Kara Ayers Appointed New Associate Director of the University of Cincinnati University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities

March 23, 2016

The University of Cincinnati University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities (UC UCEDD) has named Kara Ayers, PhD as its new Associate Director.

Dr. Ayers earned her master's degree and PhD in clinical psychology from Nova Southeastern University in Fort Lauderdale, FL. She completed her pre-doctoral internship at Wright State University in Dayton, OH. Prior to becoming Assistant Professor and Associate Director of UC UCEDD, effective January 1, 2016, Ayers was the Advocacy and Dissemination Coordinator for UC UCEDD for the last three years. In this role, she worked with self-advocacy groups on a number of policy initiatives and launched communication strategies to increase the reach of UC UCEDD.

"It has been an honor to work in a field that fuels my passion each and every day. Our UC UCEDD/LEND team and our colleagues in the AUCD network are doing incredible work to make our communities more inclusive. I believe my experience as well as my identity as a proud disabled woman will be an asset to this position and I look forward to the new challenges ahead," said Ayers.

Ayers' areas of interest and research include disability policy, parenting with a disability, self-advocacy, psychosocial development with a disability, and disability in the media.

For more information about the University of Cincinnati University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, visit www.ucucedd.org.