Meet the Faculty
Madalynn Wendland
Madalynn Wendland, PT, DPT, PCS, ATP, received her bachelors of science in physical therapy from the Ohio State University and post-professional doctorate from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is Associate Clinical Faculty in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program and Associate Director for Interprofessional Education in the School of Health Sciences at Cleveland State University. Her research interests involve the use of developmental assessments to identify children at risk for neuromotor delays and implementation of early, targeted interventions including the use of low-cost technologies for children with mobility and sensory impairments to maximize participation and optimize long-term outcomes. She has a large Greek family with whom she spends much of her time, including her husband and two children!
Kelle DeBoth
Dr. Kelle K. DeBoth, PhD, OTR/L earned her doctorate degree from Virginia Commonwealth University in Richmond, Virginia. Dr. DeBoth is an Assistant Professor in the Occupational Therapy Program at Cleveland State University. Her research interests include children with developmental disabilities and sensory processing disorders, including the examination of behavioral and neurophysiological responses of children to environmental stimuli, in addition to investigating the effects of interprofessional education, practice, and interventions. Dr. DeBoth is an avid USTA tennis player who spends her free time with her children and on the court!
John Schaefer
John Schaefer, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of special education in the Teacher Education Department at Cleveland State University. Before earning his doctorate degree in special education from Ohio State University, Dr. Schaefer worked as a classroom teacher for children with intellectual and development disabilities. His research interested include supporting inclusive education for all children and evidence-based practice for preparing practitioners to work with students with severe disabilities. Outside of PLAAY on the Move, Dr. Schaefer still spends many weekends at the Children's Museum and Zoo with his own young children.
Anne H. Berry
Anne H. Berry joined Cleveland State University in August 2016 as an assistant professor of graphic design in the Department of Art and Design. She received her BA in art from Goshen College and her MFA in graphic design from the School of Visual Communication Design at Kent State University.
In addition to a research focus that includes race, representation, and ethnic and racial disparities within the field of graphic design, her collaboration with PLAAY on the Move builds on her scholarship in user experience design and design pedagogy.
Berry works as a design consultant, is a co-founder of design studio LightBox, and serves as the chief creative officer for Round3, an educational web application that facilitates online peer reviews for students in K-12 and higher education.
Cigdem Slankard
Cigdem Slankard is an Assistant Professor of Film and Media Arts. She was born and raised in Turkey and received her BA in translation and interpreting from Bogazici University (Istanbul, Turkey) in 1999. She first came to the United States in 1998 to study film and video at State University of New York in Binghamton. In 2002, she received a Master of Fine Arts in filmmaking from Ohio University.
She has written and directed several short film and video projects including Fresh Start (2017), Cultivation (2016) and Comfortable (2013). Her work has been included in several exhibitions and film festivals nationally and internationally.
www.cigdemslankard.com
Teresa Peritz
Teresa Peritz is the Costume Shop Supervisor and Faculty Designer for the Department of Theater and Dance. She holds a Bachelor of Music in vocal performance from the Cleveland Institute of Music and a MFA in Theatrical Design from Case Western Reserve University. Before she became a costume designer, Teresa was an opera singer.
She collaborates with PLAAY on the Move to adapt and customize harnesses as well as decorate the framing and some of the harnesses to enhance a child friendly environment.
Testimonials
"This semester's experience can be summarized in three words: enlightening, encouraging, and informative."
-DPT Student Class of 2018
“Having a hands-on elective taught me that I learn best through trial and error. Actually experiencing the equipment, such as cars and harnesses, while interacting with kids made me learn much quicker how everything worked”
-IPE Student Class of 2019
"Having been exposed to the GoBabyGo project, I am constantly thinking about ways new environments I experience can be modified."
-DPT Student Class of 2017