MEET THE PRESENTERS

Penny Stack, OTD, OTR/L, COTA, CLT, NBC-HWC is the founder and owner of DyslexiaRx, founder of Dyslexia Center of Tulsa and The Educate to Advocate Podcast. With over 35 years of experience as an occupational therapist Penny is certified in Handwriting Without Tears, received her Master’s in Occupational Therapy at Samuel Merritt University and her Doctorate degree in Occupational Therapy at Loma Linda University. Penny has dedicated her current research to Dyslexia and its impact on Occupation: The lived experience. Dr. Stack has honed her expertise in supporting individuals and families with dyslexia across the lifespan. Currently, Penny is an assistant professor and Coordinator of Doctoral Capstone and Research at Wilson College.

DISCLOSURES

FINANCIAL:  Dr. Stack is receiving compensation for her presentation.   

NONFINANCIAL: Dr. Stack has no additional relevant financial interests or conflicts of interest related to her presentation.

Prof. Dr. Gillian Rachael Hayes is an American computer scientist and a leading figure in human-computer interaction, mobile and wearable computing, and assistive technology. She is a Chancellor’s Professor and the Kleist Professor in the Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, where she is also the Vice Provost for Academic Personnel.

Dr. Hayes earned her Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Computer Science from Vanderbilt University in 1997 and completed her PhD in Computer Science at the Georgia Institute of Technology in 2007. Her research focuses on designing and evaluating technologies that address real-world challenges, especially for youth in both education and health contexts. Recognized for her innovative and socially impactful work, Dr. Hayes has received numerous honors, including the Jacobs Foundation Advanced Research Fellowship and the 2019 Social Impact Award for applying human-computer interaction research to societal needs. She was named a Distinguished Member of the Association for Computing Machinery for her outstanding scientific contributions and an ACM SIGCHI Academy Member. Dr. Hayes is widely respected for her commitment to both research excellence and community engagement in technology.

DISCLOSURES

FINANCIAL: Dr. Gillian Hayes is an employee of the University of California, Irvine.   Dr. Hayes will receive a speaker honorarium from Careerfull LLC. 

NON-FINANCIAL: Dr. Hayes has no additional relevant financial interests or conflicts of interest related to her presentation.

Mary Udria is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with 28 years of experience, including 22 years in school-based practice, serving children from preschool through high school. She provides individual, small-group, and whole-group therapy using both push-in and pull-out models. Mary has collaborated and co-treated with speech therapists for over 20 years, supporting fine motor and sensory motor development in conjunction with speech and language development, specifically incorporating the use of AAC over the last 6 years. She has a passion for serving students in the Extensive Support Needs programs within her school district. Her areas of expertise include sensory integration, fine motor, visual motor, and assistive technology. Mary was named the 2025 Classified Employee of the Year by Bonita Unified School District.

DISCLOSURES

FINANCIAL:  Ms. Udria is receiving a presenter honorarium.

NONFINANCIAL: Ms. Udria has no additional relevant financial interests or conflicts of interest related to her presentation.

Carolina Macias is a Speech-Language Pathologist with 11 years of experience, who graduated with her Masters in Communicative Disorders from California State University, Los Angeles. She has experience serving students from kindergarten through high school with a wide range of abilities. Carolina specializes in working with children with complex communication needs. She also serves as a school district’s AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) specialist, providing support to SLPs and teachers with students who utilize AAC devices. For the past decade, she has collaborated closely with occupational therapists to provide comprehensive, team-based support, therapy, and trainings.

DISCLOSURES

FINANCIAL:  Ms. Macias is receiving a presenter honorarium.

NONFINANCIAL: Ms. Macias has no additional relevant financial interests or conflicts of interest related to her presentation.

Allison Estes Baker is an occupational therapist located in Monterey County. Allie has a passion for parent and caregiver education, and program development. Allie began AlliED Educational Services in 2023 after over 10 years of working alongside districts nationwide. AlliED’s mission is to support children and communities through quality evidence-based therapeutic programs, and employs Speech and Occupational Therapists, and Special Education Teachers. Allie serves on the Preschool Assessment Team of Salinas City Elementary School and has experience teaching and training occupational therapists in early childhood settings, and supporting parents and teams during the pivotal years of early development.

DISCLOSURES:

FINANCIAL: Allison Baker owns AlliED Educational Services, and is affiliated with Salinas City Elementary School. Allison Baker will receive a speaker honorarium from Careerfull LLC. 

NON-FINANCIAL: Ms. Baker has no additional relevant financial interests or conflicts of interest related to her presentation.

Dr. Leslie Carver is Provost, Thurgood Marshall College Chair, Council of Provosts Professor, and professor of psychology and human development at the University of California, San Diego.  She is also the lab director for the UCSD Developmental Neuroscience Lab. Dr. Carver’s dissertation work on infant memory was one of the first studies to directly link brain and behavior in early infancy. Her current research includes projects on infant memory, social referencing, and face processing and social development in children with autism.

DISCLOSURES:

FINANCIAL: Dr. Carver is an employee of UCSD.  She will receive a speaker honorarium.

NON-FINANCIAL: Dr. Carver has no additional relevant financial interests or conflicts of interest related to her presentation.

 Courtney Boitano is a faculty member and Doctoral Capstone Coordinator at San Jose State University. Recent research has focused on the role of school-based occupational therapy practitioners in MTSS to affect students’ sensory processing. She has over 15 years experience working in a variety of pediatric settings and school-based practice. Her clinical practice, OT OuTside focuses on children with developmental disorders and parent support in their natural environment.

DISCLOSURES:

FINANCIAL: Courtney Boitano is an employee of San Jose State University and she has her own clinical practice, OT OuTside. Dr. Boitano will receive a speaker honorarium from Careerfull LLC. 

NON-FINANCIAL: Dr. Boitano has no additional relevant financial interests or conflicts of interest related to her presentation.

  Alicia received her Masters of Occupational Therapy degree from the University of Puget Sound. She has worked full-time as a school-based OT for over 20 years, and she currently works full-time as a school-based occupational therapist. In addition to her full-time school district job and conference planning, Alicia maintains a private practice, Skills for Independence PLLC, and she is a managing partner of Careerfull LLC. Alicia enjoys spending time with her family and travelling in her free time.

DISCLOSURES

FINANCIAL: Alicia Stufoso is co-owner of Careerfull LLC, the parent company of the Best Practices in School-Based OT Annual Conferences. She receives occasional compensation from Careerfull LLC, which may include profits from event revenue and other business activities. Alicia is also employed full-time by Bonita USD.

NON-FINANCIAL: Ms. Stufoso is a member of AOTA and NBCOT.

Lisa received her Masters of Art degree in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California. She has worked full-time as a school-based OT since 2001, and she currently works in schools in the metro Atlanta area. Besides her job as a full-time school district OT and conference planner, Lisa owns a private practice specializing in pediatrics and is a managing partner of Careerfull LLC. When she is not working, Lisa enjoys spending time with her three young children, her husband, and her dog.

DISCLOSURES

FINANCIAL: Elisabeth Nye is co-owner of Careerfull LLC, the parent company of the Best Practices in School-Based OT Annual Conferences. She receives occasional compensation from Careerfull LLC, which may include profits from event revenue and other business activities.

NON-FINANCIAL: Ms. Nye is a member of AOTA and NBCOT.