Sarika S. Gupta, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education and Disability Studies at The George Washington University. She began her career as an early childhood teacher 18 years ago. Her experiences in regular and inclusive settings, and as a coach in Head Start classrooms, inspired her to study systems-level factors that can facilitate teachers' capacity to intentionally and effectively include children with disabilities in early childhood settings. She extends this into her current work, encouraging professionals to think about inclusion as a "systems" approach to supporting young children with disabilities.
William “Bill” Henninger IV, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor of Family Studies at the University of Northern Iowa in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. He obtained his PhD from Iowa State University in Human Development and Family Studies, with a specialization in Early Childhood Special Education. He has also completed a postdoctoral fellowship in early childhood special education leadership and policy at the University of Colorado - Denver. Prior to obtaining his PhD, Bill worked for Juniper Gardens Children’s Project in Kansas City, Kansas. JPGC is a research center affiliated with the University of Kansas, which serves inner city Kansas through early intervention research. Bill’s major research interests include social emotional development of typical and non-typical children and adolescents. In his spare time he enjoys hanging out with wife and dogs.
Megan E. Vinh, Ph.D., is an Educational Consultant with Technical Assistance and Consulting Services, a research and outreach unit at the University of Oregon. She provides technical assistance and consultation to states agencies of special education, under a grant funded by the Office of Special Education Programs, to improve services for young children with disabilities and their families. She has experience with projects related to early childhood outcomes, early childhood special education, preschool inclusion, and evidence based strategies to promote social and emotional development of young children.
Phillip Strain, Ph.D., is James C. Kennedy Endowed Chair in Urban Education at the Morgridge College of Education and Director of the Positive Early Learning Experiences Center at the University of Denver. Dr. Strain is the author of more than 300 professional papers that have focused on young children with autism, prevention of challenging behavior, and inclusion practices. In his 4 decades in the field, he has been a teacher, early intervention program administrator, and university professor. Dr. Strain's research on challenging behavior and autism has received more than $80 million dollars in grant support, and this work has garnered multiple career achievement awards.
