Announcement of TED Fellows for 2025-26

🌟 Announcing the 2025–2026 TED Policy Fellows! 🌟

Empowering the Next Generation of Policy Leaders in Special Education

We are thrilled to introduce the newly selected TED Policy Fellows for the 2025–2026 term! These exceptional doctoral students have been chosen for their passion, talent, and commitment to advancing policy and advocacy in the fields of special education and teacher preparation.

Each year, the TED Policy Committee selects 2-3 motivated, policy-oriented doctoral students to serve as Fellows. This prestigious opportunity provides Fellows with hands-on experience in advocacy and policy development, working closely with national leaders, producing policy-related content, and preparing to represent TED at the Special Education Legislative Summit (SELS) in Washington, D.C.

Meet the Fellows!

Melissa Cornelius

Freyre is a doctoral student at The University of Texas at San Antonio in Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching. Prior to her doctoral journey, she worked as a middle school, high school, and post-high teacher, as well as spending 6 years as a Transition

Specialist where she assisted young adults and their families on the move from school to adult life. As part of her work, Melissa collaborated with local nonprofits and adult service providers to stay in-the-know on legislative changes that affected her students. This included chairing a committee with her Local IDD Authority to help provide community assistance and feedback, as well as advocating at the state capitol for reducing the state’s decade-long Medicaid Waiver waitlist so students could receive services when needed. Melissa’s doctoral research focuses on entrepreneurship and disability in an effort to find creative ways to help students with disabilities have fulfilling lives through employment.

Mattie Stooks

Mattie is currently pursuing a PhD in special education at Old Dominion University. She is committed to advancing inclusive learning environments within academic and K-12 settings. With a foundation as a special education teacher, where she primarily supported students in the general education classroom and served as an Autism inclusion teacher, she draws upon her classroom experience to inform her scholarship and advocacy. These roles have strengthened her dedication to ensuring that all learners, regardless of ability, have access to meaningful educational opportunities. Mattie’s research interests include autism, teacher perceptions of students with autism, effective inclusion strategies, and the analysis of special education law and policy. Her interest is particularly focused on the ways that advocacy can contribute to a more equitable and supportive educational system for students with disabilities. She brings a practical, collaborative approach to her research, aiming to bridge the gap between research and practice. As both a researcher and practitioner, Mattie values working collaboratively with educators, families, and policymakers to promote inclusive education. Her ongoing work aspires to help build an education system where every student is welcomed, valued, and empowered to succeed. 

Bridget Smith

Bridget is a PhD student in Special Education at Vanderbilt University. Her research interests include supporting family members of individuals with disabilities in becoming special education policy advocates and implementers. This includes studying the mechanisms that can be used to improve family members' understanding of their rights and the services available to students with disabilities under IDEA and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Bridget formerly interned at the U.S. Senate, the Scottish Parliament, and the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Special Education Programs and worked in education policy consulting. Before beginning her doctoral studies, she served as a special education teacher in Malawi. Bridget earned her master’s degree in Education, Globalization, & International Development from the University of Cambridge, studying the roles parents play in promoting inclusive education policies at the school level across Sub-Saharan Africa. She has a BA in Political Science from Oberlin College.