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Rehabilitation, Disability Studies, & Counseling

RRIUP Project Staff

Project Staff

Project Director

Dr. Madan M. Kundu: He received an M.A. and a Ph.D. degree in Rehabilitation Counseling from Michigan State University . He is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), National Certified Counselor (NCC), and Licensed Rehabilitation Counselor (LRC). Dr. Kundu was the President, of the state, regional, and national divisions of the National Rehabilitation Counseling Association (NRCA). Dr. Kundu is a Fulbright Scholar. He was a Consultant to the Regions II, IV, and VI Rehabilitation Cultural Diversity Initiative (RCDI), National Council on Disability (NCD), Capacity Building for American Indian Project (CBAIP), and American Indian Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (AIRRTC). During 2000-2002, he served as the Director of Research of the R&TC at Howard University, Washington, D.C. and a Research Consultant of Disability Research Institute (DRI) at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

Principal Investigator

Dr. Alo Dutta: She received an M.P.A. in Professional Accountancy and an M.A. in Rehabilitation Counseling from Southern University in Baton Rouge , and Ph.D. in Community Health with specialization in Rehabilitation from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). She is a CRC. She has served as a Consultant to the National Council on Disability in Washington , D.C. She was the Coordinator of Research (2001-2002) at the R&TC for Access to Rehabilitation and Empowerment Opportunities at Howard University (HU), Washington , D.C. Currently, Dr. Dutta is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation and Disability Studies at Southern University.

Leader - University of Memphis

Dr. Chrisann Schiro-Geist: She is a CRC, a  Licensed Clinical Psychologist, and has been a rehabilitation counselor educator since 1975.  She taught at the Illinois Institute of Technology from 1975-1987 and has been a professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) from 1987-.  She was the founding-editor of Rehabilitation Education (1986-92) and President of the CORE (1982-85). Her research deals with the improvement of the quality of life of persons with disabilities. As the Managing Director of Disability Research Institute (DRI), she took lead in the development of a psychosocial instrument for the assessment of motivation to RTW for an Early Intervention Demonstration project funded by the SSA. She coordinated the delivery of the first international M.S. in RC to a cohort of 20 students in Tipperary, Ireland. Currently, she is the Senior Vice Provost of Academic Affairs at the University of Memphis.

Leader - East Carolina Unviersity

Dr. Daniel Wong: He is a Professor and the Director of the Ph.D. Program in Rehabilitation Counseling and Administration, Department of Rehabilitation Studies, School of Allied Health Sciences, East Carolina University (ECU). Before joining ECU, Dr. Wong was the Acting Chair of the Department of Counselor Education, University of Hawaii at Manoa. Dr. Wong was the recipient of the 1992 Research Award from the American Counseling Association (ACA). Dr. Wong served as the Editor of the Journal of Rehabilitation Administration from 1996 to 2002 and he also served as the Editor of Disability International from 1996 to 2001. He also serves as a consulting editor in four (4) other professional journals.  During the past 15 years, he has been awarded research and training grants from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research and the Rehabilitation Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Education and the Social Security Administration.

Leader - Navajo Technical College

Dr. Francis Becenti - He is Navajo originally from the Church Rock/Rehoboth. Francis is Kin kii yaa aanii. In 1975, he completed a double major in Political Science and Sociology at California State University at Berkeley. He has a Master's Degree in Instructional Leadership and a Ph.D. in Community College Administration from the Colorado State University. Dr. Becenti is currently Associate Dean for Outreach & Engagement at Navajo Technical College in Crownpoint, New Mexico. He specializes in delivering experience, knowledge, and education to the success of higher education programs and institutions. Over his career, he has directed two community colleges as their chief executive officer and provided leadership, management, and training that made it possible for those institutions to remain healthy both organizationally and fiscally. Francis has built his career in higher education as a counselor, financial aid officer, program director, and dean, and has communicated his experience to executive staffs, faculty, and students in their efforts to provide meaningful practices in their learning experiences.

Leader - Independent Living Research Utilization

Ms. Laurel Richards: She has an M.A. in English from University of Houston . She is the Director of Training (1985-) and Director of Dissemination and Utilization (1999-) of Independent Living Research Utilization (ILRU). She has publications on IL, disability and managed care, and the ADA .