About Us
The goal of EMPOWER is to equip transition-aged students with visual impairment living in rural communities, their families, and the transition professionals who serve them with virtual supports to improve postsecondary education and employment outcomes.

Reach out to us
info@empowervi.org
Our Team

Hilary Travers, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Principal Investigator
Hilary serves as the PI of the EMPOWERing Youth with Visual Impairment project. She is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at Vanderbilt University, where her research focuses broadly on transition and includes work dedicated to supporting blind and low vision youth, as well as other youth with low-incidence disabilities. Previously, Hilary served as PI of Transition Tennessee, where she led statewide efforts to improve access to in-school opportunities for transition-aged students. Before her work in academia, she taught high school students with deafblindness at Perkins School for the Blind. Outside of work, Hilary enjoys exploring state and national parks across the USA with her partner, reading, and hanging out with her dogs and cat at home in Nashville. Read more about Hilary and her research here: https://peabody.vanderbilt.edu/bio/?pid=hilary-travers

Michele Schutz, Ph.D.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Co-Principal Investigator
Michele serves as a Co-PI of the EMPOWERing Youth with Visual Impairment project, leveraging her background in supporting youth with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who serve them in facilitating transitions toward their post-school goals. She previously taught high school students with disabilities and worked as a transition specialist in Illinois. Michele is currently an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, where she prepares future special educators and conducts research focused on improving post-school outcomes for students with disabilities, particularly those living in rural communities and who have low-incidence disabilities. Beyond this work, she is an avid traveler and hiker and enjoys spending time in the outdoors with her husband and two dogs. Read more about Michele and her research here: https://education.illinois.edu/profile/michele-schutz.

Emily Lanchak, M.Ed.
Vanderbilt University
Project Director
Emily Lanchak is the Project Director for the EMPOWERing Youth with Visual Impairment project. Her work focuses on improving how Tennessee’s disability community—including individuals with disabilities, their families, and the professionals who support them—learn about and access disability resources and services. One strategy she is studying is mentorship. She leads programs designed to improve post-secondary and employment outcomes for youth with visual impairments and adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Prior to this role, Emily taught special education in Nashville, where she developed a passion for connecting families with the resources they need as they plan for the future. Outside of work, she enjoys exploring local coffee shops, watching college baseball (Go ‘Dores), and spending time with her family.

Kasey Markoski, Ph.D.
Vanderbilt University
Educational Consultant
Kasey Markoski serves as an Educational Consultant with the EMPOWERing Youth with Visual Impairment project. She brings more than a decade of experience in education, research, and program leadership supporting individuals who are blind or have low vision. She has worked with children, youth, and adults in educational and community-based settings, focusing on orientation and mobility, independence, and access to meaningful opportunities. Previously, Kasey served as Director of Client Services at the San Diego Center for the Blind and as a Research Associate with the Foundation for Blind Children, where she led initiatives focused on program development, research, and improving outcomes for individuals with visual impairments and their families. She is a Certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist (COMS), a Library of Congress Certified Braille Transcriber, and a Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC). Outside of her professional work, Kasey enjoys tending her vegetable garden, exploring the Pacific Northwest, and participating in Scouting America activities with her husband and two sons.

Kat Kirbaba
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Project Assistant
Hi! My name is Katerina Kirbaba, or people call me Kat! I’m from Chicago, Illinois, and I take classes at my community college, College of DuPage. I want to be an educator of some kind, work with young children, and make a difference. I enjoy listening to music any chance I get, anything related to making video content and editing, spending time with the people I love, and cuddling with my cat. I am someone with a lot of determination and a unique perspective on the world, which I have developed through the practice of meditation. I also believe that everything in life happens for a reason and for the best. Along with that, I am slowly learning to trust that the universe has my back. As someone who is visually impaired, I’ve learned to live life in a very unique way, which has taught me to be more adaptable and understanding not just to others, but more importantly, to myself. I try my best to live life by being passionate, patient, proactive, and positive.
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