Retina is a fourth-year Ph.D. student in the Department of Special Education at the University of Arizona, where she conducts research on learning disabilities and teacher-education programs. As the proud parent of two children with Autism Spectrum Disorder, she is passionate about helping parents navigate the services available for children with special needs in Tucson.
Retina has contributed to the special needs community for over ten years, most recently as the Director of the Special Needs Services Department at the Tucson Jewish Community Center. Through the L.E.N.D. program, she hopes to become an even more effective leader by working across disciplines and gaining a deeper understanding of neurological disabilities. She is also eager to become more informed about how best to provide support to communities with limited resources, such as border towns.
Among other awards and nominations, Retina is the 2016 Council For Exceptional Children Graduate Student Scholarship recipient, the 2016 Arizona Reading Association's Graduate Literacy Scholarship recipient, and the 2013 recipient of the University of Arizona's fellowship entitled “Preparing Professors in Evidence Based Practice."