Sophia Deligiannidis and PROPEL
The PROPEL (Promoting Research Opportunities for Equity in Learning) mission is to ensure equitable access to academic and research opportunities for all undergraduate students at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Sophia Deligiannidis, a Psychology and Economics undergraduate student, working on behalf of PROPEL is researching how those with disabilities are impacted by the typical research recruitment environment, and how to avoid any discrimination within the new process that PROPEL is innovating.
To enhance web accessibility, Sophia leveraged Siteimprove’s dashboard and reports to resolve and guide ongoing improvements to PROPEL’s website. Additionally, she also devised and implemented a broader strategy by incorporating Disability Services' Clockwork platform. Sophia’s work addressed a critical gap in disability accommodations for students finding opportunities through PROPEL, which typically get registered for by students as independent research or teaching credits in SPIRE. Previously, these “courses” were not covered by the Disability Services Accommodation Plan. Thanks to Sophia’s efforts, an accommodation plan is now sent to mentors, ensuring that students with disabilities receive the necessary modifications or adjustments to fully engage in their research and teaching roles. PROPEL and Sophia’s work are a major step forward in ensuring research opportunities at UMass Amherst are inclusive and accessible for all!