NewsNewsletters

2026 Summer Institute Fellows Cohort

By July 8, 2026 No Comments

The Teach Access Summer Institute, funded by Ability Central, is a new, intensive, hands-on program focused on helping educators create instructional materials to teach accessibility topics in their courses. Grounded in Teach Access’s mission to advance accessibility education through mentorship and applied learning, the Institute offers opportunities for collaboration, feedback, and continued support as participants implement their materials in the fall. 

“We’re excited to welcome the 2026 Summer Institute Fellows,” said Rolando Méndez, Director of Education. “Throughout the program, these educators will transform accessibility concepts into practical learning experiences that prepare students to create accessible and inclusive products, services, content, and experiences. Their work will not only impact their own classrooms but also contribute new teaching resources and case studies for the broader higher education community.” 

New curricular items created by Fellows are added to the Teach Access Curriculum Repository (TACR), which launched in late 2022. TACR is a free, open educational resource composed of syllabi, slide decks, quizzes, and more that educators can adapt and use to fit their courses. The TACR has helped Teach Access reach more than 1.5 million students. 

To learn more about Teach Access, visit https://teachaccess.org.

Congratulations to the 2026 Summer Institute Cohort:

A professional headshot of Alice Casanova, a smiling woman with blonde hair. She is wearing dark-rimmed glasses, a white collared shirt, and a black blazer, posed against a solid black background.

Alice Casanova, Albizu University

A portrait of Alihan Hadimlioglu, a man with dark hair and a goatee. He is wearing a light blue collared shirt and looking slightly off-camera, with a softly blurred office setting in the background.

Alihan Hadimlioglu, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

A headshot of Antonia Levy, a smiling woman with short reddish-brown hair. She is wearing green-rimmed glasses and a black sleeveless top with a small neckline cutout, set against a white background.

Antonia Levy, CUNY School of Professional Studies

A portrait of Brianna Shuttleworth, a smiling woman with shoulder-length light brown hair. She is wearing dark round glasses, a ribbed red top, a simple necklace, and a black blazer, standing in front of a brick wall.

Brianna Shuttleworth, Seton Hall University

A professional headshot of Chen Wang, a man with short black hair and a neutral expression. He is wearing a black t-shirt underneath a black blazer, posed against a light grey background.

Chen Wang, California State University, Fullerton

A portrait of Frances Santiago Hernandez, a smiling woman with long dark hair. She is wearing bright blue rectangular glasses, a black high-necked top, a gold pendant necklace, and a vivid blue blazer, set against a white background.

Frances Santiago Hernández, Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico

A headshot of Haitham Alkhateeb, a man with short, graying hair and wire-rimmed glasses. He is wearing a light blue button-down shirt under a dark blue fleece vest embroidered with the "College of Arts and Sciences" logo, against a white background.

Haitham Alkhateeb, University of Baltimore

A portrait of Hajar Homayouni, a smiling woman with short brown hair. She is wearing rectangular black glasses, a delicate necklace, and a dark green top, set against a textured light beige/pink background.

Hajar Homayouni, San Diego State University

A professional headshot of Hossein Shirazi, a smiling man with a receding hairline and dark hair. He is wearing wire-rimmed round glasses, a light purple collared shirt, a dark blue suit jacket, and a patterned blue tie, posed against a grey background.

Hossein Shirazi, San Diego State University

A portrait of Kristen Cole, a smiling woman with straight brown hair. She is wearing a black short-sleeved top and a rectangular dark pendant necklace with gold trim, standing in a brightly lit, modern indoor setting with glass walkways behind her.

Kristen Cole, San José State University

A headshot of Iliana Ballester Panelli, a smiling woman with shoulder-length light brown hair. She is wearing clear-rimmed glasses, a silver spherical pendant necklace, and a black and white striped top, against a solid light purple background.

Iliana Ballester-Panelli, Universidad del Sagrado Corazón

A portrait of Isabell May, a smiling woman with dark brown shoulder-length hair. She is wearing dark rectangular glasses, a dark blue shirt with small white paw prints, and a bright pink cardigan, standing outdoors in front of a building with large windows.

Isabell May, University of Maryland, Baltimore

A portrait of Irina Knokh, a woman with light brown hair, wearing rectangular rimless glasses and a dark blue scarf with white floral patterns. The background is a soft, light blue.

