Jared Schultz, PhD, a noted leader in disabilities education and research, has joined the UA College of Education as a professor in the Department of Disability and Psychoeducational Studies and the UA Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities as the director of research. The Sonoran Center is housed within the UA Department of Family and Community Medicine, where Dr. Schultz also will have a joint appointment. At the UA College of Education, Dr. Schultz will teach graduate counseling courses in the Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling Program and conduct research related to disability issues and counseling.
“We are very excited about this new collaboration between the College of Education and the College of Medicine – Tucson,” said Bruce Johnson, PhD, professor and dean, UA College of Education. “Both of our colleges have long been committed to research that has direct impact on people’s lives. Dr. Schultz has exactly the expertise and experience needed to ensure a very productive partnership.”
As the research director for the UA Sonoran Center for Excellence in Disabilities, Dr. Schultz will conduct research on current programs, as well as develop new research and programming initiatives. His focus will be primarily in the area of transition services for adolescents and competitive community-based employment.
“I am so excited for this opportunity to work with the Sonoran Center and the College of Education,” said Dr. Schultz. “This opportunity enables me to get back to doing the things I love to do: being engaged with the community and helping individuals with disabilities realize their potential.”
“Dr. Schultz’s areas of research and demonstrated expertise in working with individuals with disabilities is a perfect fit for the Sonoran Center as we work hard to improve the lives of individuals with disabilities—in Tucson and beyond,” said Leslie J. Cohen, JD, director of the UA Sonoran Center.
Dr. Schultz previously worked at Utah State University, where he served as the chair for the Rehabilitation Counseling Program. Prior to that, he worked at Texas Tech University Health Science Center and Oregon Health Sciences University.
Dr. Schultz’s work in disability began when he completed his undergraduate degree in psychology at Brigham Young University. He worked in a community mental health program in Oregon for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness. While there, Dr. Schultz completed a master’s degree in counseling and psychology from George Fox University and then attended the University of Northern Colorado where he completed his PhD in rehabilitation and counseling.
His work has focused primarily in the area of community-based competitive employment, and transition services for youth with disabilities. For example, at Utah State University, Dr. Schultz was involved in establishing the Employability Clinic—a program established to work with consumers of the public vocational rehabilitation program who were on the verge of being deemed “unemployable,” and a residential-based post-secondary program for college students with developmental and intellectual disabilities.
“I enjoy doing applied research focused on finding the best way to help people in real-life situations,” Dr. Schultz said. “Mostly, I believe in the power of community to transform individuals and families, and I look forward to being a part of the Arizona disability community.”
As written by Darci Slaten, assisted by Ana Luisa Terrazas; Full write-up here. And more coverage here.
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