Meet our dedicated Universal Design and Accessibility (UDA) Coordinators, your go-to experts for technical assistance and guidance.
Lori Hokerson
American River College
I am excited to serve in my new role as the Universal Design and Accessibility Coordinator at American River College. I hold a Master’s degree in Psychology and prior to teaching, I spent many years working for the State of California, in community mental health, and in my earliest adult years as an assistant coach at my alma mater, Saint Mary’s College (Moraga). I have taught in multiple modalities for the past 21 years in the ARC Psychology Department, including face-to-face, hybrid, and fully online courses.
What I truly love about working at ARC are the opportunities I’ve had to create unique and transformative learning experiences that positively affect the lives of our students. At the forefront of my work has been, and will continue to be, equity. I am particularly appreciative of all of the wonderful professional development activities that our college has provided over the years that have allowed me to improve my own teachings. Most importantly, the relationships that I have developed across the campus have served as a source of inspiration and strength for me as a faculty member and in my new role as UDA Coordinator.
I hope to continue that trend in motivating and supporting your work toward creating accessible course content, as well implementing universal design in everything we do at ARC. Although I will miss working closely with our ARC student population, I look forward to getting to know and work with all of you, the amazing ARC faculty and staff, to move ARC closer to our goal of delivering an equitable, meaningful, and purposeful learning experience to our students.
Email me at hokersl@arc.losrios.edu.
Timi Poeppelman
Cosumnes River College
I am Timi Ross Poeppelman (she/her/hers), and I am the Universal Design and Accessibility Coordinator for Cosumnes River College. I am in my 28th year of teaching higher education courses in journalism, communication studies and public relations. I hold an M.A. in communication studies and a B.A. in journalism. I am a huge women’s collegiate basketball and WNBA fan. Fun fact: I played on the Sacramento State women’s basketball team (back when dinosaurs roamed Sacramento!).
More than 20 years ago, I began training community college journalism teachers by helping them stay current with the industry’s technology and skills. And, now, I am in my seventh year as a member of the CRC Distance Education team. I love working with and supporting faculty!
I offer a safe learning space for teachers of all subjects where I will listen to your teaching needs. I promise two things: 1) I will meet you where you are in your teaching journey and 2) inspired by Anne Lamott, I will help you progress “bird-by-bird” to your goal.
I look forward to meeting and working with all of you.
Email me at poeppet@crc.losrios.edu.
Rebecca Mendell
Folsom Lake College
I am Rebecca Mendell (she/her), and I am delighted to serve as the Universal Design and Accessibility Coordinator at Folsom Lake College. Universal design and accessibility have been a special area of interest of mine, especially as a person with disabilities. I have been an academic librarian and educator for nearly 20 years and served Access Services Librarian at Folsom Lake College since 2007.
As UDA Coordinator, I will provide additional leadership and support in distance education, universal design, and accessibility. In this role, I am here to assist interested faculty in developing variety and flexibility within their course design and teaching practices. Additionally, I will be creating training materials, workshops, and other aids to assist faculty who wish in applying universal design principles to their courses to foster culturally responsive learning experiences and addressing multiple diversities.
My passion lies in the neuroscience of learning and the countless ways in which intersectional identities connect with education. I take great joy in helping faculty create inclusive and flexible learning environments, active engagement, and knowledge creation for their students. I am deeply committed to compassionate service, student-centered education, and promoting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Outside of my professional life, you’ll find me cooking, reading, spending quality time with my family, and enjoying Korean television dramas.
Email me at mendelr@flc.losrios.edu.
Schedule a Meeting with Rebecca
Gabriella Nuttall
Sacramento City College
I am the new Universal Design and Accessibility Coordinator at Sacramento City College. I hold a master’s degree in English with TESOL Concentration from CSU, Sacramento. Before coming to the United States, I received a bachelor’s degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures from the Università degli Studi in Lecce, Italy. I have taught ESL courses, especially critical reading strategies and academic writing, for over 30 years, first at Sacramento State and then at Sacramento City College.
I am very excited about the opportunity to support my colleagues in making their courses and materials more inclusive and accessible to all their students. I rely on my many years of experience teaching ESL students and helping them navigate online courses. I have learned that people from very different linguistic and cultural backgrounds as well as people with cognitive, learning, and physical disabilities bring unique perspectives and solutions to the learning environment. Supporting faculty as they strive to create accessible course content allows me to be a voice for communities with untapped potential.
Email me at nuttalg@scc.losrios.edu.
Schedule a Meeting with Gabriella