Kelly Nye-Lengerman

Professional Background

Dr. Kelly Nye-Lengerman is the Director of the Institute on Disability at the University of New Hampshire. Her work is focused on making public policies and systems work for people through research, training, technical assistance, and advocacy. Her work supports the full inclusion of individuals living with disability in all aspects of community life. Dr. Nye-Lengerman’s portfolio includes research, policy, and service work focused on inclusive employment practices and policy, social security, Medicaid long term services and supports, organizational transformation, person-centered practices, and poverty remediation.  Dr. Nye-Lengerman serves on the national board of the Association of People Supporting Employment First (APSE) and is actively involved with the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD).  She has also served on numerous national and state advisory groups focused on home and community-based services (HCBS), and vocational rehabilitation, and social security.

Dr. Nye-Lengerman has a broad range of professional experiences working for disability provider organizations in both community and facility-based employment programs, as a social worker, and as a direct support professional.  She previously spent 11 years at the University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration.  Dr. Nye-Lengerman authored Community Living and Participation for People With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, a number of book chapters, and more than thirty journal articles an technical reports on employment services, vocational rehabilitation, community living, retirement, and other topics. Dr. Nye-Lengerman is passionate and committed to connecting research, training, and direct practice work across disability policy and service topics.