About Dr. Body
Over 30 years Supporting Students
During my 20 years as a Academic Dean at Mount Holyoke College (South Hadley, Massachusetts), I have worked with literally hundreds of students to help them understand their learning strengths and challenges, develop academic skills, explore technology, and advocate for reasonable accommodation under the law. I have also ben in private practice since 1993, working with undergraduate and graduate students, as well as, professionals in the world of work.
My Inspiration
The PAL Program at Curry College
Back in 1984, I began working in Residence Life at Curry College (Milton, Massachusetts). To support the first of its kind collegiate program for students with learning disabilities, I developed a community curriculum for the incoming first years. Because of this work with Dr. Gertrude Webb and the faculty within the Program for the Advancement of Learning (PAL Program), I was inspired to return to school in 1988 for my doctorate in Special Education and Higher Ed. Administration at the University of Massachusetts- Amherst. PAL's focus was on meta-cognition, critical thinking, and academic/social skills building inspired me to focus my studies on how we can assess these important aspects of student development and support their growth. My emphasis was how to support students with cognitive challenges including learning disabilities, attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder, Aspergers syndrome which is now autism spectrum disorders, and psychiatric concerns in adolescents and adults with an emphasis on how those concerns play out in a higher educational setting. My comprehensive examination was creating an adolescent development inventory to assess growth in seven areas. This inventory along with Seligman's Learned Optimism (later became Positive Psychology) was the basis of my research. I completed my doctoral studies and defended my dissertation (Students with Learning Disabilities in Higher Education) in 1993. During my time at the University, I was Casemanager for the Learning Disabled Student Services, participated in assessment internships, as well as, taught the study skills and Introduction to Special Education courses. The energy and commitment of the students I worked with at Curry College and UMass inspired me to commit my professional life to academic coaching.
For twenty years, I was a Dean at Mount Holyoke College, focused on supporting students with disabilities, administrating reasonable accommodations, and running a psycho-educational testing program on-campus for students who could not afford testing. I was also consultant to Smith, Hampshire, Williams, and Amherst Colleges' Disability programs. For three years I traveled to Boston two days a week to support art students at the Massachusetts College of Art and Design as their learning specialist. In my 30 plus years, I have had the pleasure of working with an inspiring group of students! During this whole time, I was also working with private clients and professionals in support of their academic and work goals.
My Focus When Working with Students and Professionals
Metacognition
When I work with students and professionals, my focus (like the PAL Program) is on helping them understand their learning strengths and challenges; what is going to get them through school and succeed in the world of work, as well as, what is getting in their way, both cognitively and emotionally. This personal understanding helps students and professionals integrate all aspects of their lives and internalize skills essential to success. By first focusing on these things, we can then develop a plan that possible accommodations under the law, important skills to learn and practice, and the use of technology (text to speech, voice recognition, writing, and smart pens) as a support.
In this way, by the time students graduate from college, they have developed self-awareness, self-advocacy, and internalized skills to a level that has them better prepared to deal with the expectations and the rigors of the world of work and/or graduate school with confidence and independence. The transition after graduation is much smoother and forward thinking.
For students in graduate school, I can help them assess what are their short-term and long term goals within their program of study in order to connect it to their goals in the world of work. As I found, in beginning a graduate program, I had to upgrade my time management and organization skills, my writing process, and my relationship with significant others. It is a transition that can be both rewarding and frustrating! There are way too many ABD's out there ( I was almost one of them). I can help support graduate students as they move from coursework into comprehensive examinations and thesis/dissertation writing, which has its own skills requirements and dangerous potholes in the road!
For Professionals, whether you are working remotely from home or in an office setting, time management and organization are the foundations for success. But not just success but also enjoyment. By upgrading your skills and tools, you learn to work more efficiently towards personal and business goals.
My goal is to help students and professionals internalize time management skills so they can work towards balance and reasonable expectations. Time management is the foundation for exploring skills in reading, their process of writing, notetaking strategies, test taking skills, social and leadership skills, and stress reduction. These are all skills that need to be taught; we are not born with them. Just like swimming or any other skill, they need to be taught and then practiced with the help of a coach.
My Varied Background and Other Interests
My Educational background and other interests add to my abilities in working with a varied group of students and professionals. In terms of my higher education, I have a Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Resource Management (Penn State), giving me a broad perspective on the sciences and environmental curriculum. I also have a Masters degree in Business (Penn State), which gives me insight into business courses and work environments, as well as, writing. I consider myself an amateur naturalist, enjoying hiking, sailing, and kayaking. I work with naturalists in the area to create educational nature videos, so I am no stranger to technology and the power/frustrations of software programs! Wildlife conservation, land preservation, wildlife photography, and of course, chocolate are also my passions.
