Born in Jamaica and emigrating to the US almost a decade ago, Deno Rowe is the K. Leroy Irvis Fellow in the School of Education as well as a proud trainee in the Leadership in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities and Related Disorders, LEND program.

At the University of Pittsburgh, Deno is currently entering his second year as a doctoral candidate pursuing the Doctor of Education in Special Education. With specific concentration in vocational rehabilitation program administration, Deno’s continued research has sought to explore how the intersecting identities of race, gender and among others, socioeconomic status, have resulted in largely disparate educational and career outcomes for adults with disabilities who are also Black, LatinX and Indigenous.

Deno brings over 8 years of elementary teaching and adult vocational rehabilitation training expertise to the LEND Trainee Program. With keen interest in helping teens and young adults understand how to view individuals with disabilities using a person first perspective and engaging in LEND training positions, Deno hopes to seize on critical conversations around disability, diversity, equity and justice. Having been involved in mentoring young adults with disabilities and mental health diagnoses for a number of years, Deno is positioned to bring these skills to LEND as we work to connect teens and adults to out of school programs and transition services.