Meet the Team

Nicole (Nikki) Ditchman, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Illinois Institute of Technology. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) and Certified Vocational Evaluator (CVE) with two decades of experience in rehabilitation counseling. Dr. Ditchman’s research focuses on factors and programs that impact well-being and community participation, with a particular focus on transition-age youth and young adults with disabilities as well as the application of positive psychology in supporting rehabilitation, employment and health outcomes. She has published 70 peer-reviewed journal articles and book chapters and has successfully secured and managed federally-funded research and training grants. Through her research, teaching and advocacy, Dr. Ditchman is committed to creating meaningful opportunities and supports for individuals with disabilities to thrive.  

Dr. Lindsay Sheehan, PhD, is an Assistant Professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology.  Dr. Sheehan has over 30 peer-reviewed publications and is principal investigator on multiple psychiatric disability-related research and training grants.  She developed the Inspiring Change Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) curriculum and has extensive experience implementing CBPR programming.  She is the director of a state-funded program to train Certified Recovery Support Specialists/Certified Peer Recovery Specialists (CRSS/CPRS).  Dr. Sheehan's research focuses on the stigma of mental illness, suicide, health equity, and the evaluation of peer services for people with mental illness.  She also has a decade of experience working in community mental health care, including provision of counseling, case management, residential support, and vocational training services. 

Meg Murphy is the Training and Curriculum Specialist in the Department of Psychology at Illinois Institute of Technology. She earned her Master of Science in Rehabilitation and Mental Health Counseling from IIT in 2017. Meg is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) and has worked professionally with transition-age youth for the past 8 years. She has extensive experience assisting students and young adults with disabilities to make successful transitions from high school to post-secondary education and employment opportunities. In May 2023, Meg received the “Regional 30 Under 40 Award” from the West Suburban Chamber of Commerce and Industry due to her leadership in developing and maintaining partnerships with over 80 businesses to provide work-based learning opportunities for students with disabilities in the community. Meg joined the IIT team in 2024 to develop and deliver trainings to families and youth service providers as part of the Illinois Pathways to Partnerships Project (IPPP).   

 Claire Sullivan is a second-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology PhD program with a specialization in Rehabilitation Psychology at Illinois Institute of Technology, under the mentorship of Dr. Nicole Ditchman in the WellComE Lab. She received her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Eastern Illinois University and is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) in Illinois. As a result of her studies, she has gained clinical experience as a graduate student therapist and is currently a PRN Neuropsychology Technician. Her research focus is engaging in projects that aim to increase the well-being and life satisfaction of those with disabilities. In addition, she engages in independent research on neuropsychological assessments used with young adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Claire's master’s thesis focused on the topic of stigma surrounding college students with Autism. Further, she has gained qualitative insight from young adults with Autism on their perceptions of their college environment and attitudinal barriers they encountered. Claire is strongly invested in ongoing research that continues to provide interventions tailored to those with Autism and their families.  

Clarissa Velázquez is a current student at the Illinois Institute of Technology working towards her PhD in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Rehabilitation. She earned her Bachelor of Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, where she studied Psychology with a concentration in Personality Psychology. Before beginning her graduate career, she was working as a research coordinator for the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she supported the INTERACT project in identifying themes of growth in communication and rapport between individuals with communication disabilities or difficulties and their healthcare providers.

Clarissa is currently involved in several research projects under the mentorship of Dr. Lindsay Sheehan. Currently, she is working on a study investigating the potential positive impact that mindfulness interventions have on individuals with prediabetes, as well as  a project focused on self-disclosure and substance use among Black Peer Professionals. Her research interests include working towards culturally appropriate methods to reduce mental health stigma in Latiné communities, advocating for mental health equity, accessibility, and literacy for Spanish-speaking individuals, and identifying early onset symptomology of depression and anxiety in minoritized women and children.

Tiona Wu is a Clinical Psychology PhD student at the Illinois Institute of Technology, with a specialization in Rehabilitation Psychology. She works under the mentorship of Dr. Nicole Ditchman in the WellComE lab conducting research to better the well-being of individuals with disabilities using a community-based perspective. Tiona has particular interest in conducting research to improve the societal supports available for transition-age youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). She has experience organizing social support groups for neurodivergent teens and is gaining experience implementing clinical skills in community mental health settings through her practicum training. She also has prior experience in assisting with neurodivergent and LGBTQ+ affirming, trauma-informed ASD and ADHD evaluations and is passionate about providing compassionate care that helps people understand more about themselves. The goals of Illinois Pathways to Partnerships Project resonate with Tiona's goals to strengthen community-based relationships for individuals with disabilities and provide research-based support to these communities.