Helen Rottier

Helen is a white, multiply disabled scholar-activist from Madison, Wisconsin.

Why did you choose DHD at UIC?
After applying to several developmental and social psychology grad programs, I realized that the work I wanted to do may be better suited to disability studies, especially approaches that elevate and empower disabled scholars, activists, and world makers. I am grateful to work with phenomenal colleagues in the department and across the field of disability studies, and I love living in Chicago!

What do you want to do with a DHD degree?
I want to continue my career in disability studies, focused on research, teaching, and mentorship that enriches the lives of disabled people and communities. My long-term goal is to shed light on the unique and brilliant knowledge practices emerging from disabled community spaces in and beyond academia.

Research Interests
My research focuses on academic access, ableism, and the experiences of autistic, mad, and disabled students and scholars. I am fascinated by disabled epistemologies and knowledge making processes, especially crip wisdom, collective knowing, and disabled oracle work. I am also interested in how sense-making emerges in and around disability online communities.

Selected Presentations
Rottier, H. (2022, March) Disability justice in mentoring. Virtual session presented to RockEDU BIOME, Rockefeller University. Rottier, H., Harrison, L., & Duggan, M. (2021, November). Innovative community support models and novel interventions. In Aawad & Dunne (Chairs), Mental health panel. Virtual session presented at the Stanford Neurodiversity Summit. Rottier, H. (2020, April). Our existence is resistance: Autistic academics in an anti-autistic academy. In D. Nepveux (Chair), Resistance and resilience across the academy. Virtual session presented at the Society for Disability Studies @ Ohio State University @ Zoom Conference.

Selected Publications
Rottier, H., Pfingston, B., & Guberman, J. (2022). Ghosts, mice, and robots: Disappearing the autistic person. In T. Titchkosky et al. (Eds.) DisAppearing: Encounters in disability studies (pp. 93-105). Canadian Scholars Press. Rottier, H. & Gernsbacher, M. A. (2020). Autistic adult and nonautistic parent advocates: Bridging the divide. In A. C. Carey, J. M. Ostrove, & T. Fannon (Eds.) Disability allies and alliances: Opportunities and challenges (p. 155-166). Emerald Publishing.

Awards and Honors
2021 University of Illinois at Chicago College of Applied Health Sciences Achievement Award 2020
Association of University Centers on Disability CORE Trainee Research Award 2019 Autistic Self-
Advocacy Network Autism Campus Inclusion 2019 Foundation for Science and Disability Student Grant

Education
MS, Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois at Chicago, 2020; BS, Psychology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2018