Zooming into Focus: A VCU-RRTC-IDD Podcast

VCU-RRTC

This podcast focuses on the Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment of Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities grant-funded project. It features interviews with the project's director, research study leads, and steering committee members discussing the research and training of the project. The new podcast will release episodes on the second Monday of each month over the next five years.

Episodes

  1. Episode 10: Dr. Ashley Lecorn-Huckaby and Dr. Pete Temple, Tech-Prep Virginia

    5d ago

    Episode 10: Dr. Ashley Lecorn-Huckaby and Dr. Pete Temple, Tech-Prep Virginia

    Dr. Lecorn-Huckaby and Dr. Temple join us to continue the discussion from Episode 9 about Research Study 3's Tech Prep intervention, as they also recently launched the first cohort of the online Tech-Prep course for students with IDD in Virginia.

    22 min
  2. Episode 9: Dr. Josh Taylor and Dr. Holly Whittenburg, Tech-Prep Washington State

    May 11

    Episode 9: Dr. Josh Taylor and Dr. Holly Whittenburg, Tech-Prep Washington State

    Dr. Josh Taylor and Dr. Holly Whittenburg join us from Washington State University. They are working on Research Study 3’s Tech Prep intervention and they, along with their colleagues, recently launched the first cohort of the online Tech-Prep course for students with IDD.

    30 min
  3. Episode 8: Dr. Whitney Ham and Crystal Hence, Directors of Technical Assistance and Training

    Apr 1

    Episode 8: Dr. Whitney Ham and Crystal Hence, Directors of Technical Assistance and Training

    In a special early released    episode of Zooming into Focus, Whitney and Crystal have a conversation about training and technical assistance and how the general public can utilize the resources that are produced by the project team. They also discuss what Technical Assistance is and how people can gain information from the team about anything IDD and disability employment related.

    36 min
  4. Episode 7: Troy Carter, Research and Communications Assistant

    Mar 9

    Episode 7: Troy Carter, Research and Communications Assistant

    Troy Carter, a research and communications assistant on the project, tells us about his journey to his current career and the ups and downs along the way. He also gives us his views on the five studies of the project and his experiences with each topic.

    34 min

  5. Feb 9

    Episode 6: Dr. Carol Schall, Research Study Five Principal Investigator

    We are joined by Dr. Carol Schall, the principal investigator of Research Study Five. She breaks down the research that she and her team are conducting to increase the quality of supported employment services provided to people with IDD by establishing a valid and reliable scale for implementation.

    48 min
  6. Episode 5: Jaclyn Camden, Research Study Four Principal Investigator

    Jan 12

    Episode 5: Jaclyn Camden, Research Study Four Principal Investigator

    We sit down with Jaclyn Camden, the principal investigator of Research Study Four, and discuss the research of her and her team as they create a technical assistance and training model for college professionals to improve employment opportunities for college students with IDD.

    23 min
  7. Episode 4: Dr. Tim Tansey, Research Study Three Principal Investigator

    12/08/2025

    Episode 4: Dr. Tim Tansey, Research Study Three Principal Investigator

    On episode four, we catch up with the principal investigator of Research Study Three, Dr. Timothy Tansey, about his team's study: Inspiring and Preparing Disempowered Youth with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities to Pursue Technology Training and Careers: Scaling up the TECH-Prep Intervention.

    29 min
  8. Episode 3: Alissa Brooke, Research Study Two Principal Investigator

    11/10/2025

    Episode 3: Alissa Brooke, Research Study Two Principal Investigator

    On this episode, we talk with the principal investigator of Research Study Two, Alissa Brooke, about her team's study: The Impact of CIE on the Lives of People with IDD: A Mixed-Methods Intervention Development Study Across Multiple Businesses.

    24 min
  9. Episode 2: Dr. Ben Schwartzman, Research Study 1 Principal Investigator

    10/06/2025

    Episode 2: Dr. Ben Schwartzman, Research Study 1 Principal Investigator

    On this episode, we talk with the principal investigator of Research Study One, Dr. Ben Schwartzman, about his team's study, as he and his team are developing a combined parent and peer mentorship program to help adults with IDD connect to employment.

    24 min
  10. Episode 1: Project Director Jenn McDonough

    08/26/2025

    Episode 1: Project Director Jenn McDonough

    On this episode, we talk with Project Director Jenn McDonough about what the RRTC on IDD project is, how it started, and where it's going from here. Jenn gives us an overview of the funding and of the five research studies that comprise the project.

    18 min
  • 10 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

This podcast focuses on the Virginia Commonwealth University Rehabilitation Research and Training Center on Employment of Persons with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities grant-funded project. It features interviews with the project's director, research study leads, and steering committee members discussing the research and training of the project. The new podcast will release episodes on the second Monday of each month over the next five years.

Information