DARTS Officers

Jasmine Begeske (2026-2027)

Dr. Jasmine Begeske is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator in Special Education, and Co-Director of CREATE: the Center for Resources and Equipment for Assistive Technology in Education at Purdue University. Her research and teaching focus on accessibility in arts education, individualized assistive technology solutions, and teacher development. She is committed to improving educational outcomes for students with disabilities and empowering educators to provide equitable access to high-quality instruction. Dr. Begeske teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in instructional methods for students with mild to extensive support needs. With over 20 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities and their families, she is a dedicated advocate for the disability community. She serves as co-editor of the Journal of Arts and Special Education and is Co-Principal Investigator on IPE-SHINES (Interprofessional Education Supporting High-Intensity Needs of Exceptional Students), funded by the Office of Special Education Programs, as well as Advancing the Science of Reading Implementation, funded by the Lilly Endowment.

Kathleen Farrand (2026-2027)

Dr. Kathleen Farrand is an Associate Professor in the Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College, Arizona State University. She has taught 1st grade, 3rd grade, preschool, and at the college level. She currently teaches in the Early Childhood Program in the Division of Teacher Preparation. She has a Ph.D. in Language, Education, and Society and a M.A. in Educational Administration from The Ohio State University. In addition, she has an M.Ed. in Elementary Education from the University of Florida and a B.A. in Film Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

She is interested in practices that improve the social and academic success of all learners in inclusive educational settings. Her areas of research focus on the use of dramatic inquiry in inclusive classrooms found along a continuum of educational placements to support student achievement, collaborative inquiry with classroom teachers to examine teacher change overtime, and the use of therapy dogs to support social emotional wellness for students, faculty, and staff in PK-12th grade. Dr. Farrand is editor for the Visual Impairment and DeafBlind Education Quarterly journal, co-editor of the Journal of the Arts and Special Education (JASE), and she serves on the executive board for the Council for Exceptional Children-Division on Visual Impairments and Deafblindness. Dr. Farrand is past president (2024-2026) for the Council of Exceptional Children- Division of Visual and Performing Arts Education. Her recent publications can be found in British Journal of Visual Impairment, Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness, TEACHING Exceptional Children, Multiple Voices for Ethnically Diverse Exceptional Learners, and the British Journal of Special Education.

Michael Dunn (2026-2027)

An associate professor of special education and literacy at Washington State University, Vancouver, Michael Dunn teaches courses applicable to K-12 educators in the Special Education Endorsement, Master’s, and PhD in Special Education Programs. His areas of research interest include developing strategies for struggling writers with technology, and response to intervention (RTI)/Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS). He taught in Toronto (Ontario) area elementary/middle schools for 11 years, teaching students with learning disabilities in reading, writing, and/or math and with disabilities, pervasive developmental disorders (e.g., autism, Asperger’s), attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and multiple disabilities. He has received awards from the International Literacy Association (2011-2012 Outstanding Article Award), a 2009-2010 College of Education Faculty Funding Award, the Judy Nichols Mitchell Research Fellow Award, and the External Funding Award from Washington State University.