Doctoral graduate pursues
lifelong interest in human behavior
and development at UK
D
r. Rachel Aiello attended college three years before
declaring her major. Despite the uncertainty, her
career path had been forming her entire life.
“Thinking retrospectively, I believe part of
the reason I was undecided was due to feeling
intimidated about higher education,” Aiello
recalled. “Very few people in my family pursued
postsecondary education, let alone advanced
graduate studies, so the process and career
options were very foreign to me. If you’re the first
generation to go to college sometimes you don’t
realize your potential until others point it out.”
Finally, it all made sense — her desire to help
others, her relationship with her brother who
has autism, and her interest in human behavior
and development, particularly in those with
disabilities. With the help of an adviser during
her undergraduate studies at Central Michigan
University, she was encouraged to pursue a doctoral
degree in school psychology.
Programs offering expertise in her chosen field
of autism spectrum disorders are still rare. The
Michigan native’s options proved moving to
Kentucky for graduate school would give her access
to faculty mentors aligned with her areas of interest,
as well as programs with accreditations that would
open doors for employment and certifications.
“The UK College of Education is very fortunate
to have two national experts on ASD within
its Department of Educational, School and
Counseling Psychology, along with collaborators
from other departments, such as engineering,
with interests in ASD,” Aiello said. “UK also has
the Human Development Institute, which is a
University Center for Excellence in Developmental
Disabilities. HDI provides training opportunities in
developmental disabilities that are not available at
many universities, such as their graduate certificate
program in developmental disabilities.”
Dr. Lisa Ruble was Aiello’s adviser and dissertation
co-chair, and is her mentor.
“She encouraged me throughout my gradua є)