Project Staff

Cheryl M. Jorgensen, Ph.D., serves as Project Director. She is currently Co-Director of the Equity and Excellence in Higher Education Project for the Institute on Disability and faculty member in UNH's Inclusion Facilitator Teacher Education Program, and the Ph.D. option focusing on Autism Spectrum Disorders. As Coordinator of the OSERS Restructuring and Inclusion Project (1992-1996) she co-created (with Onosko, 1997) a model of instructional design and supports for students with significant disabilities that is cited regularly in the professional literature as a "best practice." She was the Coordinator of the I.N.S.T.E.P.P. project (1989-1992), co-Coordinator of New Hampshire's second severe disabilities systems change project (1994-1999), chaired a recent committee to rewrite New Hampshire's Special Education Teacher Certification Standards; and serves on New Hampshire's Statewide Alternate Assessment Task Force. She has written two books, numerous book chapters, policy briefs, and journal articles relating to curriculum and instructional design and supports.

Cheryl M. Jorgensen, Ph.D.
Project Director
Assistant Research Professor
Telephone: 603-862-4678
cherylj@cisunix.unh.edu

Michael McSheehan, serves as a Project Associate. Mr. McSheehan is a graduate of UNH's Communication Disorders program and attended Syracuse University's graduate program in communication disorders. He has an international reputation as a professional development provider specializing in promoting the inclusion of students with significant disabilities into general education classrooms. He is a past Chair of the TASH Education Committee, a clinical faculty member with UNH's School of Health and Human Services, co-coordinator and faculty member of New Hampshire's annual Summer Institute on Autism, and a private consultant supporting families and schools throughout New England. One of his strongest areas of expertise is in the alignment of professional development for staff with student learning results - a "best practice" as recognized by the National Staff Development Council. He has authored several articles describing how AAC systems can be designed to foster engagement in the classroom and encourage academic success.

Michael McSheehan
Project Associate
Clinical Faculty
Telephone: 603-862-2144
mcms@unh.edu

Rae M. Sonnenmeier, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, serves as a Project Associate. Dr. Sonnenmeier is a Research Assistant Professor with the Institute on Disability, faculty member in UNH's Communication Sciences and Disorders Department, Training Director of the NH LEND Program funded through the Material and Child Health Bureau, clinical faculty with the Seacoast Child Development Clinic, faculty in UNH's Inclusion Facilitator Teacher Education Program, and co-coordinator and faculty member of NH's Annual Autism Summer Institute. Dr. Sonnenmeier is an internationally recognized expert in the design of AAC systems for students with significant disabilities, including those with the label of autism. She has authored numerous publications describing how AAC systems can be designed to foster engagement in the classroom and encourage social relationships. She regularly provides student-specific technical assistance in schools to build their capacity around AAC supports.

Rae M. Sonnenmeier, Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Project Associate
Assistant Clinical Professor
Telephone: 603-862-1860
raes@cisunix.unh.edu

Nancy Cicolini, serves as Project Assistant and brings to the job 10 years experience in office support, event coordination, desktop publishing, communications, and budget management. She worked for several years as a paraprofessional in schools supporting children with disabilities in a technology center. Ms. Cicolini currently manages the IOD's publication dissemination efforts.

Nancy Cicolini
Project Assistant
Telephone: 603-862-4117