Dr. Allison Lombardi

Associate Professor, Department of Educational Psychology, University of Connecticut

Email: allison.lombardi@uconn.edu

Dr. Allison Lombardi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Psychology. She is also a Research Associate in the Center on Postsecondary Education and Disability and a Research Scientist in the Center for Behavioral Education and Research. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in the Special Education Program.

Dr. Lombardi studies the transition from adolescence to adulthood, with a particular focus on college and career readiness (CCR) and higher education experiences of underrepresented groups, including students with disabilities. Dr. Lombardi currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Diversity in Higher Education, Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, Teaching Exceptional Children, and the Journal on Postsecondary Education and Disability.

Before joining the faculty at the University of Connecticut, Dr. Lombardi was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Oregon's College of Education. She earned her doctorate from the University of Oregon in Special Education, and she holds an MA in Education and BA in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley.

Lombardi was awarded a $1.4 million grant from the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) to research college and career readiness and transition. LEARN MORE

 

Shea Charles

Email: shea.charles@uconn.edu

Shea Charles, M.A. is a PhD. student in the Educational Psychology department with a concentration in Special Education at the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education. Her research focuses on post-secondary career transitions for STEM students with disabilities and supporting learning for student-athletes with disabilities. Shea currently works as the graduate project manager for the NSF TAPDINTO STEM program at UConn. She received her B.A. in Ethnic Studies from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and her M.A. in Geography at UConn, along with graduate certificates in Healthcare Innovation and Postsecondary Disabilities Services.

 

Shannon Langdon

Email: shannon.langdon@uconn.edu

Shannon Langdon, MEd, CRC is a second-year doctoral student in Special Education at the University of Connecticut's Neag School of Education. She is working with both Dr. Joseph Madaus and Dr. Allison Lombardi. Shannon is a project LINC fellow and a former long-term LEND trainee. Her current research interests include the impact of interagency collaboration on post-school outcomes for students with disabilities, including how we can improve interagency collaboration between school districts and state vocational rehabilitation agencies. Shannon’s previous experience includes working with transition age youth as a vocational rehabilitation intern to obtain work experience and employment as well as to enter college. Shannon also has experience working as a transition specialist where she worked with transition age youth to develop independent living skills as well as obtain employment or enter college. She also has experience supporting individuals with disabilities obtain and maintain employment.

 

Christopher Esposito

Email: christopher.m.esposito@uconn.edu

Christopher Esposito is a full-time doctoral student in the Educational Psychology program with a concentration in Special Education. He works as a Graduate Assistant for two projects: College and Career Readiness for Transition (CCR4T) and Project 2e-ASD. He previously worked in the field of college access and advising for three years, as well as the field of ASD research for four years. He received his MA in Higher Education and Student Affairs from New York University and his BS in Psychology from Stony Brook University.