Nicole S. Ofiesh, Ph.D.
Dr. Ofiesh is a cognitive behavioral scientist with expertise in dyslexia, learning disorders, ADHD and autism spectrum disorders. With a focus on what students need during high school and beyond, she believes teaching to the whole person is associated with improved learning and a purposeful life. She regularly works with postsecondary institutions and school districts to reimagine how we prepare students for the needs of the 21st and 22nd centuries. She was the former Executive Director of the Stanford Schwab Learning Center and Founder of the UDL Innovation Studio at Stanford. At Stanford she co-designed and co-taught a course on Neurodiversity and Design Thinking in the School of Medicine. She remains a guest lecturer in the Schools of Engineering and Medicine at Stanford on courses regarding learning disorders, ADHD, accessibility, universal design and design thinking. She is a regularly invited keynote speaker. Her faculty and research roles include positions at Stanford University, Penn State University, Providence College, University of Arizona and Notre Dame de Namur University, where she was Program Director of Special Education and Department Chair of Teacher Education. She currently teachers a course on Assessment in Special Education at the University of Utah. She is on the editorial board of the Journal of Learning Disabilities and regularly serves as an expert in the area of learning disabilities and test accommodations. Her work has influenced federal guidance on the provision of test accommodations for individuals with disabilities. She believes all individuals should thrive across the lifespan, not simply survive.