New director of the
Center for Disabilities Studies named

Michael Gamel-McCormick, individual and family studies and research coordinator at the Center for Disabilities Studies, has been named center director, Daniel Rich, dean of the College of Human Services, Education and Public Policy, has announced. The appointment was effective in January.

"Michael brings exceptional knowledge, skill, experience and dedication to the leadership of the Center for Disabilities Studies," Rich said. "Under his guidance, the center will become an even more important asset of the University and a more valuable and responsive resource for those it serves throughout our state and region."

Gamel-McCormick, who joined the UD faculty in 1995, replaces former Donald Peters, Amy Rextrew Professor of Individual and Family Studies, who has returned to the faculty. Peters was responsible for creating the center, and under his leadership the center's funding grew from $200,000 to $2.2 million.

The Center for Disabilities Studies was established in 1993 to enhance the lives of individuals and families with disabilities in Delaware through education, prevention, service and research related to disabilities. The center partners with many public agencies and nonprofit organizations to improve the quality, quantity, and range of public and private services and supports available in Delaware for individuals with disabilities and their families. The center's focus is on capacity-building– conducting research to determine best practice, developing model programs and training people who provide services. The center's work focuses on children and adults with developmental disabilities that occur before age 22.

"The goal of the Center for Disabilities Studies," Gamel-McCormick said, "is to make sure that people with disabilities are always included in the planning process and are never an afterthought. Everything we do involves trying to encourage systems change and improved services."

By the time Peters retired in December 2000, the center had been recognized for major initiatives in early childhood, education and developmental disabilities.

Referring to Peters' work with the center, Gamel-McCormick said, "His work in the development of an alternate assessment process for students with severe disabilities is unparalleled throughout the nation. He instilled in the center the centrality of families to all of the work that we do. He also saw the importance of supporting individuals with disabilities throughout their lifespan."

Gamel-McCormick teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in early childhood education, early childhood special education, family studies and child development. His research interests include children with disabilities and their families; outcomes for children with disabilities and other risk factors; and preparation of individuals with young children with disabilities and their families.

He has published articles in many journals, including the Community Psychologist, Topics in Early Childhood Special Education and International Journal of Disability, Development and Education. Currently in press is an article he cowrote on "Caring for the Caregiver: Early Head Start and Family Child Care Partnerships," to appear in the Infant Mental Health Journal.

He has presented papers regionally, nationally and internationally on the topic of children with special needs, and he also has served as a principal investigator for several research projects in Delaware.

Gamel-McCormick is a member of the Council for Exceptional Education, the National Association of Education of Young Children and the Association for Persons with Severe Handicaps, among others, and serves on the advisory panel for the Delaware Parent Education Partnership Grant Programs.

He received bachelor's degrees in psychology and child development from UD, a master's degree in family and school counseling from the University of Wisconsin–Madison and a doctorate in human development and education from Virginia Commonwealth University.

–Jennifer Torgorsen