Member Spotlight 

Name: Dorothy Hiersteiner, MPP

Location: Cambridge MA

Member since: 2012

Employment: 
Research Associate and Coordinator of National Core Indicators® (NCI) at Human Services Research Institute (HSRI)

Why did you join AAIDD? 
To learn about new and groundbreaking research in the field, connect with peers, and feel a sense of solidarity with others striving towards the same values.    

Why did you choose the field of intellectual disability? 
In my final semester of graduate school at Brandeis University’s Heller School, I took a class focused on working with big datasets. This class opened my eyes to the power of data to affect social change. I was able to put this knowledge into practice when I began working with the NCI team at HSRI in 2012 where I quickly developed a strong interest in the measurement of quality of life, performance, and outcomes experienced by people receiving supports from state DD systems. I also helped design and implement the NCI Staff Stability Survey, which collects data on the quality and stability of the direct support professional workforce in participating states.

My passion is to affect policy change by amplifying the voices of people with disabilities and those who support them.  

AAIDD leadership positions: 
Co-Chair of the Direct Support Professional Interest Network