BU Scholars

Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development

Katie Baulier

Katherine Baulier is a doctoral student at Boston University, pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Studies with a concentration in special education and a member of the Project LInC cohort. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Human Development from Connecticut College and a master’s degree in Special Education (students with severe disabilities) at Boston University. Prior to pursuing her Ph.D., Katherine taught elementary-aged students with multiple disabilities in Brookline, Massachusetts and preschool-aged students with autism in Boston, Massachusetts. Despite her role as a substantially-separate teacher, Katherine advocated for meaningful inclusion for students with severe disabilities in the general education classroom. Katherine’s research interests include general education teachers’ perceptions of students with special needs and the use of inclusive practices for all students, particularly overrepresented populations of color in special education.

Katie Meyer

Kathryn Meyer is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Educational Studies with a specialization in special education through Project LINC at Boston University. She also earned a Master of Education in Special Education and a Master of Social Work from Boston University. Kathryn began teaching in New Orleans in 2009, a time when schools were under state control and undergoing a shift from traditional public schools to charter schools. Over the past 10 years, she has worked as a general and special education teacher in inclusion, resource, and self-contained settings in both Louisiana and Massachusetts. Having worked in both charter and traditional schools under state receivership, Kathryn is interested in researching the working conditions of special educators, particularly in schools and districts at-risk for receivership or takeover.

Lindsey Kaler

Lindsey Kaler is currently pursuing her PhD in Educational Studies with a specialization in Special Education through the Project LInC program at Boston University. Lindsey graduated from the University of Virginia in 2017 with her Master of Teaching degree in Special Education and English Education. Since graduation, Lindsey has worked as a special education teacher in District of Columbia Public Schools and Arlington Public Schools. In both settings, she worked with students with an array of disability classifications in both self-contained and inclusive classroom settings in grades 6-12. Lindsey is currently interested in conducting research in the area of special education policy. Her research interests include the intersections of trauma and special education, outcomes for students with emotional and behavioral disabilities, and education policy design and implementation.

Margaret Carroll

Margaret Carroll is a doctoral student at Boston University studying special education with a focus on mental health and social and emotional learning. She is also a member of Project LINC. She previously earned a Master of Education in Special Education and Bachelors degrees in both History and Social Studies Education from Boston University. Margaret has spent the past five years teaching social studies in Natick, Massachusetts. Her research interests stem from a desire to better equip educators with the tools they need to address the social and emotional needs of their students. She is interested in researching how children can better be diagnosed with and receive early interventions for mental health and social and emotional needs.

Tashnuva Shaheen

Tashnuva Shaheen is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Educational Studies with a concentration in Special Education at Boston University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Science in General and Special Education Grades 1 – 6 from Bank Street College. She is interested in reforming teacher preparation programs and redesigning special education to address the barriers that impede opportunities and outcomes for children with disabilities.

Prior to starting her doctoral program, Tashnuva worked as 5th and 6th grade ELA teacher and reading interventionist at Achievement First Brownsville Middle School for two years and then moved on to being a Literacy Specialist for two years at Community Roots grades 6 – 8, both of which were ICT classrooms and both schools in Brooklyn, NY. Her work in the field sparked her interest in researching the systemic practices of special education, one aspect being referrals and assessments, and the ways teachers are being prepared to serve students with disabilities.