Faculty Champions in Accessibility
The Faculty Champions in Accessibility at SJSU model inclusive teaching practices by designing and teaching accessible courses! They support colleagues by sharing strategies and collaborating with instructional designers to help build a campus where accessibility is valued and prioritized.
Essential Resources
Each Faculty Champion has compiled some College-Specific Accessibility Resources with essential tips and links specific to their college. Please take a look and see how easy it is to create inclusive course materials.
Meet the Faculty Champions in Accessibility!
Want to learn more about the faculty champions and the exciting work they're doing? Please take a moment to check out the Faculty Champions in Accessibility Introductory videos. It's clear how even small changes make a big difference in our students’ experiences!
Faculty Champion in Accessibility for the College of Business
Hello there! My name is Julian Vogel, and I am an Assistant Professor of Finance.
I think accessibility is crucial to allow everybody to realize their full potential,
and to improve their lives with the outstanding education San José State University
has to offer. At the same time, accessibility benefits all learners. Simply thinking
about accessibility will lead to more comprehensive explanations, more informative
assignments, and fewer problems (with for example technology) from all students. Accessibility
rules!
Email: julian.vogel@sjsu.edu
Faculty Champion in Accessibility for the College of Education
Hello! My name is Sudha Krishnan, and I’m an Assistant Professor in Special Education.
I care deeply about accessibility because it helps us move away from deficit thinking
and rethink long- held assumptions about ability. Too often, challenges in learning
are seen as problems within students, rather than as opportunities for us to improve
how we design our courses and learning spaces. When we intentionally build accessibility
into our teaching, we recognize that all students bring strengths and potential to
the classroom. This shift benefits students and helps faculty broaden their understanding
of what learners can do. Designing with accessibility in mind makes teaching clearer,
more flexible, and better for everyone.
Email: sudha.v.krishnan@sjsu.edu
Faculty Champion in Accessibility for the College of Engineering
I’m Sravani Vadlamani, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental
Engineering at San José State University. As an engineer and educator, I view accessibility
as an important part of thoughtful design just as we design infrastructure to serve
people with different needs and experiences, we should design our learning environments
with the diversity of our students in mind. To me, accessibility means thinking proactively
about potential barriers and creating course materials and learning experiences that
give all students meaningful opportunities to engage and succeed. Small, intentional
choices in how we teach and communicate can make our classrooms more inclusive and
ultimately improve the learning experience for everyone.
Email: sravani.vadlamani@sjsu.edu
Faculty Champion in Accessibility for the College of Health and Human Sciences
I’m Yi Yuan, a faculty member in the Department of Audiology. I serve as the faculty
champion in accessibility for the College of Health and Human Sciences. My teaching
and research focus on hearing health and communication accessibility. I believe accessibility
goes beyond meeting compliance standards—it’s about creating spaces, resources, and
experiences where everyone can fully participate. I’m proud to be part of a community
that continues to advance physical, digital, and communication access for all.
Email: yi.yuan@sjsu.edu
Faculty Champion in Accessibility for the College of Humanities and the Arts
Hi, I’m Kelsey Kraus, an Assistant Professor of Linguistics in the Linguistics & Language
Development department. My current research focuses on aligning outputs of large language
model technologies with human feedback, and on child safety measures (or lack thereof)
around text & voice inputs to virtual agents. Before joining SJSU, I worked in the
tech industry at the intersection of language technologies, user experience, and design,
so accessibility has always been at the forefront of how I’ve built tools and evaluated
models and products. Accessibility is a core design principle, not a box to tick about
compliance, and this should extend to the way we build our courses and engage with
our campus environment, too.
Email: kelsey.kraus@sjsu.edu
Faculty Champion in Accessibility for the College of Information, Data and Society
Hello, I'm Dr. Crystal Fausett and I'm an Assistant Professor in the School of Information.
I earned my PhD in Human Factors from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 2024.
My research focuses on understanding human capabilities and applying that knowledge
to design products, systems, and technology that are safe, efficient, and user-friendly.
I am passionate about improving accessibility on campus, believing that when we design
with accessibility in mind, we create solutions that benefit everyone.
Email: crystal.fausett@sjsu.edu
Faculty Champion in Accessibility for the College of Science
Hello! My name is Saptarshi Sengupta, and I am an Assistant Professor in the Department
of Computer Science. My research investigates the mechanisms by which large neural
architectures learn patterns from data, with the broader goal of developing reliable,
resilient, and secure AI systems. I am committed to improving accessibility on campus
so that every student has the opportunity to fully participate in and benefit from
the outstanding education San Jose State University offers. I believe that design
for one is design for all: by intentionally addressing barriers to learning through
thoughtful design, accessible spaces and responsive practices, we can create welcoming
environments that benefit all students.
Email: saptarshi.sengupta@sjsu.edu
Faculty Champion in Accessibility for the College of Social Sciences
My name is Rachel Lazzeri-Aerts. I’m a senior lecturer in the new School of Planning,
Policy, and Environmental Studies. In addition to teaching, I’m the undergraduate
advisor for the Environmental Studies degrees and related minors. For me, accessibility
means that all of my students and colleagues have access to the information and experiences
that make learning and working at SJSU impactful.
Email: rachel.lazzeriaerts@sjsu.edu
Faculty Champion in Accessibility for the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library
My name is Laurel Eby, and I’m the Web Services Librarian at the King Library. Much
of my work on the library website, as well as on other digital library platforms,
centers on usability, and accessibility is closely related to user experience. As
educators, we want to ensure that information is accessible to all students, and many
accessibility requirements improve usability for everyone, not just those with disabilities.
Email: laurel.eby@sjsu.edu
