Susan Russell

Susan Russell joined the University of Maine Center for Community Inclusion and Disability Studies (known then as the Center for Community Inclusion) in 1998 and has been serving as the Center’s Associate Director since 2011.

Sue’s been instrumental in the development and implementation of the New Hampshire-Maine Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (NH-ME LEND) program in Maine. First, as a University of Maine LEND trainee in Disability Studies (2011-2012), and then in her current role as the Maine Interdisciplinary Training Coordinator. She’s developed collaborative relationships with key stakeholder groups and established leadership and clinical partnerships with programs in Maine for trainee field placements. She is an active member of the NH-ME LEND management team and has engaged in numerous program improvement activities, including the implementation of team-based learning methods, engagement of the trainees in policy analysis and development of a policy brief, and the integration of diverse perspectives throughout the curriculum.

Sue was one of eighteen leaders from several Maternal and Child Health Bureau (MCHB) funded programs selected to participate in the 2012-2013 MCHB-Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) Interprofessional Leadership Learning Collaborative. She also serves on two councils established by the AUCD Board of Directors: the Council for Interdisciplinary Services; and the National Training Directors’ Council.  At the University of Maine, she’s a longtime member of the Institutional Review Board for the Protection of Human Subjects; and a graduate of the Diversity Leadership Institute (2004).

Sue’s research interests include family policies impacting the lives of individuals with disabilities and their families and academic outcomes for children with disabilities. Sue earned a B.S. in Human Development & Family Relations (1997) and an M.S. in Accounting (2004) from the University of Maine. She is currently enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Program in the areas of Disability Studies, Families, and Public Policy.