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Meet Our Team
Emily Shea Tanis
Ph.D., Principal Investigator, Associate Research Professor
Emily Shea Tanis, PhD, is currently an Associate Research Professor at the Kansas University Center in Developmental Disabilities, Life Span Institute, University of Kansas. She has published articles and investigated the definition of intellectual disability, the measurement of adaptive behavior and support need, the construct of self-determination, federally funded supports and services for people with IDD and their families, and self-directed employment strategies. She is nationally recognized for her expertise in applied technology solutions, Technology First Systems Change, cognitive accessibility, and advancing the rights of people with cognitive disabilities to technology and information access.
She also serves as PI for the State of the States in Developmental Disabilities Longitudinal Data Project of National Significance funded by the Administration for Community Living, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. For over 40 years, the project has investigated determinants of public spending for Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services and Supports in the United States. Dr. Tanis has been a co-author on The State of the States in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Monograph since 2011. She is the sibling of a man with a traumatic brain injury and is past chair of the National Sibling Leadership Network and co-founder of the Colorado Sibling Leadership Network Chapter. She received her PhD from the University of Kansas, Department of Special Education and BA from Brown University in Psychology.
Ski Adams
Assistant Researcher
Ski Adams has been a disability advocate for over twenty-four years. Some advocacy activities that he’s been involved in include passages on the Kansas Employment First Law and serving on a five-year core grant review team.
Johnny Hsiang-Yu Chien,
Ph.D., Postdoctoral Fellow
Dr. Johnny Hsiang-Yu Chien is a dedicated postdoctoral research fellow at the Kansas University Center in Developmental Disabilities (KUCDD), part of the Life Span Institute at the University of Kansas. His responsibilities encompass a wide range of tasks, including data cleaning and validation, statistical modeling, research design consultation, contributing to grant proposals, and authoring research papers. He plays a pivotal role in the State of the States project, where he contributes to ongoing methodological work.
Dr. Chien’s research interests lie in the fields of exploratory statistical methods and online learning. In terms of methodology, he is keen on advancing exploratory analysis techniques such as Exploratory Structural Equation Modeling (ESEM) and Machine Learning. In the realm of educational psychology, his focus is on online learning, with a particular emphasis on assessing online learners’ readiness and identifying at-risk factors in online learning environments.
Dr. Chien earned his PhD in Educational Psychology from Texas A&M University in 2023.
Kaley Day
Project Coordinator
Kaley Day serves as the Project Coordinator and State Partnership Lead for Technology First Systems Change initiatives with the States of the States in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. She brings a deep commitment to improving access to innovative, effective, and inclusive disability supports and services, and elevating the voices and expertise of people with lived experience in systems change efforts. Kaley graduated from the University of Denver in 2012 with her bachelor’s degree in Strategic Communications. She spent 13 years with AdvocacyDenver, the Denver county chapter of The Arc, serving as Coordinator for Communications and Grant Development and as an Advocate for Adults, assisting individuals with IDD and their families in navigating daily life, home- and community- based services, and the criminal legal system. Kaley has a sibling with developmental disabilities and complex medical needs, and is a founding member of Rocky Mountain Sibs, the Colorado chapter of the Sibling Leadership Network.
Gloria Gantt
Senior Assistant Researcher
Gloria graduated from the University of Kansas in 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology and minors in Spanish and Social Justice in the U.S. Her involvement in the McNair Scholars program introduced her to research, for which she has maintained a passion for. Her research interests include increasing health data literacy among individuals with I/DD and their caregivers, improving local and state data infrastructures, and helping policymakers and service providers adopt more effective and uniform frameworks. She is currently a first-year candidate in KU's Master of Public Health program.
As the primary liaison for the project's longitudinal data collection, Gloria collaborates with state officials across all 50 states and D.C. to gather Medicaid expenditure data, ensuring accuracy, comparability, and integrity through the project’s methodology. She designs Excel workbooks, trains data contacts, and manages data from collection to visualization. She assists in translating data into accessible visualizations and presentations for diverse audiences, including policymakers and community stakeholders, and translates products into Spanish (e.g., Data Bites) to broaden reach. Gloria leads the Data Ambassador Program as Community of Practice Project Lead, mentoring graduate students in data literacy, accessibility, research methodology, and knowledge translation through an online platform with training sessions, discussions, and resources.
Dasha Gerasimova
Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor
Thomas Gottstein
Research Project Specialist
Thomas is a Research Project Specialist for Technology First initiatives at the State of the States in I/DD. Thomas received his undergraduate degree from KU in 2018 in Speech-Language-Hearing, and he went on to receive a graduate degree in Speech-Language Pathology from Fort Hays State University in 2020. Thomas has a strong interest in working to improve the lives of those with disabilities across the lifespan.
Austin Myers
Communications Coordinator
Austin graduated from Missouri Western State University in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Digital Animation. He has also served as a freelance artist since 2014, specializing in animation, graphic design, and video editing. Austin started his KU career in 2021 as a Research Aide for the KU Center on Disabilities, before becoming a Communications Specialist in early 2022. He also co-leads the center’s dissemination, plain language, and social media activities.
Drew Rosdahl
Accessibility Media Manager
Drew graduated from the University of Kansas in 2004 with a bachelor’s in History of Art. He has worked at KU Life Span Institute in a variety of roles from research assistant, to communications for 17 years. His current role is Associate Director for Communications and Media Services. He supports research across the Life Span Institute by creating digital and print media, social media, research website for communication and data collection, video and audio projects. Drew has a passion for problem solving communications challenges and learning new media. On the State of the States project, Drew is managing website transition efforts with accessibility first approach, and producing the Black Feathers Podcast.
Hanna Seward, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher
Hannah Seward, PhD, is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Kansas Center on Disabilities. She contributes to several projects, including State of the States, technology access initiatives, and Kansas Employment First. Dr. Seward earned her doctorate in Education Research, Assessment, and Evaluation from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) in 2022. Prior to joining KUCD, she completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the Implementation Science & Practice Advances Research Center (iSPARC) at UMass Chan Medical School. She previously spent ten years at the VCU Rehabilitation Research and Training Center, advancing from administrative assistant to research associate. Her research interests include competitive integrated employment, community inclusion, and knowledge translation for people with disabilities. Her work is grounded in a strong background in sociology, which informs all aspects of her research and practice.
Bao Van
Research Assistant
Bao Van is a dedicated student pursuing a degree in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology with a minor in Healthcare Management at the University of Kansas. With a strong passion for medicine, Bao aspires to become a physician, combining scientific knowledge with compassionate care to improve patient outcomes.
Bao’s academic journey is driven by a deep curiosity about the complexities of human biology and a commitment to understanding the evolving landscape of healthcare. Through coursework and hands-on experiences, Bao is developing a strong foundation in medical sciences, research, and healthcare administration, preparing for the challenges and responsibilities of medical practice.
Beyond academics, Bao is dedicated to continuous learning and professional growth, actively seeking opportunities to engage with healthcare professionals and contribute to the field. With a long-term goal of providing high-quality, patient-centered care, Bao looks forward to making a meaningful impact in medicine.