Dianey Leal served as a 2016 Diversity Fellow with the Center of Disability and Development at Texas A&M University, where she researched policies on disability-related issues. Dianey graduated from St. Edward’s University in 2015 with a double major in political science and English writing and rhetoric. She graduated from The Bush School of Government and Public Service in May with an M.A. in Public Service and Administration. During the summer, she worked as a program aide compiling data for the Bush School’s annual diversity accountability report, and also helped Dr. Frank Ashley create a syllabus for his course on Diversity in the Workplace.
Dianey is currently a doctoral student at Michigan State University where she is completing two doctoral degrees one in Chicano/Latino Studies and the other in Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Learning. Last semester she worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Intro to Chicano/Latino Studies, and this semester she will be conducting research with Dr. Vanessa Sansone on student college access.
“The CDD fellowship helped me in so many ways. For example, when working with the Network of Schools of Public Policy, Affairs, and Administration (NASPAA) in Washington, DC, I met with AUCD representatives who broadened my understanding of disability related issues. I then used their feedback for a project I was working on with NASPAA. The project—a “Diversity Resource” webpage—includes strategies on how faculty and staff could be more accessible to students with disabilities.”
The webpage is currently public and will be shared with NASPAA-accredited institutions in the near future.
“Being a CDD fellow also helped me to understand the many gaps in disability research and learning. Thus, when helping Dr. Frank Ashley create a syllabus for his course, we decided to include an entire lecture on disability related issues in the workplace to help students understand the advantages and challenges of diversity in the workplace and how workforce managerial strategies can contribute to positive outcomes for employers, employees, and stakeholders.”