Irina Knokh, University of Michigan-Michigan Medicine

A headshot of Jennifer Kowalski, a smiling woman with dark brown hair pulled back. She is wearing a light blue v-neck top under a tan ribbed cardigan, posed indoors with a softly blurred staircase in the background.

Jennifer Kowalski, Lehigh University

A close-up, circular-cropped portrait of Jessica Frances Handley, a smiling woman with wavy brown hair. She is wearing bronze-rimmed glasses and a pink top with white floral patterns, set against a blurred brick wall.

Jessica Handley, University of Texas – Rio Grande Valley

A professional headshot of Jude Okolie, a man with short, dark locs. He has a slight smile and is wearing a black jacket over a white collared shirt, posed against a solid white background.

Jude Okolie, Bucknell University

A portrait of Leila Lester, a smiling woman with dark locs featuring reddish tips. She is wearing blue-rimmed cat-eye glasses and a sleeveless red dress, standing outdoors with her arms crossed next to a black metal trellis, with green trees and a park area in the background.

Leila Lester, Southern Methodist University

A professional headshot of Lisa Dunkley, a smiling woman with wavy dark brown hair. She is wearing dark, thick-rimmed cat-eye glasses, a light pink v-neck top, and a grey blazer, set against a soft grey background.

Lisa Dunkley, East Tennessee State University

A portrait of Marie Frank, a smiling woman with short, wavy gray hair. She is wearing a textured, high-collared, black-and-white herringbone pattern coat with a large black button, standing in a softly blurred indoor space.

Marie Frank, University of Massachusetts – Lowell

A black-and-white headshot of Mary-Colleen Jenkins, a smiling woman with short, light-colored hair. She is wearing a dark top layered over a black-and-white striped collared shirt, posed against a solid grey background.

Mary-Colleen Jenkins, University of Washington – Seattle

A portrait of Michael Canale, a smiling man with a receding hairline and a gray goatee. He is wearing round brown glasses and a light blue striped button-down shirt, set against a softly blurred background.

Michael Canale, University of Maryland Baltimore CountyMary-Colleen Jenkins, University of Washington – Seattle

A portrait of Nicholas Alexander, a smiling man with short brown hair and a beard. He is wearing a light blue dress shirt and a dark blue tie. A small Baby Yoda (Grogu) plush toy is sitting on his right shoulder. He is posed outdoors with a white porch railing and green trees in the background.

Nicholas Alexander, Atlantic Cape Community College

A professional headshot of Nuri Yilmazer, a smiling man with short dark hair and a beard. He is wearing a black suit jacket, a white collared shirt, and a solid blue tie, posed against a solid gray background.

Nuri Yilmazer, Texas A&M University – Kingsville

A headshot of Renata Endres, a smiling woman with straight, shoulder-length brown hair. She is wearing small earrings and a black button-down shirt with chest pockets, set against a mottled blue background.

Renata Endres, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

A headshot of Rua Mae Williams, a smiling person with wavy brown hair that is shorter on one side. They are wearing round wire-rimmed glasses, a dark floral print button-up shirt, and layered necklaces, set against a dark gray background.

Rua Williams, Purdue University

A portrait of Ruth Mercado Cruz, a woman with long straight brown hair, standing with her arms crossed. She is wearing a bright red long-sleeved dress with gathered shoulders and colorful dangling earrings, set against a plain white wall.

Ruth Mercado-Cruz, University of Puerto Rico at Cayey

A portrait of Shavonda Jackson, a smiling woman with very short hair. She is wearing clear-rimmed glasses, a white short-sleeved top with a zipper detail on the left shoulder, and pearl stud earrings, set against a dark gray background.

Shavonda Jackson, Alcorn State University

A professional headshot of Suzanne David, smiling with long, wavy gray hair. They are wearing dark round-rimmed glasses, a black top, a patterned outer layer, and a silver pendant necklace, set against a mottled gray background.

Suzanne David, California State University, Northridge

A portrait of Tamanna Motahar, a smiling woman wearing a textured brown hijab and a dark knit winter beanie. She is wearing dark-rimmed glasses and a light olive green jacket, posed in front of a warm, wooden paneled wall.

Tamanna Motahar, University of Louisiana at Lafayette

A portrait of Tracy Stuntz, a smiling person with short brown hair. They are wearing round tortoiseshell glasses, a dark blue polo shirt with a logo, and a light gray cardigan, standing outdoors with a softly blurred background of green foliage.

Tracy Stuntz, Clovis Community College