ADSC 2026 Speakers List

Megan Henly has over 20 years of experience in survey production and quantitative research. Her work examines how people with disabilities compare to others with respect to health and well-being, economic security, and community participation.

Andrew Houtenville is extensively involved in disability statistics and employment policy research. He has published widely in the areas of disability statistics and the economic status of people with disabilities. In 2024, he became the Director of the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire (IOD/UNH). In addition, he is the Principal Investigator on the NIDILRR-funded Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Disability Statistics and Demographics (StatsRRTC).

Nate Thomas came to the Institute on Disability with a diverse career and a passion for learning. As a Research Data Scientist, he supports novel demographic research as a technical resource - focusing on developing scalable and supportable solutions to research and information outreach initiatives. He received an MS in Business Analytics in 2022 from UNH's Paul College and a BS in Chemical Engineering from UNH's College of Engineering and Physical Sciences in 2012. He worked in the control systems engineering space for 10 years as a programmer and system designer - an experience that informs an information-by-design data philosophy.

Stacia Kingsbury’s background as a direct support professional and her experience administering disability-related Title II and Title XVI programs at the Social Security Administration (SSA) dovetail with her analytical and research design skills, directly supporting her work at the IOD. Stacia provides technical assistance with IOD published statistics. She looks forward to using research-based approaches to improve programs and access for people with disabilities.

Arielle Silverman is the director of research at the American Foundation for the Blind, where she manages AFB’s research portfolio, including studies about technology accessibility, employment, and aging for Americans who are blind or have low vision. Previously, Arielle has worked as an independent disabilities research and training consultant, as a technical writer for the National Rehabilitation Information Center, and as a research scientist for the University of Washington Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Her strongest research interests include disability identity, employment barriers, ableism reduction, and neurodiversity. Arielle received her doctorate in social psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2014.

Sarahelizabeth Baguhn is a Research Specialist for the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB), where she studies the interactions between blindness and various aspects of American life. Her research includes studies such as Barriers to Digital Inclusion and the ongoing work addressing intersections between Artificial Intelligence and disability. Baguhn supports AFB's Statistical Snapshots, where you can find data and insights on blindness and visual impairment.

Michael Gamel-McCormick is the senior domestic policy advisor to Senator Jeanne Shaheen, senior Senator from New Hampshire. Prior to joining Sen. Shaheen’s office, he worked as the disability policy director for Senator Bob Casey for eight years and Senator Tom Harkin for five years. His specialty is federal disability policy, as well as health care, education, and employment policy.

Hyun Ju Kim is a Project Director III at UNH’s Institute on Disability (IOD) whose research interests include quantitatively evaluating Social Security disability programs with a focus on economic mobility and financial security for vulnerable populations by race/ethnicity, gender, and immigrant status. When she joined IOD as a Post-Doctoral Research Associate in 2022, she analyzed the impact of Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) on poverty during economic shocks, comparing the Great Recession and the COVID pandemic recession.

Marisa Shenk is a researcher focused on policies and programs to support the employment and well-being of people with disabilities, families with low incomes, and older adults. She has more than 12 years of experience conducting quantitative and qualitative research, including nearly a decade of evaluating programs for people with developmental disabilities and four years leading analyses of barriers and facilitators to employment for autistic youth.

Xueting Sun is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. She received her Ph.D. in Economics from the University of New Hampshire in 2024. Her research primarily focuses on disability policy and the employment of people with disabilities. Through her work at the Institute, she aims to enhance employment opportunities for people with disabilities and deepen our understanding of their experiences

Kaitlin Bagley is the Senior Program Manager for MCH Engagement at The Association of University Centers on Disability (AUCD). In her role, Kaitlin supports one of AUCD's two technical assistance centers. Prior to joining AUCD, Kaitlin was a public health analyst with the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB). While with MCHB, Kaitlin served as a project officer for the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program and the Leadership Education in Adolescent Health (LEAH) program. 

Catherine Ipsen co-directs the NIDILRR funded Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities (RTC:Rural).  She has researched rural disability issues the past 25 years, and uses data from national datasets to describe health, employment, and community living conditions for rural people with disabilities.

Yonatan Ben-Shalom is a principal researcher and project director with more than 16 years of experience designing and leading policy evaluations and statistical studies on employment, disability, and health programs. His research applies quantitative and econometric methods to evaluate early intervention and return-to-work initiatives and to improve the precision of disability-related data. Dr. Ben-Shalom’s research has advanced the understanding of state-level variation in disability program participation, the use of predictive analytics to identify at-risk workers, and the potential of system-level reforms to better align employment and benefit supports.