Chapman University is excited to announce the first support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for more than $417,000. The support for the California Special Education Residency Projects grant will help fund research and training to remove barriers facing students with disabilities. Chapman will be partnering with the University of Kansas and the University of Florida on this project. “This is a unique opportunity to partner with the state of California and the BMGF in supporting this transformational initiative to professionalize teacher education,” said Project Principal Investigator Dr. Audri Gomez.

“The highly collaborative team we have built through our California Alliance for Inclusive Schooling has led to this important grant, paving the way toward inclusive schooling becoming a reality for ALL individuals,” said Professor Don Cardinal, Director of the Thompson Policy Institute.

“I am thrilled to see the success of the Thompson Policy Institute lead by Drs. Cardinal and Gomez. Their research has a tremendous impact on important community issues,” said Vice President for Research, Thomas Piechota.