UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As a researcher in special education, Lydia Ocasio-Stoutenburg employs qualitative inquiry, using ethnographic approaches to center the voices and opportunities for children and their caregivers at the intersection of racialized, disabled and other historically marginalized identities.

Ocasio-Stoutenburg will continue that research after joining Penn State’s College of Education as assistant professor of education (special education with a focus on early intervention) in the Department of Educational Psychology, Counseling, and Special Education. She comes to Penn State from the University of Miami.

“I chose Penn State because of the explicit focus on equity, diversity, inclusion and justice that should be embedded in the framework of every institution committed to educational advancement,” she said. “This is critical in my field of special education, as I focus my work on students of color with disabilities and their families — who have been historically and pervasively marginalized — excluded from opportunities due to systemic racism, ableism and other inequities.”

Ocasio-Stoutenburg’s research has a specific focus on intellectual and developmental disability (IDD), transition supports and early intervention/early childhood. Cultivating co-advocates among caregivers and practitioners has been a core initiative for her, engaging others in collective action to dismantle the deficit-framed policies, practices and systems that constrain equity across generations and communities.

With more than 13 years of teaching experience in higher education, she has taught and supervised undergraduate and graduate students across a range of disciplines, including special education, community psychology and music therapy.

She received her doctorate in teaching and learning with a specialization in special education from the University of Miami, a master’s degree in bioethics and special education from St. Thomas University in Miami Gardens, Florida, a second master’s in biology from Adelphi University in Garden City, New York, and a dual bachelor of science in biology and anthropology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

“In teaching, I look forward to cultivating the personal and professional development of future educators who can demonstrate their skills and commitment to change, supporting students with disabilities and their families through a strength- and asset-based lens,” Ocasio-Stoutenburg said.

“Furthermore, as a Black woman scholar, I place high value on being able to grow my research within a department that is supportive of my own professional development, engaging in the collaborative scholarship with standout researchers to collectively advance the field.”