Staff

Carrie Ingersoll-Wood Staff Photo

Carrie Ingersoll-Wood

Director, Disability Cultural Center

she/her/hers

Carrie Ingersoll-Wood joined the Disability Cultural Center (DCC) as the new director in May 2022. In this role, Carrie is focused on fostering a vibrant, inclusive learning environment, one that increases students’ sense of belonging and identity, reinforces disability as diversity and engages students with resources within the Intercultural Collective. She is committed to carrying out the mission of the DCC to empower students to practice personal agency in reassigning personal meaning to their lives as disabled people, connecting students to the disability community both on and off campus, and educating students on the history and culture of disability through opportunities to connect on campus to practice individual and collective action that challenges ableism.

Carrie is also a Ph.D. candidate in teaching and curriculum in the School of Education. As a first-generation student herself, she researches the motivation and educational identity formation of first-generation students, how students draw on forms of community cultural wealth to assist in building academic self-efficacy and positive educational identity to succeed in their pursuit of a degree. Like many first-in-family students, Carrie started her education at a community college (SUNY Broome) as an adult and worked full-time while completing associate, bachelor's and master’s degrees.

Growing up, Carrie was discouraged from higher education—that is why she became a teacher and scholar and has made education the focus of her life. She is passionate about carving out a path for every student and her diverse experience in community building and advocacy for students with disabilities ranges from her background as an English classroom teacher in the Syracuse City School District and as a graduate assistant for reading and language arts supervising English education students, to working with students in her professional roles in advising at Cornell University and student services at SUNY Broome.

Carrie was born and raised in the Greater Binghamton area, Apalachin, NY. She received an associate in arts in liberal arts from SUNY Broome, a bachelor of arts with honors in English, general literature and rhetoric at Binghamton University and a master of arts in English adolescent education at Binghamton University. Of her three degrees, the associate degree is currently her favorite because it signifies the beginning of her academic journey, but she is confident that when she earns a Ph.D., that degree will move to first place. She and her husband live in the Syracuse area and have three children and three dogs who all mean the world to her.

Aaliyah Muolo Vergara Staff Photo - a young Latina woman with long dark hair

Aaliyah Muolo Vergara

Program Coordinator

she/her/hers

Aaliyah is a Syracuse Native who joined the DCC in September 2023. She earned her bachelor’s degree in individualized studies with a concentration in Psychology and Sociology from SUNY Buffalo State College.   

Prior to her position at Syracuse University, she worked as a Skill Builder for Hillside Family Agencies in Therapeutic Foster Care. Aaliyah is very passionate about her work and thrives in an environment in which she feels like she is making a positive impact. Her emotional intelligence makes it easy to connect and want to help others.   

During her time outside of work she enjoys spending time with her loved ones, traveling, spending time at home, and trying new restaurants.   

Harper McKenzie Staff Photo - A young white woman with long brown hair and glasses

Harper McKenzie

Graduate Student Worker & Peer Mentor

she/her

Harper is a graduate student in the SU Masters of Higher Education program. She joined the DCC in Fall 2023. As a queer disabled woman, Harper is passionate about fostering disability community and creating inclusive, intersectional spaces that allow everyone to thrive as their most authentic selves.

She holds a BA in Creative Writing and Disability Studies from Emerson College, where she co-founded Access: Student Disability Union. Harper is also a young adult novelist who writes about the intersection of disability and queerness.

When she’s not at the DCC or listening to readings for class, you can find her in the kitchen cooking up low FODMAP food. She is originally from Dallas, Texas and is happy to be in a (much) cooler climate.

Alison Gilmore

Alison Gilmore

Peer Mentor

she/her/hers

Alison Gilmore is a senior sport analytics major from South Abington Township, Pennsylvania. She was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at 2.5 years old, and she has long understood the importance of, and power in, educating others in order to foster a more inclusive society. As such, advocacy is something incredibly important to her. As a student assistant and Peer Mentor for the Disability Cultural Center, Alison helps welcome students and other visitors to the Intercultural Collective, answer phone calls, write captions for social media posts and engage in conversation with her peers as well as faculty and staff about disability and life as a disabled student.

Allison Oey Staff Photo - A young Asian woman with shoulder length dark hair

Allison Oey

Peer Mentor

she/her

Allison is a junior majoring in public relations and finance. She is from Boston, Massachusetts and enjoys hiking, spending time with friends and family, and listening to music.

She is new to the Disability Cultural Center and is currently an undergraduate student worker/peer mentor. Allison hopes to bring more advocacy and awareness to the DCC through event promotion and student engagement on social media. She has experience in making graphics and is excited to be working with a welcoming community.