Neurodiversity and Disability Studies Summit 2025
Event Details
April 5th, 2025
11:00am-2:30pm
Integrated Learning Center (and Zoom)
We are so excited to announce our second annual Neurodiversity and Disability Studies Summit at UMass Amherst this spring! This year, we are partnering with the Boltwood Project. We will have a poster session of undergraduate and graduate student projects, breakout presentations, and a keynote presentation.
More information to come!
Keynote Presentation
Expanding the Margins: Blackness, Disability Justice, and Intersectionality in (Global) Higher Education
Dr. Kat J. Stephens-Peace ‘22 is an award-winning scholar and educator whose work illuminates the intricate intersections of race, gender, and disability in higher education. A 2025 recipient of the ACPA Coalition for Disability “Intersectionality Award,” Dr. Stephens-Peace brings an unparalleled commitment to fostering equity and justice in academia. As an Assistant Professor in Ball State University’s Student Affairs Administration and Higher Education Program and an editorial board member for NASPA’s Journal of Women and Gender in Higher Education, she continues to lead critical conversations about dismantling structural ableism. Her keynote will explore the transformative potential of disability justice, drawing from her research on critical neurodivergence, disability culture at Predominantly White Institutions, and the lived experiences of Black women graduate students. Blending personal narratives, qualitative insights, and practical frameworks, Dr. Stephens-Peace inspires a reimagining of academia as a space of inclusion and belonging.
About Dr. Stephens-Peace
Dr. Kat J. Stephens-Peace (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at Ball State University, an award-winning scholar, and a leading voice in higher education, disability justice, and intersectionality. As a 2025 recipient of the ACPA Coalition for Disability “Intersectionality Award,” her work is distinguished by its use of arts-based methodologies, such as poetic inquiry, to illuminate the experiences of marginalized communities. A scholar of the Global South, Dr. Stephens-Peace focuses on Blackness and disability across the African Diaspora, exploring the intersections of race, gender, and colonial legacies. Her scholarship, featured in leading journals, advocates for systemic transformation and academic inclusion.
Poster Session
Undergraduate and graduate students are invited to present a poster (4×6) on a disability or neurodiversity related topic. Projects can include theses, research studies, independent studies, course projects, creative projects, and more! Posters submitted to the conference organizers will be printed at no cost to the student.