David's Story

Board member | Ph.D, CRC

David currently serves on the Access to Independence (ACCESS) Board of Directors. He is a Past-Board President (twice) and is a long-standing supporter of ACCESS. David was born and raised in Madison, WI. He is fortunate to have most of his family still living in Madison. David loves southern Wisconsin and hiking and spending time with family outdoors. He is a musician and plays keyboards in a rock/blues band currently named “Beat Road.” David is a lifetime disability advocate. He has worked as a special educator, rehabilitation counselor, vocational placement specialist, and professor. Currently, David is a Professor and Rehabilitation Psychology Area Chair in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education. He served as Associate Dean of Curriculum and International Affairs in the School of Education from 2012-2016. He served as Chair of the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology and Special Education from 2007-2011. Prior to joining the faculty at UW-Madison in 2002, David was an assistant professor at the Pennsylvania State University and the University of Wisconsin-Stout (Department Chair, 2000-2002).

David attained his PhD at the University of Wisconsin -Madison in the Department of Rehabilitation Psychology in 1993. He has over 60 published articles and chapters pertaining to rehabilitation psychology. He has been awarded several research and training grants funded by the Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA) and the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR) with PI or Co-PI status equaling over seven million dollars. Some of David’s primary areas of interest and research include disability advocacy, supported employment, psychiatric rehabilitation, clinical judgment and decision making in rehabilitation counseling, clinical bias, cross cultural and diversity issues, and international rehabilitation.


David is currently the Vice President (President Elect) of the National Council of Rehabilitation Educators (NCRE), assuming the Presidency in fall 2019. Among numerous recognitions, David recently received the prestigious George Wright Varsity Award for his outstanding contributions to the field of Rehabilitation Psychology.