Team

Aaron Schaal

I finished my MSc in theoretical and mathematical physics in July 2016 and started my Ph.D. studies in mathematical physics at LMU Munich in 2016. My Ph.D. thesis is about the arrow of time. My pronouns are he/him. I am affected by generalised dystonia, meaning that I am reliant on a wheelchair and can only communicate via my eyes. My aim when founding Chronically Academic was to improve the international and interdisciplinary exchange concerning all issues regarding a successful career for academics with disabilities.

Alyssa Hillary

I am a Ph.D. student in neuroscience, an Autistic activist, and a disability studies scholar. My pronouns are they/them. I am interested in assistive technology that is not about imitating the standard ways of doing/being, and which addresses the mismatch between a person’s abilities and environment rather than considering the problem to lie entirely within the person. My art features on the covers of Typed Words, Loud Voices, and The Real Experts: Readings for Parents of Autistic Children.

Carsten Dethlefs

I am a former Ph.D. scholar of the Konrad-Adenauer foundation, economist and I have been fully blind since I was four. My pronouns are he/him. I joined Chronically Academic to pass on my own experiences in academia and to promote the inclusion of individuals with disabilities and chronic illnesses in academia. Inclusion is only truly successful when one’s own impairment becomes a side issue. After working for the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung from 2015 to 2017, I became a consultant for freedom from bareers and a lecturer at the FH-Westküste. It is my aim to convince companies to attend to people with disabilities as a target group. To get satisfied customers with disabilities you have to reduce barriers and help them during the shopping process. I have an image video in German.

Jennifer Mankoff

I am a full professor in the Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington, and co-lead of the Center for Research and  Education on Accessible Technology and Experiences. I have had Lyme Disease since 2006 (and blog about it at pghlyme.org) and repetitive strain injuries on and off since the mid-1990s. My pronouns are she/her. At times, I have been on partial leave due to disability, used a cane, and currently, I have to restrict my travel to help manage my disease. I have also done research on Lyme disease and Assistive Technology and am familiar with disability studies literature. I also head the accessibility advocacy community within my field (Human-Computer Interaction). I am happy to help any disabled academic trying to balance the competing needs of work and life in the context of disability, and could be especially helpful to those with invisible disabilities.

Katta Spiel

I am a Hertha-Firnberg Postdoctoral Scholar at the Vienna University of Technology, where I research marginalised perspectives on interaction design and technologies, particularly with a focus on gender and neurodiversity. My pronouns are they/them. I support Chronically Academic as a place for peer support and advocacy.

Maria Niedernhuber

I am a Ph.D. student in cognitive neuroscience at the University of Cambridge working on the neural mechanisms of multisensory perception to aid the rehabilitation of disabled people. My pronouns are they/them. I am working with Chronically Academic towards a better representation of disabled people in academia.

More team members to be introduced soon.