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inaugural class of starr fellows launched at lurie institute for disability policy BY
C HR I ST I N E T HI EL M A N
There were some new faces around Heller’s Lurie Institute for Disability Policy this semester, as eight undergraduates — Julia Brown ’19, Monica Chen ’19, Shoshi Finkel ’20, Shira Levie ’20, Alanna Levy ’19, Rachel Steinberg ’20, Norma Stobbe ’20 and Max Tang ’19 — became the inaugural class of the Nathan and Toby Starr Undergraduate Fellowship in Disability Policy, a program designed to foster research expertise and expand understanding of disability policy among undergraduate students at Brandeis. Starr Fellows train under established Lurie Institute researchers, developing knowledge and experience in disability research and policy. During this semester-long mentorship, the 2019 fellows pursued research interests such as health policy, disability support systems, disability law and civic engagement by people with disabilities. The Starr Fellowship provides a unique and valuable opportunity for undergraduates to be a part of the research and discovery taking place at Heller, and to benefit from the mentorship of graduate students, postdoctoral researchers and faculty. Speaking in February to The Justice, Starr Fellow Finkel described Lurie as “one of those hidden gems at Brandeis, in terms of its dedicated scholars and world-renowned research.” “We have been delighted to welcome these talented undergraduates to the Lurie Institute,” said Monika Mitra, institute director and Nancy Lurie Marks Associate Professor of Disability Policy. “It’s critical to educate young researchers about the many societal changes spurred by the disability rights movement, and the vital role that cross-disciplinary research has played in informing disability policy.”
4 heller magazine
SEVERAL STARR FELLOWS AT THE SYMPOSIUM ON DISABILITY RIGHTS IN BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, SHAKE HANDS WITH PROMINENT DISABILITY ACTIVIST JUDY HEUMANN, FEBRUARY 2019.
In February, several of the Starr Fellows joined Lurie researchers at a major symposium on disability rights sponsored by the Institute for Human Rights at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. They even met with prominent disability activist Judy Heumann, famous for her successful civil disobedience in support of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. “Meeting someone as influential and passionate as Judy Heumann was very exciting,” said Levy. “Her words encouraged me to spread tolerance and acceptance for others.” Heumann spoke on the Brandeis campus in March, drawing such a large audience that the event was moved to a larger venue. The Lurie Institute employs both innovative and established research practices to advance a more equitable society for people with disabilities and their families. Lurie’s research and publications bridge the lived experiences of disabled people with the efforts of policymakers, service providers and community leaders at the local, state, national and international levels.