Advisory Board

Beth Pfeiffer is an Associate Professor at Temple University in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences. As an occupational therapy researcher and clinician, most of her funded research has focused on improving transitional outcomes for individuals with autism spectrum disorders, developmental disabilities, and severe mental illness, as well as developing contextually relevant measures for community participation.

Dr. Cheryl Kerfeld has over 30 years of experience working as a pediatric physical therapist in a variety of clinical, administrative, teaching, and research roles. She currently works for Seattle Public Schools in Seattle, WA as a physical therapist and educator leader providing professional support and guidance to fellow therapists. She also enjoys working as a community-based research scientist. She has a strong interest in culturally competent family-centered care and global health. She has partnered with university students, health-care providers, educators, and community organizations to support both local and international service-learning programs. Her community-based research program’s goal is to decrease health disparities for children and their families with an ardent interest in improving the physical activity and participation of children with disabilities. She is a researcher who looks upstream to assist children with disabilities and their families achieve long-term healthy lifestyles by increasing activity and engagement in their homes, schools, and communities. Her inter-professional research is child and family centered. Dr. Kerfeld places importance on the involvement of children, their families, clinicians, and community stakeholders to identify effective interventions and utilize valid and reliable rehabilitation measures to determine outcomes. It is important to her that her research will make an impact by turning the discoveries into action within clinical practice and community-based programs.

Caroline Umeda is Assistant Professor at Dominican University of California where she teaches undergraduate and graduate students within the Department of Occupational Therapy. Her clinical background includes providing direct occupational therapy services to children with disabilities and their families. Caroline currently provides consultative services to community cultural arts and recreation organizations to collaboratively develop, execute, and evaluate new access initiatives and programs for people with disabilities. She has teamed with organizations in Washington and California including Seattle Children’s Theatre, Arena Sports, and Kinetic Arts Center to develop sensory friendly programs and provide training to actors, teaching artists, coaches, and staff. In her faculty position at Dominican, Caroline shares her passion for inclusive community programs with occupational therapy students, mentoring them in developing and researching new access programs in Marin County and the Bay Area.

Khalilah Johnson, PhD, MS, OTR/L is anAssistant Professor in the Division of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Her current research focuses on access and participation in health and vocational services of racial and ethnic minority adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, as well as developing culturally affirming interventions aimed to increase their community engagement. Dr. Johnson has 14 years of clinical experience as an occupational therapy practitioner spanning Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.

Josh Taylor’s research focuses on how to implement evidence-based practices for promoting lifelong success for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities inclusively in school, work, and community settings. Josh currently works as a research associate for the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (VCU-RRTC) and as a training and technical assistance associate for the Autism Center for Excellence at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU-ACE). He is also a doctoral candidate in the Special Education and Disability Policy program. As part of his doctoral studies, he participated in an OSEP-funded cohort focused on research-to-policy implementation, through which he completed a research internship with the American Institutes for Research. He currently serves as the editorial assistant for the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disability (AAIDD) journal, Inclusion. He has over 10 years of experience in public schools, previously as an autism specialist in Arlington Public Schools (VA), where he trained and coached teachers of students with autism spectrum disorder, grades Pre-K through age 22. His previous classroom experience includes supporting the inclusion of high school students with autism and teaching middle school students with significant cognitive and behavioral disabilities.

Stephanie Mahal is an occupational therapist who specializes in supporting students in K-8th grade who have physical, neurological, sensory, mental, and emotional conditions that impact their ability to access their education and community. She has over ten years of experience in both school and medical settings and currently works in a public school district south of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. Stephanie was recently assigned a co-chair to the Minnesota Low Incident Project School-Based OT & PT Community of Practice. She received her master’s in Occupational Therapy at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities and completed her fieldwork at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN. Stephanie is honored to serve her students, staff, and fellow occupational therapists by using her skills and her passion for accessibility and inclusiveness while creating that “just right challenge” to be successful in all areas of life! When not at work, Stephanie and her husband, John, spend their time cheering on her middle-school-aged son and daughter at all their sporting events and activities!

Ivy Tillman is the IRB Office Director for Augusta University, leading the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP) for the university and health system. She earned her bachelor of arts degrees in Biology and Modern Languages (French) from Clemson University in 1997, a master of science in health care management from Troy University in 2008, and is currently pursuing her EdD in Educational Innovation at Augusta University. Her work experiences include serving as a research coordinator for pediatric sickle cell anemia and neurology studies, training coordinator for the Augusta University IRB, and IRB Administrator. Additionally, she has taught high school Biology.

In her current role, Ivy leads the functions of the HRPP and the IRB Office’s missions, which include training, compliance, and IRB operations. As the Human Protections Administrator, she is instrumental in policy development and implementation and develops collaborative agreements with external HRPP partners. Having been in human research protections for more than 15 years, Ivy is passionate about research participants’ perspectives, specifically regarding the informed consent process. She also serves as a mentor and volunteer for an organization helping women and children that have been exploited, trafficked, and placed at high risk.