Dr. Erica Kolat is Superintendent of McGuffey School District,which is located in rural Pennsylvania. Upon taking the district helm, it became evident that traditional instructional practices were not meeting the needs of ALL students. She has led the district-wide study and implementation of practices aligned to Universal Design for Learning, which started two years ago. As lead learner, Dr. Kolat completed her Certificate of Advanced Educational Leadership at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education as well as UDL 101 with CAST. With 19 years of experience in teaching and administration, a graduate degree in curriculum and instruction, and a doctorate in school leadership, Dr. Kolat has worked tirelessly to help all stakeholders become expert learners.


Ms. Megan Van Fossan has been involved in education for over 20 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Special Education from The Ohio State University. Ms. Van Fossan earned a Masters Degree in Educational Leadership from George Mason University and a Masters in Secondary Education from The University of Alabama. Ms. Van Fossan has her Superintendent Letter of Eligibility from Edinboro University and has attended four professional development programs at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education including the Institute on UDL. She completed her Certificate in Advanced Education Leadership Program at Harvard’s Graduate School of Education. Ms. Van Fossan taught middle school and high school special education in Columbus Public Schools in Columbus, Ohio. She subsequently lived in South America where she worked on sustainable developmental projects. Her most current position in administration is at McGuffey School District in Claysville, PA where she has held the position of Director of Special Services for 12 years. Ms. Van Fossan is McGuffey School District lead for the implementation of Universal Design for Learning Framework.