John is the Assistant Director of Student Accessibility at Sacred Heart University. Previously, he was the creator of the Neurodiverse Educational and Social Initiative at the University of Kentucky. a cross institution initiative to support the success and sense of belonging for neurodivergent students.

In his career he has worked in Behavioral Intervention, Threat Assessment, Residence Life, and Student Conduct. He earned his M.Ed. in Student Affairs from the University of Maryland.

John has over a decade of experience presenting on the emergence of Autism as an Identity John has previously presented to numerous professional and paraprofessional audiences and conferences. John also previously worked as an editorial board member for Stairway to STEM, an NSF grant funded project to support the recruitment, retention, and matriculation of Autistic students in STEM fields. John co-authored a chapter on Self-Advocacy in the book Supporting Neurodiverse College Student Success.

Eric Endlich, Ph.D., clinical psychologist and founder of Top College Consultants®, guides neurodivergent students nationwide through the college application process. He co-teaches the UC Irvine continuing education course for educational consultants, Working with Students with Learning Differences, and co-manages a 24,000-member Facebook group for parents of college-bound neurodivergent students. Dr. Endlich has served on the Learning Differences/Neurodiversity and Diversity/Equity/Inclusion Committees of the Independent Educational Consultants Association (IECA), and was honored with IECA’s “Making a Difference” award for contributions such as a database of neurodiversity-friendly colleges. A national presenter and professional writer, he is also a researcher on a project to develop college readiness software for autistic high school students and a study to enhance student-teacher relationships for autistic children, as well as an advisory board member for the UCLA Tarjan Center and the Association for Autism and Neurodiversity. Dr. Endlich is regularly interviewed by various media including Forbes, Money magazine, and U.S. News & World Report. Finally, he is a neurodivergent parent and adult.

Alex has dedicated his career to working with students who learn differently, establishing himself nationally and internationally as an expert in the social and educational challenges faced by neurodiverse students. He is particularly well-known for his expertise and development of specialized programming in the area of college readiness and transition planning for students with autism, ADHD, and learning disabilities.

As the past Vice President of Program Development and Global Partnerships at Beacon College in Leesburg, Florida, Alex founded the Center for College Readiness – an innovative pre-college program for neurodivergent students and their families in the United States and abroad. Prior to his role as Vice President, he served as Beacon’s Dean of Admissions and introduced a novel wrap-around support model that bolstered the college’s first-year retention to above 90%. While in Florida, Alex partnered with high schools to pilot one of the first college dual-enrollment programs for students with IEPs and 504 accommodation plans. He is a sought-after scholar and presenter, having conducted trainings and seminars on topics including systemic barriers in higher education for individuals with disabilities and retention management for at-risk students.

Alex is the co-chair of the Disabilities & Neurodiversity Special Interest Group for the National Association of College Admission counselors (NACAC), and was recently featured in NACAC’s textbook Fundamentals of College Admission Counseling where he wrote the chapter on counseling students with learning disabilities. He is also the Senior Advisor on Neurodiversity at Warren Wilson College and the Program Advisor at Beacon College. He is in the process of completing his Ed.D at the University of Missouri, where his dissertation focuses on the experience of families of autistic students transitioning to college.

Helen Rottier is an emerging leader in the field of college autism. She has an MS in Disability Studies from the University of Illinois Chicago and will graduate with her PhD in Disability Studies in May 2025. Her research explores the experiences of autistic and disabled students in postsecondary education and the potential of disabled knowledge production in and beyond the academy. As an autistic and otherwise disabled scholar, her work is grounded in disability culture and expertise. Through her role as Program Coordinator of the Disability Cultural Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, she bridges research and student affairs practice to craft space for autistic and disabled students.

