UW-Madison’s Andrea Ruppar has been selected to receive the TASH 2019 Early Career Researcher Network Award.
Ruppar is an associate professor with the School of Education’s Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education (RPSE).
Her scholarship focuses on building the capacity of schools and teachers to provide meaningful, evidence-based, inclusive education for students with the most significant disabilities —including multiple disabilities, intellectual disability, and autism.
The TASH Early Career Researcher Network Award is focused on promoting the development and dissemination of evidence-based practices, and the support and mentorship of new researchers.
In her recent work, Ruppar has examined topics such as adolescents’ access to literacy and communication, and the role of teachers in promoting access and involvement in the general curriculum. A former K-12 special educator, she is particularly interested in the influence of the social context of teachers’ workplaces on decision-making.
Ruppar also recently led UW-Madison’s efforts to join a new group of higher education leaders from around the country being brought together to examine ways to help school districts address the critical problem of recruiting and retaining special education teachers.
Ruppar will receive the award at the TASH membership luncheon on Dec. 7.