Karrie Shogren, who has spent the past two decades researching how to break down barriers to self-determination within the disability community, will present her first distinguished professor lecture on Thursday.
Shogren is the Ross and Marianna Beach Distinguished Professor of Special Education in the University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences.
“Research shows promoting autonomy leads to valued life outcomes, but for people with disabilities, barriers to supporting self-determination persist,” according to a KU News release about the talk.
Shogren’s lecture, “Advancing Self-Determination: Building Systems of Supports with the Disability Community,” is set for 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 14 in the Kansas Room of the Kansas Union, 1301 Jayhawk Blvd.
“The lecture will cover research that establishes definitional frameworks, assessments and evidence-based interventions that encourage self-determination to enhance school and community outcomes,” according to the release. “The research also highlights partnerships with the disability community and the importance of creating support systems that allow people with disabilities to make their own choices and set goals for themselves.”
People can register at this link to attend the event. A reception will follow at 6:30 p.m.
Shogren’s work “has helped shape the direction of services and support for people with disabilities in schools and communities, as well as influenced research, theory and practice in related fields,” according to the release.
Shogren serves as director of the KU Center on Developmental Disabilities and is also the associate director of the Beach Center on Disability and a senior scientist at the Schiefelbusch Life Span Institute. Her research focuses on assessment and intervention in self-determination and supported decision-making for people with disabilities, and she has published more than 200 articles in peer-reviewed journals and authored or co-authored more than 20 books, according to the release.
“It is a privilege to have this opportunity to elevate and share work that has been driven by the disability community to change systems and practices to advance self-determination,” Shogren said in the release.
Shogren joined KU’s Department of Special Education as an associate professor in 2013 and was previously a faculty member at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Texas at Austin. She earned her doctorate in special education from KU, according to the release.
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