Data Ambassadors
Mission
The State of the States in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Ongoing Longitudinal Data Project of National Significance (PNS) is pleased to partner with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) in launching a new State of the States Data Ambassador Program. Our mission is to partner with the AUCD network to establish regional cohorts of UCEDD/LEND Trainees to become Data Ambassadors knowledgeable in administrative and national ID/DD data and data accessibility to advance leadership in policy, education, research, and practice. This five-year program will identify eleven trainees from across the nation annually to participate in national training and state-specific networking opportunities.
See the current cohort of Data Ambassadors below.
Ryan Beaty
Ryan Beaty is a third-year doctoral student at the University of Oklahoma, supported through the Zarrow Institute on Transition & Self-Determination. Before dedicating himself to full-time graduate school, he spent sixteen years as a secondary teacher, dividing his experience between Japan and Oklahoma. Mr. Beaty has a keen interest in policy and advocacy, and he is passionately committed to establishing accessible and inclusive pathways to postsecondary education for individuals with disabilities, particularly for prospective students from underrepresented communities.
Haley Day
Haley Day is a second-year doctoral student in the Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Psychology program at Ohio State University. Haley’s areas of interest include mental health in adults with ID/DD and practices that foster inclusion and accessibility in various settings for individuals with ID/DD. As a State of the States Data Ambassador, Haley is excited to collaborate with other passionate individuals and broaden her understanding of ID/DD data on both a national and regional scale.
Amy Rieser
Amy M. Rieser, MPA, is a Senior Project Coordinator for Community Education and Training at the University of Wyoming - Wyoming Institute for Disabilities (WIND). She holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) through the School of Politics, Public Affairs & International Studies with a graduate certificate in Community and Public Health from the University of Wyoming where she also earned her B.A. in Sociology and Environment and Natural Resources (ENR) and minor in Statistics. She is currently a fellow in the Utah Regional Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities (UR LEND) program.
Jordan Sibayan
Jordan Sibayan is a Colorado native, and an advocate and activist for the Disability Rights Movement. He was diagnosed with Muscular Dystrophy from birth, and has been a wheelchair user most of his life. He has used his unique life experiences and artistic abilities to help in the fight for disability rights. Formerly a member of American Disabled for Attendant Programs Today (ADAPT) from 2016-2022, he participated in direct actions with the goal to save Medicaid, improve access to home and community based services, gain better more reliable public transportation for the disability community, and traveled with others from the Colorado Chapter to DC on a regular bases to meet with legislators. Jordan was responsible for leading meetings with various congress members and senators’ offices regarding their support for legislation. He hopes to build on his previous skills working with legislators locally and in Washington DC to advocate for common sense legislation to help the disability community. "Working with legislators and knowing how to identify who has the power to make the changes you want to see has been enthralling", says Jordan. Currently enrolled in Colorado's JFK Partnership Trainee Program, Jordan hopes this will help him further skills in leadership so he can continue his efforts. Jordan's main goal is to use the skills from this course to work with his partner, Jacqueline, to develop agroup and campaign to work on legislation to help people with disabilities across the United States.
Iris Rivera
Iris Rivera is a social worker passionate about serving children since 2014. She completed a Graduate Certificate in Developmental Deficiencies and Early Childhood from Puerto Rico’s UCEDD. Iris worked at the Puerto Rico Autism Center as a service coordinator. She is a passionate scholar acquiring certifications in Positive Discipline, Child-Centered Play Therapy, and Yoga for Children. Additionally, she was part of the Puerto Rico UCEDD as coordinator of the psychosocial component. Currently, she is completing her clinical psychology doctoral internship in Puerto Rico’s UCEDD and is an IOWA LEND trainee completing her RBT Certification. Iris recognizes the need for quality services that support a successful transition to adult life.
Rebecca Townsend
Rebecca Townsend, MME, MT-BC is a doctoral student in Special Education at the University of Kansas and a University Centers for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD) trainee at the Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities (KUCDD). Her professional experiences as a Board-Certified Music Therapist and clinical supervisor have shaped her focus and informed her work as related to strengths-based and inclusive practices for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities across contexts. Her research interests also include promoting self-determination of clinicians (e.g. teachers, related service providers) in education, clinical training, and professional development contexts and inclusive music education.
Ethan Yoo
Ethan Yoo (he/him) is a Master of Information student at Rutgers University. He graduated from Swarthmore College as a special major in political science and educational studies; during his AmeriCorps VISTA service year at Norwescap, he earned a second bachelor's degree in computer science from Thomas Edison State University. Ethan is a second-year NJLEND fellow at The Boggs Center on Developmental Disabilities and a graduate fellow at the Eagleton Institute of Politics. He has also worked as a data science graduate specialist at Rutgers University Libraries, as a research assistant in two academic units, and as an intern at the Administration for Children and Families.
Alecia Mercier
My name is Alecia Mercier and I am a fourth year student in the Lifespan Developmental Psychology Doctoral Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I am a LEND trainee at the UAB Civitan-Sparks Clinics. I am also working on two graduate certificates in Social and Behavioral Statistics and Public Health. My career and research interests have always focused on promoting the well-being of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Currently, my research is on autism and driving, and measuring emotional well-being in individuals with IDD.
