Dr. Wendy Parent
Research Associate Professor
University of Kansas, Dole Building
1000 Sunnyside, Room 1052
Lawrence, KS 66045-7601
Office Phone: (785) 864-1062
Fax: (785) 864-0753
Email: wparent@ku.edu
Bio:
Wendy Parent, Ph.D., is Research Associate Professor and Assistant Director, Kansas University Center on Developmental Disabilities, a Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, at the University of Kansas. She has more than twenty five years experience in the areas of supported and customized employment and transition from school to work for individuals with severe disabilities. Dr. Parent is currently the PI on a Girls at Work project focusing on the development of a computerized, self-directed curriculum which offers young women with disabilities an eight step process that they systematically progress through to achieve nontraditional customized employment which she is currently field-testing in 21 schools. Other recent grants include the Department of Health and Human Services Community Integrated Systems project focusing on transition for youth with special health care needs, the National Governor’s Association New Freedom Initiative Policy Academy on Transition for youth with disabilities, Christopher Reeve Quality of Life project aimed at developing a supported entrepreneurial training package for youth and adults with disabilities in Peru, and the Administration on Developmental Disabilities National Training Initiative on Self-Determination. She was previously with the Institute on Human Development and Disability at the University of Georgia where she taught graduate/undergraduate Interdisciplinary education courses, developed a Disability Certificate program, and was the PI on a five year Workforce Action grant through the Department of Labor focusing on enhancing customized employment opportunities for individuals with disabilities through direct service, product development, and systems change. Dr. Parent has published numerous book chapters and peer-reviewed journal articles related to transition and supported/customized employment and has co-authored several books on supported employment. In her efforts to build systems capacity and enhance employment and self-employment outcomes, she provides training and technical assistance to case managers, teachers, transition coordinators, families, rehabilitation counselors, job coaches, and individuals with disabilities. She is currently the President of the Kansas Rehabilitation Association and KS APSE: The Network on Employment and serves on the national Boards of the APSE Foundation and the National Rehabilitation Association. She serves on the editorial board of Journal of Rehabilitation and just completed two terms on the editorial board of Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Parent is an active member of the state appointed Employment First Work Group and serves on the national advisory boards of the Alliance for Full Participation and the NTAR Leadership Center. Her areas of interest and research are supported/customized employment and transition from school to work for individuals with severe disabilities with an emphasis on creative funding and support strategies, individual and family involvement, job coach training and leadership, interagency collaboration and service delivery issues, and systems change.
Education: Ph.D., Urban Services Leadership, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1994 M.S., Rehabilitation Counceling, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1985 B.S. Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1982
Interests: Her areas of interest are supported/customized employment and transition from school to work for individuals with severe disabilities with an emphasis on creative funding and support strategies, individual and family involvement, job coach training and advocacy, and systems change.