Jenna Gravel

As a Senior Research Scientist, Jenna W. Gravel works to connect research and practice by supporting educators to apply UDL to the classroom in order to engage all learners in rich, sophisticated learning opportunities.

Specifically, Dr. Gravel’s research explores the intersections of UDL and disciplinary thinking in English Language Arts (ELA) and the ways that these intersections can promote diverse learners’ engagements in discipline-specific practices, commitments, and habits of mind. She studies these themes by drawing from approaches that emphasize partnerships between researchers and practitioners in order to examine interventions through iterative cycles of inquiry. She seeks to explore how these research-practice collaborations can serve as meaningful sources of professional learning for educators.

Prior to assuming her role at CAST, Dr. Gravel worked as a middle school special educator and co-taught inclusive classes with English and Social Studies general educators. She also worked as a research associate and project manager at CAST where she played a role in the development of CAST’s UDL Guidelines. Finally, she worked as a staff assistant at the Federation for Children with Special Needs, assisting in learning opportunities for families and early intervention personnel.