JOEL CRAWFORD-SMITH

In 2022, Joel Crawford-Smith completed a roughly two-year run of online courses and exams that left him with a pair of new professional web accessibility certifications and a desire for a new challenge.

“I really like to learn, so I thought ‘What do I do now?’” Crawford-Smith said. “Why not try to go to grad school?”

In Crawford-Smith’s role at Duke, he assesses Duke University’s online footprint to gauge the ease with which everyone, including people with disabilities, can use it. He also trains colleagues on web accessibility, the part of his job he wants to strengthen.

This summer, Crawford-Smith began working toward a master’s degree from UNC Charlotte in learning, design and technology where he hopes to sharpen his ability to teach and create learning materials. His goal is to complete the online coursework in under two years.

“My job falls into a predictable rhythm,” CrawfordSmith said. “I just felt like I needed a little bit of a change, and this was a healthy risk. Why not try? Duke is hopefully going to get better training out of me, and I get to further my education. It’s a win-win.”