Faculty and Staff

Paul WehmanDr. Paul Wehman, Ph.D. , Principal Investigator
pwehman@vcu.org | Curriculum Vitae

Paul Wehman, Ph.D. is the Principal Investigator. Dr. Wehman has been a Professor of Physical Medicine with joint appointments in the Departments of Rehabilitation Counseling and Special Education / Disability Policy at VCU for over 30 years. He serves as Chairman for the Division of Rehabilitation Research in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation and has managed NIDILRR funded RRTCs and DRRPs. He was one of the pioneers in the development of supported employment in the early 1980s and has published over 200 articles and authored/edited 40 books and has served as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation,(JVR) since 1991. Dr. Wehman has three adult children with disabilities to include congenital heart disease, severe rheumatoid arthritis and ADHD/LD and brings a strong parental perspective to the project. He has been recognized as one of the 50 most influential people in special education for the millennium and on a daily basis works with PWD, communicates regularly with VA DARS and other VR Directors, policy makers, and professionals related to disability and diversity. Dr. Wehman is active in teaching and mentoring undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students.

 

Katherine IngeDr. Katherine Inge, Ph.D., OT.R., Project Director
kinge@vcu.edu | Curriculum Vitae

Katherine Inge, Ph.D., OT.R., is the Director of the RRTC. Dr. Inge has been with VCU-RRTC since 1982 and holds degrees in occupational therapy, and special education. She has co-authored books, book chapters, journal articles, newsletters, and produced numerous other training materials on employment for individuals with disabilities. She has been the Director of Instructional Technology at VCU for over 15 years and has served as PI or Project Director for projects on employment including START-UP-USA, DOL ODEP; the Region III Community Rehabilitation Providers continuing education program (CRP-RCEP), RSA; Training And Technical Assistance For Providers (T-TAP), DOL ODEP; TechLink, an online project offering course work on transition and employment US Dept of Education; Project Access for people with physical disabilities, RSA; and other transition-age youth demonstration projects.

 

Valerie BrookeValerie Brooke, M.Ed., Director of Training
vbrooke@vcu.edu | Curriculum Vitae

Valerie Brooke, M.Ed., is the Director of Training. Ms. Brooke has been with VCU since 1979 earning a M.Ed. in Special Education with an emphasis on employment for PWD. She was one of the original job coaches, has served as the Center's Director of Training for over 20 years and in the last several years has managed a medium sized CARF accredited employment services program as an employment vendor with VA DARS. In these capacities she has gained close working relationships with VR counselors/manager and community businesses both through the vendorship and as a Board member of the Virginia Business Leadership Network. Ms. Brooke has served on the editorial board for JVR since 2000.

 

Carolyn GrahamCarolyn Graham, Ph.D., Director of Research
cwgraham@vcu.edu

Carolyn Graham, Ph.D., is the Director of Research. Dr. Graham has been a research methodologist at VCU since 2010. She has worked as a Research Methodologist with expertise in Quantitative Research including: Non-parametric tests, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA), Multiple Regression, Discriminate Analysis, Factor Analysis, Growth Curve Modeling, and Structural Equation Modeling. Research Designs: Experimental-RCT, Quasi-Experimental, Survey, and Mixed Methodology. Qualitative Research: Grounded Theory, Content analysis, Transcendental Phenomenology, and Case Study. Most recently she co-authored a research instrument for VR Counselors "Making Research Work for VR Agencies" through a subcontract with SEDL for NIDILRR's Employment Knowledge Translation Center.

 

Amy ArmstrongAmy Armstrong, Ph.D., Co-Director of Research Study 5
ajarmstr@vcu.edu | Curriculum Vitae

Amy Armstrong, Ph.D. is also Co-Director of Research Study 5. She is Chair and Associate Professor in VCU's Department of Rehabilitation Counseling and has been involved in education and employment issues related to persons with disabilities for over 25 years focused on research in employment, community reintegration, resilience, and leadership.

 

Matthew BogenschutzMatthew Bogenschutz, Ph.D. , Research Associate for Study 1
mdbogenschut@vcu.edu | Curriculum Vitae

Matthew Bogenschutz, Ph.D., MSW is an assistant professor at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Social Work. Dr. Bogenschutz has worked with people with disabilities and their families for 20 years, as a practitioner, advocate, program administrator, and researcher. he has worked on a multitude of federally funded research initiatives. His current work is about promoting community living for people with disabilities, including employment, housing, and social inclusion, focusing on policy solutions that can systematically improve outcomes.

 

Benjamin DarterBenjamin Darter, P.T., Ph.D., Co-Director of Research Study 5
bjdarter@vcu.edu | Curriculum Vitae

Benjamin Darter, P.T., Ph.D. is the Co-Director of Research Study 5. Dr. Darter is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Virginia Commonwealth University and Adjunct Professor with the US Army-Baylor University. His research and clinical interests are in the areas of rehabilitation following extremity amputation, optimization of gait performance, and overall health promotion.

 

Doug EricksonDoug Erickson, M.L.A., Director of Technology
doerickson@vcu.edu

Doug Erickson, M.L.A. is the Director of Technology. He has served as the Director of Software Operations at VCU since 2003 and holds a degree in Information Technology with concentration in Software Engineering from Harvard.

 

Carolyn HawleyCarolyn Hawley, Ph.D., Research Associate for Study 5
cehawley@vcu.edu | Curriculum Vitae

Carolyn Hawley, Ph.D. is a Research Associate for Study 5. Dr. Hawley is an Assistant Professor in Dr. Armstrong's department and has over ten years of experience in counseling, training and research in employment and community service needs of persons with disabilities, to include veterans.

 

Bess HendrixsonBess Hendrixson, Dissemination Assistant
emhendrixson@vcu.edu

Bess Hendrixson is the Dissemination Assistant. She has been working at VCU for five years.

 

Mary McDougal, MBA, Grant Administrator
mcdougalmm@vcu.edu

Mary McDougal, MBA is the Grant Administrator. She has served as a grants administrator for six years and recently became a certified research administrator.

 

Rachael RoundsRachael Rounds, B.S., Employment Specialist
roundsrs@vcu.edu

Rachael Rounds, B.S., is an Employment Specialist. She has years of experience supporting people with significant disabilities to find and maintain employment and serves on the VA DARS Employment Services Organization Steering Committee.