Two New ARRT Fellows:
Tritney Nguyen and Madelyn Toman
Lauren Lee | November 2, 2026 - Atlanta, GA
The Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Fellowship is welcoming two new postdoctoral researchers whose diverse expertise will contribute to a deeper understanding of disability, employment, and quality of life.
“The ARRT program is important because the employment challenges workers with disabilities face are too complex for any single discipline,” said Fran Harris, one of the program’s directors. “The ARRT Fellowship brings together researchers trained in occupational therapy, anthropology, policy, human development/family science, and design.”
Madelyn Toman received her Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Sciences from Virginia Tech. Her dissertation explored the intersection of disability and sexuality across the lifespan, and her work draws on critical theories and inclusive qualitative methodologies that center the voices and lived experiences of marginalized communities. Her research interests span individual development, emerging adulthood, disability studies, family systems, romantic relationships, quality of life, and employment outcomes.
Toman is joined by Tritney Nguyen, a postdoctoral researcher who brings a clinical occupational therapy background to employment research for people with disabilities. Nguyen earned her Bachelor of Science in Human Biology and Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from the University of Southern California and holds specialized certification in Ayres Sensory Integration. Her experience includes pediatric occupational therapy, higher education accommodations support, assistive technology and rehabilitation systems, and work with the USC Autism Initiative. At CIDI, she is interested in how sensory processing, grassroots DIY assistive technology, and community makerspaces can drive innovation in disability employment.
Together, their varied backgrounds reflect the interdisciplinary foundation of the ARRT Fellowship. As Harris explained, researchers from different fields “ask different questions and see different parts of the problem,” from workplace accommodations and assistive technology to the meaning people derive from work.
The Advanced Rehabilitation Research and Training (ARRT) Program: Equitable Employment across Evolving Work Paradigms was developed under a grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR grant number 90AREM0006). NIDILRR is a Center within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The contents of this website do not necessarily represent the policy of NIDILRR, ACL, HHS, and you should not assume endorsement by the Federal Government.