Stassun holds the Stevenson chair in Astrophysics, and holds secondary appointments in Computer Science and in Management, at Vanderbilt University, where he has received an NSF CAREER award, a Cottrell Scholar award from the Research Corporation for Science Advancement, an HHMI Professor award from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and a Ford Foundation Fellowship from the National Academy of Sciences. Stassun is a member of the leadership team for NASA’s Ultraviolet Explorer (UVEX) space telescope mission, served as a co-investigator for NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS), chairs the executive committee of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, serves on the National Academy of Sciences Space Studies Board and Divisional Committee for Engineering & Physical Sciences, and recently served on the National Academy of Sciences Decadal Steering Committee for Astronomy & Astrophysics. An elected Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Astronomical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Sigma Xi, and an elected Member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, his research on stars and exoplanets has appeared in more than 600 peer-reviewed journal articles, with an emphasis on understanding the fundamental physical properties of stars and extrasolar planets. From 2004 to 2015, he served as founding director of the Fisk-Vanderbilt Masters-to-PhD Bridge Program, which has become one of the nation’s top producers of PhDs to underrepresented minorities in the physical sciences. Having trained more than fifty PhD students and postdoctoral scholars from diverse backgrounds, Stassun is a leader and advocate for broadening the participation of individuals from underrepresented groups in STEM fields, especially underrepresented minorities, women, and persons with disabilities. He has served on NSF’s Committee for Equal Opportunity in Science and Engineering, is a recipient of the American Physical Society’s Nicholson Medal for Outreach, has been named Mentor of the Year by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and has been honored with a Presidential Award for Excellence in Science Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring. Stassun currently serves as founding director of the Frist Center for Autism & Innovation in Vanderbilt’s School of Engineering, focused on advancing science and technology through the engagement and workforce development of autistic individuals and those with other forms of neurodiversity; the Frist Center has awarded more PhDs to autistic scientists and engineers than any other program. In 2023, Stassun was appointed to a six-year term on the National Science Board by President Joseph R. Biden. In 2024, he was named a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow and was recognized by President Biden with the National Medal of Science.

Dr. Stunder has worked in the Human Services field for 20 years. Dr. Stunder has served as an Outpatient Therapist, Case Manager, Occupational Therapist, Social Worker, and School Counselor – in addition to holding an Administrative position for the last 15 years as either a Director or Assistant Director.

Dr. Stunder is currently the Executive Director of the Life Skills through Career Program – a program for adults with Intellectual Developmental Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder to learn life and career skills and receive family supports as part of a college community at Chestnut Hill College in Philadelphia, PA. Dr. Stunder is also the Director of Neurodiversity Initiatives, where he oversees the Neurodiversity College Program. Previously, Dr. Stunder served as a member of the Faculty at Chestnut Hill for 5 years, in addition to being the Director of the Human Services Management Graduate Program.

Dr. Stunder’s research has focused on the development of learning difference programming for independent secondary schools, as well as the development of curriculum for students with learning needs and adults with developmental disabilities. He has published an Intervention Workbook for Recovery Centers of America, as well as several articles in the Interdisciplinary Journal for Advances in Research in Education (IJARE), where he also serves on the Journal Editorial Board. Dr. Stunder is also the author of the textbook “The Human Services Management Resource Guide for Directors.”

A transformational technology leader with over 30 years of experience in enterprise-level IT operations, Dr. John A. Szabo, combines a profound understanding of engineering business-aligned solutions with unparalleled problem-solving expertise. Beyond his professional achievements, John is a dedicated advocate for improving employment opportunities for the neurodiverse community, championing women’s rights, and promoting servant leadership.

Dr. Szabo earned his BS in Mathematics and Computer Science from Montclair State University, an MBA in Information Management from Marymount University, and more recently, an Ed.D. in Leadership for Organizations from The University of Dayton. He and his wife, Jacqueline, recently celebrated 30 years of marriage. Together, they have a daughter, Madison, who resides in Washington, D.C. John and Jacqueline live in Middletown, NJ.

Jane Thierfeld Brown is former Assistant Clinical Professor at Yale Child Study, Yale Medical School, Director of College Autism Spectrum and retired Director of Student Services at the University of Connecticut School of Law. She has worked in Disability Services for over 40 years. She holds an Ed.D from Columbia University, Teachers College. Dr. Brown consults with many families, students, school districts and institutions of higher education. Dr. Brown has appeared on Good Morning America, CBS News and NPR. She has co- authored “ Student with Asperger’s: A Guide for College Professionals,” (2009) Translated into Japanese (2017,) “The Parent’s Guide to College for Students on the Autism Spectrum,” (2012) and “Behavior Management and Self-Regulation,” (2012) along with many textbook chapters and articles. Dr. Brown is married and has three children, the youngest being a 31 year old son with Autism.