DDNJ Author Insights

About DDNJ Author Insights

The official podcast for the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal (DDNJ) housed at the Institute for Disability Research, Policy and Practice (IDRPP) at Utah State University. This podcast brings peer reviewed research to an accessible and engaging format for all audiences

Publisher

IDRPP

Category

science

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

14 Dec 2021

Latest episode

1 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

21 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Sept 2026

   Ep. 21 LEND Directors Disability Network Highlight: LEND Programs with Marcia Moriarta, Jenny Miller, and Rachel White

   In another episode about programs across the Developmental Disabilities Network, Matt interviews 3 leaders within Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) programs. LEND programs aim to improve health outcomes for people with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental disabilities; they provide graduate-level training to the next generation of clinical, research, and community leaders. In this episode, you will hear from Marcia Moriarta from the University of New Mexico Center for Development and Disability and LEND program, Jenny Miller from the Division of Population Health Sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage, and Rachel White, the Director of the Alaska LEND Without Walls program at the Center for Human Development - University of Alaska Anchorage. Matt talks with all of them about their experiences in the disability network and the amazing work of LEND programs. Full transcripts of this episode are available in English and in Spanish. Dr. Moriarta is a seasoned child-family psychologist who has had the great privilege to serve as the Executive Director of the University of New Mexico Center for Development and Disability - New Mexico's University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities(UCEDD) for the last 12 years. Marcia also serves as the New Mexico LEND director and finds great joy in cultivating advocates and leaders in the disability space. She, herself, is a proud graduate of the Childrens Hospital Los Angeles LEND program where she was a trainee during her psychology internship year almost 30 years ago. This experience set the stage for a long, meaningful career in the maternal-child, disability, mental health, and prevention space. She is committed to inclusion and making sure the work of UCEDDs and LENDs directly impact the lives of people with and at risk for disabilities and their families in a direct and positive way. She currently serves on the board of directors for the Association for University Centers on Disability as an elected at-large member. At UNM, Dr. Moriarta holds joint appointments as a professor in the clinician-educator track in the Departments of Pediatrics and Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and serves as the Division Chief for the Division of Child Development. Dr. Jenny Miller is a faculty member in the Division of Population Health Sciences at the University of Alaska Anchorage. In their MPH Program, she teaches courses in Research Tools and Methods, Health Services Administration and Policy, Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology, and Disability and Public Health. Her research focuses on access to preventive healthcare services with a focus on women with disabilities. Dr. White has been the Project Director of the Alaska LEND Without Walls grant since 2024. She has over 20 years of experience working in and with community agencies providing services for children, youth, and adults with autism spectrum disorder and developmental disabilities (ASD/DD). Dr. White has served as PI on state and federal grants focused on system change projects for providers serving individuals with ASD/DD. As a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Dr. White has supported children with ASD/DD in home, school, clinic, and community settings. Dr. White is raising a son who is a child with special healthcare needs (CYSHN).

2. 

   24 Feb 2026

   Ep. 20 Christine Pisani & Libby Oseguera - DD Councils in Idaho & Utah

   In this episode, Matt interviews two more directors of Developmental Disabilities Councils, in our series about DD Act programs. Our guests are, Christine Pisani, who is Executive Director of the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities, and Libby Oseguera, the Executive Director of the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council. They talk to us about their backgrounds, how they ended up in their roles, what they do as DD Councils in their states, and how they see DD Councils improving the lives of people with disabilities. Full transcripts of this episode are available in English and in Spanish. You can read more about the programs within the DD network in our new issue of the Developmental Disabilities Network Journal - new articles are still being published in this issue, so keep checking back! About our guests: Christine Pisani has multiple family members with disabilities and began working for people with disabilities as a college student at the University of Idaho in 1986. She has worked in many direct support roles supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, people with mental health issues, and people with dementia. She is a caregiver to her mother who has dementia. Christine started at the Idaho Council on Developmental Disabilities in 1996 as the Council planner, then served as a program specialist. She has served as the Executive Director since 2013. Her work at the Council presents opportunities to work directly with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, family members, and policymakers statewide. Her work includes leadership development, service system redesign, voting rights, advocacy and education, and federal and state legislative policy. Christine holds a Master of Education degree in Special Education with an emphasis in public policy. She is also a graduate of the State of Idaho’s Certified Public Management program. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her two adult daughters, her Golden Retriever Hazel, gardening, and backpacking. Libby Oseguera has nearly thirty years of dedicated public service, encompassing adaptive recreation, job coaching, and extensive advocacy programming, policy development, and active engagement in systemic changes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Recreation from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, followed by a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills. Currently, she serves as the Executive Director of the Utah Developmental Disabilities Council, where she is committed to supporting and empowering people with intellectual and developmental disabilities to lead inclusive, meaningful, and self-determined lives within their communities.

3. 

   21 Dec 2025

   Ep. 19 Talley Wells - Disability Network Highlight: Disability Councils

   In another special episode about the Developmental Disabilities Network, Matt interviews Talley Wells about his experience with a state disability council. Along with UCEDDs, and Protection & Advocacy agencies, each state has a disability council. Talley shares his impressive history in the disability field and how the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD) supports people with disabilities across the state. A full transcript is available in English and Spanish. NCCDD: https://nccdd.org/ OlmsteadRights.org: https://www.olmsteadrights.org/ Bio: Talley Wells is the Executive Director of the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD). NCCDD is a forty-person Council appointed by North Carolina's Governor and includes people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities (I/DD), family members, state agency leaders, and three legislators. NCCDD advocates for improved systems and supports for people with I/DD. Talley previously was the Director of the Disability Integration Project at the Atlanta Legal Aid Society. Talley founded the Olmstead Disability Rights Law Clinic at Georgia State School of Law. He also founded OlmsteadRights.org. He is a former skipper on the world-famous Jungle Cruise at Walt Disney World.

Who has been a guest on DDNJ Author Insights

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Megan Best
• Amanda Johnston
• Sarah Demissie

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

1 ratings

Spotify

5.0 / 5

2 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 15 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

6

Social presence

0

YouTube

0

Engagement

60