Debbie is the Section Head of Speech and Language Pathology at the Center for Development and Learning (CDL) and Clinical Assistant Professor with the Division of Speech and Hearing Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.  During her 14 ½ years at the CDL, she has provided assessment and intervention services to children with developmental disabilities and coordinated the Assistive Technology Team which provided interdisciplinary assessments for individuals across the lifespan.  She has managed numerous training grants focused on providing training and technical assistance to service providers and families of children with severe physical impairment and has authored several publications related to children with disabilities.  In conjunction with colleagues from other disciplines, Debbie has co-taught a number of classes on children with low incidence disabilities. 

Debbie was born in upstate New York; however, she claims North Carolina as her home and has resided here since 1966.  She completed her undergraduate degree in Tokyo, Japan at Sophia University with a Bachelor’s degree in psychology and subsequently returned to the United States to pursue her Master’s degree at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.  She received her doctorate degree in Early Childhood, Family, and Literacy Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in May, 2003.

Outside of work, Debbie is the mother of an active teenage son.  She loves to spend time outdoors biking, hiking, skiing, and playing with her dog and cat.  Debbie also loves to read, go to the beach, collect Native American pottery, and take pictures of lighthouses.