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2023 Schedule

Schedule for

Inclusion in Science Learning a New Direction (ISLAND)
Conference on Disability and STEM

*All times listed in Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) (GMT/UTC -4)

Friday, October 13th, 2023

Princeton Marriott at Forrestal
100 College Rd E,
Princeton, NJ 08540

8:30 A.M. Zoom open for registrant login and networking.
Please call Carla Vallejo at 346-477-5064 for login support.

9:00 a.m. Welcome and Introductions.

Dr. Cary Supalo

9:05 a.m. High-Tech and Low-Tech Solutions for Access to Outer Space for Disabled Astronauts

Presenter: Dr. Sherri Wells-Jensen, NASA/Library of Congress

9:30 a.m. Blindness Memory Perks: Restructuring Access into the System

Presenter: Dr. Karen Arcos, Department of Psychology, University of California, Santa Cruz

9:55 a.m. Teaching Physics with Disabled Learners: A Review of the Literature

Presenter: Dr. Erin Scanlon (Virtual), Department of Physics, University of Connecticut

10:20 A.M. Morning Break

10:35 a.m. Tactile Periodic Table Project

Presenter: Dr. Michael Fricke, Olon Ricerca Bioscience

11:00 a.m. Best practices in teaching chemistry to students who are deaf and hard-of-hearing

Presenter: Dr. Annmarie Ross (virtual), Rochester Institute of Technology/ National Technical Institute for the Deaf (RIT/NTID)

11:25 a.m. A Summer Class Exploring Computer Science with Educators of Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students

Presenters: Meghan McSherry and Maria Johnson, Playful Learning Lab, University of St. Thomas

11:50 a.m. Tactile Sun-Watching Graphics: Bridging Past and Present

Presenters: Dr. Nicole E. Johnson* and Tasnim A. Alshuli**
*University of Colorado, Boulder, Fiske Planetarium
** College of Education, University of Arizona

12:15 P.M. Lunch

1:05 p.m. Introducing Graduate Students to Accessible Data Visualization

Presenters: Dr. Helen T. Sullivan1,2, Dr. Markku T. Hakkinen2,3, Jenni Avovaara2, Anu Horttanainen2, Dr. Charles Rambo2, Aino Sutinen2, Saara Wahlroos2


1Rider University, Lawrenceville, NJ, USA
2University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
3Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ, USA

1:30 p.m. Stories of Neurodiversity in STEM: Finding a Common Professional Language

Panelists: Derek Hidalgo, Dylan Sullivan, Fernando Zavala, Jacob Stolle,
Landmark College

Moderator: Dr. Christin Monroe, Landmark College

2:20 p.m. Learning from the Experts: Analysing Responses to the Question “Is there anything you wish professors or colleagues knew about being neurodivergent?”

Presenter: Liam McDermott, Rutgers University

2:45 P.M. Afternoon Break

3:00 p.m. Possible Approaches for an Accessible CAD System for the Blind

Presenter: Robert Jaquiss, Independence Science

3:25 p.m. The Semantics of Sonics

Presenter: Sadish D, Independent

3:50 p.m. Wolfram Syndrome

Presenter: Ellie White, Ellie White Foundation

4:15 p.m. Updates on Rapid Prototyping, Concept of the Model Lending library and the Comic featuring three blind Labradors

Presenter: Robert Jaquiss, Independence Science

4:40 pm Access to Forensic Sciences: A Fully Accessible Murder Investigation

Presenters: Ashley Neybert and Annalise Diodato, Independence Science

5:10 P.M. Adjourn

7:00 P.M. Dinner

8:00 p.m. Keynote Address – Bridging Research Frontiers: Li-ion Battery Advancements and Inclusive Chemistry Laboratories for the Visually Impaired.


Presenter: Professor Siegbert Schmid, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Sydney


Saturday, October 14th 2023

Bowen Hall, 70 Prospect Ave
Princeton University
Princeton, New Jersey 08540

8:30 A.M. Zoom open for registrant login and networking.
Please call Carla Vallejo at 346-477-5064 for login support.

9:05 a.m. Accessible Audio Periodic Table

Presenter: Dr. Greg Williams, Independence Science, West Lafayette Indiana

9:30 a.m. Mission INSPIRE: Increasing Conceptual Knowledge, Building Rockets, and STEM Career Exploration

Presenters: Dr. Tina Herzberg, Susan Osterhaus, University of South Carolina Upstate

9:55 a.m. Feel the Difference: Using Texture to Create Meaningful Tactile Graphics

Presenter: Dan Gardner, ViewPlus Technologies Inc

10:20 A.M. Morning Break

10:35 a.m. Non-Visual Delivery of Accurate Volumes to Improve Laboratory Access for Blind Students

Presenter: Charis Glatthar, Metropolitan State University of Denver

11:00 a.m. Tigers in Tech: Roaring with Excitement over APH’s SALS and Code Jumper!

Presenters: Katrina Best and Roseanne Hoffmann, American Printing House

11:25 a.m. The State of Accessible Digital Mathematics

Presnters: Brian Richwine, Mary Stores, Indiana University

11:50 a.m.  Inclusio: A Convergent Effort for Creating Accessible, Multimodal Graphics

Presenters: Amy Keith and Dr. Jenna L. Gorlewicz*, *Department of Mechanical Engineering, Saint Louis University

12:10 p.m. Closing Remarks for ISLAND Conference and Invitation to Abacus Bee

Presenter: Dr. Cary Supalo, ISLAND Conference

12:15 P.M. Lunch

1:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. 2023 New Jersey Abacus Bee

Presenter: Dr. Monique Coleman, VISTAS Education Partners (VISTAS)