News

ArizonaLEND Alumna Georgina Georgelos, MEd Named 2026 Arizona Mother of the Year

Congratulations to Georgina Georgelos, M.Ed., an ArizonaLEND Family Alumna, for winning 2026 Arizona Mother of the Year! What an incredible achievement for someone so deserving. Georgina, a retired classroom teacher with over 32 years of experience, now homeschools her son Mateo, who has multiple disabilities. She brings the same creativity, flexibility, and child-centered philosophy to their home that shaped her decades in the classroom.

ArizonaLEND Trainee Vanessa Macamo: Bridging Continents Through Media and Advocacy

Vanessa Macamo, LLM, is a current ArizonaLEND Special Education trainee and a Fulbright Scholar from Mozambique pursuing her Ph.D. in Special Education from the University of Arizona.

ArizonaLEND Faculty Spotlight: Howard Zlamal, Dedicated to Empowering the Disability Community

Howard Zlamal is Special Education and Self-Advocacy faculty for the ArizonaLEND program, bringing over 17 years of experience as a Special Education teacher for a local school district in Tucson, AZ.

ArizonaLEND Self-Advocacy Alum, Claire Adams, Continues to Lead with Impact.

Since completing the ArizonaLEND program in 2022, Claire Adams, has continued to champion inclusive practices in her many leadership roles in the community and within her new role as a paraprofessional at a local school district.

From School Psychologist to Advocate: Jennifer Arenas-Cárdenas shares her journey between work and family

The clip highlights three mothers who share personal stories about the pressures and decisions that lead many women to step back from or reconsider their careers.

ArizonaLEND Welcomes Dr. Chelsea Carr as Training Director

The ArizonaLEND program is proud to announce Chelsea Carr, PhD, BCBA-D, as its new training director. Dr. Carr brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role and has been a valued member of the ArizonaLEND faculty since 2021. A Board Certified Behavior Analyst, she has extensive expertise supporting families of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities and earned her doctoral degree in Special Education with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis.

Transforming Sleep Apnea Care for people with Down Syndrome: $10.4M Research Grant Awarded

Dr. Daniel Combs, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson and ArizonaLEND alum (2012-2013), and the research team were recently awarded a $10.4 million grant from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI). The grant will be used to evaluate a precision medicine approach to make obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) treatment more effective for people with Down syndrome.

ArizonaLEND Self-Advocacy Trainee, Selene Amador, Spotlights Innovative Employment Approach for People with Disabilities

ArizonaLEND Self-Advocacy trainee (2024-2025), Selene Amador, presented her research poster titled “Evaluation of Customized Employment Pilot” at ArizonaLEND’s annual research symposium earlier this year.

ArizonaLEND Wrapped Up the Year with First Annual Research Symposium

ArizonaLEND held its first annual Research Symposium on May 2, 2025, highlighting the work of its 2024-2025 cohort of trainees through a traditional academic poster presentation format. The event brought together ArizonaLEND faculty, family members, university partners, and community guests to celebrate the achievements of the program's emerging leaders.

ArizonaLEND Trainees Highlight the Inequities within DCS

The group reviewed the Arizona Revised Statutes policies to see where Arizona is lacking in their protection against discrimination of parents with disabilities within the DCS system. As a result of their research, they developed a fact sheet discussing Arizona’s state policies and includes comparisons to similar states.

ArizonaLEND Trainees Advocate at State Capitol, Informing Legislators About Vital Work of The ArizonaLEND Program

On April 1st an interdisciplinary group of 6 ArizonaLEND Trainees and 2 faculty members traveled to Phoenix to meet with state senators and representatives. ArizonaLEND provides this opportunity annually, giving our cohort members firsthand, in-person advocacy experience. The trainees prepare in advance of meetings to educate on what our professions do, the people we treat and support, and the impact ArizonaLEND has in our state.

Dr. Angela Rosenberg, ArizonaLEND Faculty, Unveils Her Latest Book, Being on the Wing: Feathered Reflections on the Enneagram Subtypes

The second installment in The Enneagram in Nature series, Being on the Wing, explores the 27 Enneagram subtypes, guiding readers towards deeper self-awareness and insights into others through the symbolic wisdom of nature’s winged creatures.

Congratulations to Carolyn Tureaud, ArizonaLEND Trainee (2024-2025), on receiving the UA Hispanic Alumni Scholarship

Carolyn Tureaud’s research holds significant promise in advancing education for children with special health care needs. The $8,000 scholarship from the University of Arizona Hispanic Alumni Graduate Scholarship Program is a well-deserved recognition of her dedication to improving educational access and outcomes for underserved communities.

ArizonaLEND Alum (2023-2024), Katrina Jean, Shares Her Research on Evaluating School-based Mental Health Care Access and Associated Academic Outcomes for Elementary Students in Pima County

The proposed research has a specific focus on the opportunity gap for students with disabilities receiving special education services and historically marginalized youth.

Trainee Spotlight: Hope Wollen - ArizonaLEND Trainee and Graduate Student in the Genetic Counseling Graduate Program

In addition to her participation in ArizonaLEND and the Genetic Counseling Graduation Program, Hope Wollen has been busy serving as a student ambassador for the Expecting Health Newborn Screening Program. While serving in this role, she developed a newborn screening research program and created fact sheets for providers and parents.

Jeremy Legaspi, ArizonaLEND Alum, Works to Engage AAC Users in Building a Wider Community

Speech-Language pathologists Jeremy Legaspi (ArizonaLEND Alum 2021-2022) and Wylanta Jones recently created Camp Connect, a camp designed for young people who use Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Devices.

Gabriela Enríquez Hernández, ArizonaLEND Alum, Shares Her Research on Acceptability of Behavioral Treatment Among Hispanic Families in Southern Arizona

ArizonaLEND Alum (2022-2023), Gabriela Enríquez Hernández, has been doing incredible work in Southern Arizona with Hispanic families whose children have behavioral health needs. Her current research is looking at the treatment acceptability of applied behavior analysis (ABA) treatment strategies among Hispanic families.

Dan Combs helps young Down syndrome patients get good ZZZs

Assistant professor and ArizonaLEND Alum (2012-2013) focuses on improving sleep as the first step toward a better quality of life for his patients and their families.

Arizona LEND Trainee (2017-2018), Azucena Bravo, Making Waves in the Underserved Hispanic Community in Southern Arizona

Azucena Bravo has founded two non-profits serving the Hispanic community in Southern Arizona, Mini Poderosas and Xoco. “I have a vision for both organizations, to build community,” Azucena said.

ArizonaLEND Leadership Intensive Workshop

ArizonaLEND fellows were joined by the University of Arizona Pediatric Pulmonary Center (PPC) and the TRANSCEND Nutrition Programs from Arizona State University (ASU), Penn State, and Montclair State University for an intensive three-day Leadership Workshop. Such an amazing way to kickstart the 2024-2025 academic year!

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