College of Staten Island Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of Project REACH Dr. Kristen Gillespie-Lynch was recently featured in the latest issue of Women in Higher Education, profiled for her recent work on Making Mentors: Enhancing Access to STEM Careers for Autistic Youth through Mentorship Programs and Makerspaces. The project is a collaboration with the Education Development Center (EDC) and New York University’s (NYU) Maker Program, funded by a $1.3 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF).

Written by Lois Elfman, the profile on Dr. Gillespie-Lynch chronicles her work developing programs for autistic students at CSI, with this most recent project aimed at how participatory approaches can support autistic youth pursuing STEM careers post-graduation. Dr. Gillespie-Lynch talks about the Making Mentors project, a three-year study that commenced in September 2023, in detail.

For the full piece on Dr. Gillespie-Lynch and the Making Mentors program, visit the Women in Higher Education Website.