. She directs the Tissue Biomechanics Laboratory - an interdisciplinary lab that aims to understand the structure-function relationships in orthopedic tissues.
Her research focuses on the use of experimental methods to evaluate mechanical and structural properties of bone, cartilage, and connective tissues, such as ligaments and tendon. In addition to investigating the mechanics of these tissues, this data is used in finite element simulations under physiological loads to evaluate intervention techniques and develop novel hypotheses of tissue structure-function relationships.
Dr. Suguna Pappu
Dr Pappu is a Neurosurgeon at Carle Hospital and Clinical Assistant Professor at the Carle Illinois College of Medicine, at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. She has gained her BS (Miami University), PhD (MIT) and MD (Yale University).
She is Board Certified (American Board of Neurological Surgery), a Fellow of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons and a member of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Dr. Emily Tarconish
Dr. Emily Tarconish is a Teaching Assistant Professor in Special Education at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests include the experiences of disabled postsecondary students, staff and faculty. She also develops and examines the effectiveness of practices for disability resources professionals and disability awareness and inclusive teaching practices for postsecondary faculty. As a disabled faculty member, Emily situates her work within critical disability theory and seeks to investigate the diverse ways ableism can manifest in academic settings. Her previous experience includes working as a vocational rehabilitation counselor for the Pennsylvania Office of Vocational Rehabilitation, and director of Student Accessibility Services at Clark University.
Dr. Soyoung Choi
Professor Choi is a registered professional nurse and accessibility expert pioneering innovative healthcare solutions at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. As the director of the Accessible Healthcare Lab in the Department of Health and Kinesiology and faculty affiliate at both the Beckman Institute and Illinois Informatics Institute, she leads cutting-edge research in developing inclusive healthcare technologies for blind and low-vision individuals. Dr. Choi combines her three years of clinical nursing experience in Intensive Care Unit with a decade of specialized academic training to advance healthcare accessibility through universal design principles. Her current research focuses on adaptive health information systems and inclusive mobile health technologies, while she shapes the next generation of healthcare professionals as an instructor of Health Assessment for pre-medical, nursing, and rehabilitation students. In collaboration with diverse experts, she has spent years advancing interdisciplinary research that promotes healthy aging and independent living through accessible healthcare systems.
Dr. JooYoung Seo
JooYoung Seo is an assistant professor in the School of Information Sciences, where he directs (x)Ability Design Lab. As an information and learning scientist, his research bridges the gap between learnability and usability to enhance accessibility. His research topics broadly cover accessible computing, inclusive data science, and equitable healthcare technologies, with a particular focus on making computational literacy more accessible to people with disabilities through multimodal data representation.
Dr. Matt Hanks
Dr. Hanks, with his extensive education and training in kinesiology, biomechanics, and adapted sports medicine, leads research at the Disability and Movement Biomechanics Laboratory. His work focuses on understanding the impact of physical activity on shoulder musculoskeletal health and function in manual wheelchair users and wheelchair athletes. Additionally, he investigates upper extremity biomechanics in both adapted and traditional overhead sports, and studies the movement patterns of individuals with various mobility impairments due to aging and disability. He earned his B.S. in Athletic Training from the University of Michigan, followed by an M.Ed. in Exercise Science and a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Auburn University. He completed his postdoctoral training at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. As a Certified Athletic Trainer, he has extensive sports medicine experience with youth, collegiate, and Paralympic athletes.
Dr. Joey Peters
Joseph Peters completed his PhD in Kinesiology in 2022 from the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign from the College of Applied Health Sciences. His research focuses on assistive technology and exercise for improving the quality of life and health of people with disabilities. He was the first Post-Doctoral researcher to work at the (dis)Ability Design Studio (2022-2023).
He is currently a first year medical student at Kansas City University.
Dr. Julian Malins
Julian holds a PhD from Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen and has been in academia since 1993. He has been a Principle Investigator for a number of large-scale projects including working on the development of a virtual learning environment to support creative subjects. He spent four years as the Director for the Centre of Design and Innovation based in Aberdeen (Scotland). More recently, he was the UK PI for an EU project entitled ConCePT, which developed a new online platform to support professional product designers. Between these larger-scale projects he worked on smaller, funded projects looking at wearables for health/well-being, accessible interfaces for dyslexia, and the value of design in architecture. He is the Director of Research and Enterprise for the school, was promoted to Professor in 2022, and is now serving as the school’s Acting Executive Dean.
Dr. Julie Ross
Dr Ross is Lecturer within Education, Teaching and Leadership at Moray House School of Education & Sport, the University of Edinburgh. Her wide range of experience reflects her interests in advocacy for inclusion and social justice in education. She has worked as a dyslexia and neurodiversity specialist with children and adults as a specific learning differences tutor and specialist in Higher Education.
She is particularly interested in neurodiversity, creativity and creative problem solving; design thinking approaches and visual methods in teaching and research; positive dyslexia; understanding intersectionality in relation to neurodiversity; and the benefits of specialist one to one tuition for dyslexia and co-occurring specific learning differences.
Dr. Ross's profile
Jim Kendall
Accomplished designer creating global product platforms in consumer and medical markets through visual design/experience languages for high volume manufacturing needs while balancing functional constraints and cost. Industrial design educator who teaches and creates curriculum. Background includes close collaboration with teams of cross-functional disciplines to create intellectual property, ergonomically sensitive user controls and display, and precise, complex assemblies – all in aesthetically pleasing solutions. Other techniques uncovered unmet user needs through variety of design thinking tools, scenario planning, prototyping, and user ethnographic and consumer research.
Dr. Ian Rice
With a focus on maximizing participation and QOL in manual wheelchair users, his research interests include the investigation of strategies to mitigate and prevent disability specific secondary health complications. With foundations in occupational therapy, biomechanics, and rehabilitation science, his research specifically targets wheelchair propulsion and configuration, transferring, and adapted sports while considering the influence of personal factors and the ambient conditions in which these activities are performed.
His teaching interests include graduate and undergraduate courses in human movement biomechanics, assistive technology & disability studies. Dr. Rice is also a two-time Paralympian in the sport of wheelchair racing (2000 Sydney, 2004 Athens) and has competed in over 50 marathons across the world.
Lindy (Malinda) Carlisle
Beckman Institute’s New Media design specialist
Queen of visual craft
Lindy Carlisle designs graphics for digital ads, web interfaces, and digital signs. She develops and manages Beckman's network of digital signs that feature directories, wayfinding maps, event listings, and rotating menu boards. She also creates and styles websites, and makes sure all of Beckman's visual designs fit with campus brand standards.
Oscar
Feline Support
Head of Public Relations
Oscar originates from Michigan and has established himself in the Illinois.
Shlomo
Feline Support
Vocal Coach
Shlomo originates from Kentucky and is enjoying life in Urbana Champaign.
Bill
Professorial Assistant to Dr. Julian Malins.