Rate My Professor Natalie L. Shaheen

Natalie L. Shaheen is an associate professor at Illinois State University, jointly appointed in the Department of Special Education and the School of Teaching and Learning. She earned a Doctor of Education in Instructional Technology from Towson University between 2013 and 2018. Shaheen's research centers on K-12 technology accessibility, with a particular emphasis on creating born accessible STEM learning environments for blind and low-vision students. As the principal investigator of the A11y in Sci project, she received a National Science Foundation CAREER award totaling just over $1.5 million in 2024. This five-year grant supports efforts to improve the long-term accessibility of technology-mediated high school science classes by developing case libraries from her prior qualitative research, creating professional development modules for in-service and pre-service teachers, and producing open educational resources for university faculty and school districts. The initiative also builds mentorship pipelines from postdoctoral scholars to undergraduate research assistants, aiming to disrupt systemic ableism and ensure equitable access to STEM education and careers for disabled youth. Shaheen's personal experiences as a blind individual who encountered inaccessible high school chemistry instruction inform her commitment to transforming educational practices.