Dr. Katherine (Katie) McDonald is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Portland State University in Portland, Oregon. Dr. McDonald received her B.S. with Distinction in Human Development and Family Studies with a minor in French from Cornell University and her Ph.D. in Community and Prevention Research Psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Since 1997, Dr. McDonald's work, research and service have centered on using ecological theory and social action to understand and promote the community integration of individuals with disabilities. More recently, her research interests have expanded to include the empirical study of human research ethics, with an emphasis on issues related to vulnerable groups (e.g., individuals with intellectual disabilities). Dr. McDonald is also involved in the teaching and practice of program evaluation and previously lived in community with individuals with and without intellectual disabilities in a community of L'Arche in Switzerland.
Dr. McDonald is the Chair of the Disability Action Group for the Society for Community Research and Action (SCRA) - Division 27 of the American Psychological Association (APA) [www.scra27.org] and a member of the Board of Directors at L'Arche Nehalem [http://larche-portland.org], the Arc of Multnomah-Clackamas County and the Institutional Review Board at Portland State University. Dr. McDonald received the Stevens-Shapiro Fellowship from the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities and was an International Visiting Fellow at the University of Western Sydney in Australia.