Division of Special Education and disAbility Research

Pam Baker
Division Director

George Mason University’s graduate program in Special Education is highly regarded for its academic and research achievements as well as for offering a broad range of licensure and certificate programs. Academic offerings include teaching students with disabilities who access the general curriculum, teaching students with disabilities who access the adapted curriculum, teaching students with visual impairments, applied behavior analysis, assistive technology, autism, and special education leadership. It is one of the largest special education graduate programs in the country and is in the process of expanding its undergraduate offerings.

The division receives National Recognition from the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) for all of its programs. The program is also distinguished by its extensive services to families and educators throughout Virginia, for its innovative model programs offered through the Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities, and for the first-of-its-kind Mason LIFE program that welcomes college-aged students with intellectual disabilities to live and study on campus.

More than 170 division employees support three licensure programs and four certificate programs, which serve approximately 675 students as well as activities from over $9 million annually in funded projects. The mission, “to improve the lives, productivity, and education of persons with disabilities” drives the goals and objectives of the division. The Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities supports numerous educational research projects.

“I am optimistic about the future and confident that we will continue to make strides in the areas of research, teaching/training, and service,” said Pam Baker, director of the Division of Special Education and disAbility Research. “We are committed to strengthening our human resources through the recruitment and retention of excellent faculty in an effort to produce highly-qualified teachers who are prepared to support learners with disabilities using evidence-based practices. We seek to expand our programs – undergraduate, Master’s, and doctoral – in order to support more candidates who can subsequently increase opportunities for people with disabilities.”

For more information about our programs, please visit the College of Education and Human Development Special Education website. For more information about the Kellar Institute, click here.

Pam Baker
Division Director

Academic Programs

• Teacher Licensure in:
  • Teaching Students with Disabilities Who Access the General Curriculum
  • Teaching Students with Disabilities Who Access the Adapted Curriculum
  • Teaching Students with Visual Impairments
• Undergraduate Minors in Special Education and Assistive Technology
• Advanced Certificate Programs
• Assistive Technology
• PhD in Special Education

Academic Program Coordinators

• General Curriculum: Jodi Duke (graduate) and Peggy Weiss (undergrad)
• Adapted Curriculum and Assistive Technology: Marci Kinas Jerome
• Applied Behavior Analysis: Chris Barthold
• Autism: Jodi Duke

Professors-in-Charge

• American Sign Language: Kevin Taylor
• Visual Impairments: Kim Avila
• Special Education Leadership: Pam Baker

Other Coordinators

• Accreditation: Kristin O'Brien
• Outreach: Pam Baker

Endowed Center Director

• Helen A. Kellar Institute for Human disAbilities: Linda Mason