Purdue HDFS faculty member receives teaching innovation award to support neurodiversity through inclusive spaces
Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, rhoffa@purdue.edu
A.J. Schwichtenberg
A.J. Schwichtenberg, associate professor in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science (HDFS), is the 2024 recipient of the Patsy J. Mellott Teaching Innovation Award. Established by College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumna Patsy Mellott, the award supports HHS faculty who demonstrate their excellence and leadership as teachers by proposing significant innovations to enhance the quality of HHS education programs.
In collaboration with HDFS graduate students Amy Janis and Moon West, Schwichtenberg will apply the award funds toward costs associated with the creation of an “Inclusive Space Project” manual that will provide physical space recommendations to aid in making research labs at Purdue more accommodating and supportive for all students. The guidance provided by the “Inclusive Space Project” manual is designed to help labs embrace neurodiversity, or the variations in brain functioning across the human population. This includes neurodivergent identities such as autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia and other learning disorders, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and bipolar disorder, among others.
Having previously received a university Focus Award for her efforts in supporting inclusion and neurodiversity, Schwichtenberg encourages neurodiversity in her Sleep and Developmental Studies Lab. She has developed in-lab processes that support student growth and has seen student successes in awards, student research dissemination and the development of significant social connections. However, the physical conditions of her lab — and most standard Purdue research labs — such as fluorescent lights and one-size-fits-all seating, often create unnecessary barriers for many students.
The development of the “Inclusive Space Project” manual will be centered on a framework comprised of information gathering, student-led suggestions and feedback to set clear recommendations that help labs better serve all students, including those with neurodivergent identities. Schwichtenberg noted recommendations may include non-fluorescent lighting, alternative seating, noise-canceling headphones and more.
Once the recommendations are compiled into a draft manual, it will be distributed to two other research labs within Purdue. This will allow for adaptations and improvements to make the manual widely applicable to different types of research labs for future distribution.
The Patsy J. Mellott Teaching Innovation Award provides up to $3,000 for one year to an individual or small group of HHS faculty for a wide variety of innovative projects, including but not limited to the design of new courses, the development of new models for teaching existing courses, the creation of new curricula, and the purchase of equipment to enrich students’ learning in a course or set of courses.
For more information, please contact Schwichtenberg or senior associate dean Tom Berndt.
- A.J. Schwichtenberg, associate professor, Department of Human Development and Family Science, ajschwichtenberg@purdue.edu
- Tom Berndt, senior associate dean for academic affairs and administration, College of Health and Human Sciences, berndt@purdue.edu.
View past recipients:
2023 Patsy J. Mellott Teaching Innovation Award Recipients
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