Susan Russell

Susan Russell has been affiliated with the NH-ME LEND program since 2011, first as a LEND trainee in Disability Studies from 2011-2012 and then in her current role as the Maine Interdisciplinary Training Coordinator. Sue has been instrumental in the development and implementation of the LEND program in Maine.  She has developed collaborative relationships with key stakeholder groups and established leadership and clinical partnerships with programs in Maine for trainee field placements.  Sue is an active member of the NH-ME LEND management team and has engaged in numerous program improvement activities, including the application of video-conferencing between the University of New Hampshire and University of Maine, Orono for the LEND didactic sessions, the implementation of team-based learning methods, engagement of the trainees in policy analysis and development of a policy brief, and the integration of diverse perspectives throughout the curriculum. 

Sue has served as the Associate Director of the University of the Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies since 2011.  Since that time she has worked on expanding her leadership skills in the field of developmental disabilities, including participation in the UCEDD Leadership Development Institute in 2013 sponsored by the National Leadership Consortium on Developmental Disabilities.  Sue’s research interests include family policies impacting the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families and academic outcomes for children with disabilities. Sue received her B.S. in Human Development and Family Relations in 1997 and her M.S. in Accounting in 2004, both from the University of Maine, Orono. She is currently enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in the areas of Disability Studies, Families, and Public Policy.