Our Team
Our institute brings together the expertise, relationships, and other assets of leading UW schools and other collaborators.
The University of Washington has world-class expertise and a track record of success in facilitating community-engaged translational, interdisciplinary research to advance equity and inclusion for neurodivergent people.
We have launched the Institute by bringing together the expertise, relationships, and other assets of three leading UW schools — the Information School, Foster School of Business, and Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering — and numerous collaborators, including the Adult Autism Clinic at UW Medical Center, The DO-IT Center, CREATE, CALMA, Disabilities Studies program, and the School of Social Work. Future collaborators include the Haring Center and the College of Education.
Collaboration among these units allows us to leverage existing relationships and infrastructure and use the Institute to engage new expertise, inspire novel efforts across our UW campuses, and establish partnerships with our community. Overall, our approach fosters a generative process of discovery and solution building, in which advances in our understanding are coupled with the strengthening of our community partnerships, ecosystem innovations, policy transformation, and, above all, improved employment outcomes for neurodivergent people.
Institute Core Faculty
Institute Founding Director: Dr. Hala Annabi
Dr. Hala Annabi is a leading scholar in Neurodiversity and Employment. She has been leading the initiative to establish the Institute for Neurodiversity and Employment.
Stephanie Grant
Dr. Grant’s research is centered around financial accounting. She is interested in pursuing research related to neurodiversity in accounting firms and neuroinclusive teaching pedagogy in introductory accounting courses
Sean McGann
Dr. McGann assisted in developing the Founding Employers Group guidelines and will support the Institute launch. He will assume the role of Associate Director of Community Engagement, including the management of the Founding Employer Group.
Sara Sanford
Professor Sanford is a leading practitioner and educator specializing in equity in employment, public policy, and product design. She will draw on her expertise as the founder of Gender Equity Now to lead the development of the Institute’s measurement framework.
Gary Stobbe
Dr. Stobbe directs Adult Transition Services at Seattle Children’s Autism Center and is a core founding faculty member who supported the development of the Institute’s vision and goals. He will continue to provide thought leadership and serve as Lead for Community Advocacy
Elizabeth Umphress
Dr. Umphress’s research is centered around ethical decision making, organizational justice, and diversity issues. She is currently leading a research team investigating autism disclosure behaviors.
Richard Sturman
Professor Sturman is a leading practitioner and educator specializing in usercentered design and systems thinking. Professor Sturman is the Director of the Information School’s iEngage Program and will support community engagement activities and outreach with employers to advance research, education, and advocacy pillar activities.
Elijah Wee
Dr. Elijah Wee’s research is centered around established social hierarchies and the emergence and implementation of employee-led change, with an interest in addressing issues in marginalized individuals and groups
Larry Wright
Dr. Wright’s research and service focuses on helping others lead full and healthy lives. As CEO of MENTOR/the National Mentoring Partnership, he worked with a network of state partnerships to close America’s mentoring gap. As COO of the state’s largest private scholarship provider, the College Success Foundation, he helped first-generation college students in Washington state and in Washington, DC find success in and out of the classroom
Institute Staff
Associate Director of Operations and Strategy
Alex Swidergal is an expert in strategic operations and administrative leadership within higher education, serving as the Associate Director of Strategy and Operations at the University of Washington Information School. She specializes in optimizing departmental workflows, driving cross-functional initiatives, and balancing academic goals with operational efficiency.
Program Assistant
Neelam Joshi is a dynamic Human Resources leader who specializes in driving comprehensive people strategies, managing high-impact talent initiatives, and building future-ready organizational structures. She partners closely with executive teams to transform human capital strategy into measurable growth and strong workplace cultures.
Students
Graduate Staff Assistant: Aviral Rajvanshi
Avi is a Master of Science in Information Management student at the University of Washington dedicated to building inclusive digital ecosystems and accessible AI orchestrations that empower neurodivergent professionals in the workplace.
…: Ruiqi Qin
Ruiqi Qin is an information science researcher and Ph.D. student at the University of Washington Information School. Her work explores the intersection of human-centered technology, information systems, and workplace inclusion, with a focus on tools and strategies that empower neurodivergent employees in the workplace.
Collaborators
Do-IT
Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology
“The DO-IT Center empowers individuals with disabilities through technology and education, fostering accessibility and inclusion within both academic and professional environments.”
CREATE
Center for Research and Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences
“Our mission is to make technology accessible and to make the world accessible through technology.”
CALMA
Center for Advances in Libraries, Museums, and Archives
“CALMA advances the study of diverse knowledge systems while amplifying the role of libraries, museums, and archives in fostering thriving communities and shared human stories.”
The Disability Studies Program
“Disability Studies is a multi-disciplinary field that investigates, critiques, and enhances Western society’s understandings of disability.”
The Institute on Human Development and Disabilities
UW Medicine
“We strive to promote a world that values and supports full participation of individuals with disabilities in all aspects of life.”
ECHO
Institute on Human Development and Disabilities
“The ECHO model utilizes an interdisciplinary hub and spoke approach to connect experts and participants through targeted instruction and case-based learning.”
The Frist Center for Autism and Innovation
Vanderbilt University
“The Center leverages a strengths-based neurodiversity framework to drive innovation across technology, business, and talent development through authentic, needs-based solutions.”
The VariAbility Lab
Carnegie Mellon University
“Our research mission is to create inclusive workplaces where all people can be successful, without discrimination, especially those with disabilities and the neurodivergent.”
Stanford Neurodiversity Project
Stanford University
“The movement of Neurodiversity is about uncovering the strengths of neurodiverse individuals and utilizing their talents to increase innovation and productivity of the society as a whole.”