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Meet Landmark College Institute for Research and Training (LCIRT) Staff

Manju Banerjee, Ph.D.
Vice President and Director of LCIRT

Dr. Banerjee brings over 28 years of experience in the field of learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. From 2008-2012, she  was the Co-Principal Investigator of a $1.03 million federal grant investigating the application of principles of Universal Design to online and blended courses. During her professional tenure she has served as a researcher, faculty member, and disability service provider. Dr. Banerjee has published and presented extensively, both nationally and internationally on topics including disability documentation, technological competencies for postsecondary transition, and Universal Design. She is on the editorial board of the Journal of Postsecondary Education Disability.

Karen Boutelle, M.Ed., PCC
Associate Director of LCIRT

Karen Boutelle’s experience in the field of education spans three decades and includes work with students from kindergarten through graduate school.  At Landmark College, she has served as faculty member, associate dean, and founding director of the Coaching Services department.   Karen is a Professional Certified Coach, and earned a Georgetown University Leadership Coaching Certificate.  Her areas of expertise extend to adult development, transformational learning, and working with students and adults who have executive function challenges.  She co-authored “Executive Function Coaching for College Students with Learning Disabilities and ADHD: A New Approach to Fostering Self-Determination,” Journal of Learning Disabilities Research & Practice (11/09).  Recently, she completed a two-year somatic psychotherapy training program and is currently exploring the intersection of mindfulness practices, adult development, and leadership coaching.

 

Ibrahim Dahlstrom-Hakki, Ph.D.
Research and Education Specialist

Dr. Dahlstrom-Hakki is an Education and Research Outreach Specialist with the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training (LCIRT). He earned his Ph.D. in Cognitive Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. His research has focused on visual perception and on learning. He is currently Principlal Investigator of an NSF (National Science Foundation) Research in Disabilities Education Grant HRD-1128948 entitled "Investigating the Effectiveness of TinkerPlots in Helping Students with Learning Disabilities Understand Statistical Concepts." This grant is focused on improving introductory level statistics courses for students with LD at the postsecondary level. Dr. Dahlstrom-Hakki has taught both graduate and undergraduate courses at a number of campuses including the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Mount Holyoke College, Holyoke Community College and the University of Phoenix. Dr. Dahlstrom-Hakki is primarily focused on the development of research projects aimed at investigating new or evaluating existing methods of delivering educational content to students with learning disabilities. In addition, he provides workshops and trainings on effective approaches to teaching STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) content to students with LD and on Universal Design for Instruction.

Linda Hecker, M.Ed.
Lead Education Specialist

At Landmark, Linda has directed tutorial and teacher training programs, taught English, study skills, and music classes, and served as an academic advisor and academic dean. She was appointed to the Landmark College Institute for Research and Training in 2001, and currently serves as a Lead Education Specialist. She frequently presents workshops, seminars and graduate courses for educators and parents. Ms. Hecker is the author of numerous articles and book chapters, including work on multisensory learning and assistive technology. She received her B.A. from Brandeis University and her M.Ed. from the University of Hartford. Linda has an active second life as an avid amateur violinist/violist who performs in many regional orchestras and ensembles. She also loves hiking, kayaking and biking the by-ways of Vermont.
 

Sapna Prasad, Ph.D.
Research and Education Specialist

Dr. Prasad earned her doctorate in Cognitive Psychology from Rutgers University. She is currently Principal Investigator of grants funded by the AT&T Foundation and the NSF Alliance for Access to Computing Careers aimed at increasing the participation of students with disabilities in the STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and math). Sapna also trains educators on topics including the neuroscience of learning and Universal Design for Instruction. Prior to joining LCIRT, Sapna conducted research investigating the visual perceptions of self-other actions and the impact of autism, inner-ear infections and parental interactions on cognitive development.

 

 

Sarah Downing
Office Manager and IRB Administrator

In her role as office manager, Sarah is the first point of contact for LCIRT inquiries. Those seeking additional information or customer service for workshop registrations or customized training workshops for faculty, staff and administrators receive initial assistance from the office manager. As part of the client intake process, the office manager is responsible for creating and processing contractual agreements for fee based services. In order to support ethical human subject research, Sarah serves as the administrator for Landmark College's Institutional Review Board (IRB). Sarah received a B.S. in marketing from Franklin Pierce University and assists with the Institute’s marketing efforts.