The Center for Sensory and Complex Disability team consists of individuals with a wide range of experience and training related to supporting children and youth with various sensory needs their families and service providers.
Jerry G. Petroff
Executive Director
Executive Director, Jerry G. Petroff, is a full professor at TCNJ, has been professionally involved in the education of students with deafblindness for over thirty years. He holds a doctor of philosophy in psychological studies in special education, a master of education in speech pathology and audiology, and an undergraduate degree in deaf education. Dr. Petroff is a nationally recognized expert in the education of children with deafblindness.
Michelle Ragunan
CSCD Progam Coordinator
Project Manager, Michelle Ragunan, has been working with individuals with disabilities and their families for the past eighteen years and has been providing technical assistance regarding students with deafblindness for the past eight years. She has extensive experience working with organizations for persons with disabilities and working as an advocate for individuals (both children and adults) with disabilities promoting self-determination, accessibility, and full participation in home, school, work, and community life. Her personal experiences, within the disability community, provide valuable insights in planning and implementation of project initiatives. Ms. Ragunan holds a master’s degree in human resources management with an undergraduate degree in psychology and a certificate in history.
Ashley Dalia
Project Director of New Jersey Center on Deafblindness (NJCDB)
Ashley is a dual-certified Teacher of the Deaf and Teacher of the Visually Impaired. Ashley earned her undergraduate degrees in Deaf and Elementary Education at Flagler College in St. Augustine, FL, and a Master of Education in Education Leadership at the University of North Florida. Ashley began her professional career at the Florida School for the Deaf and the Blind (FSDB) where she developed a network for transition-age students with deafblindness in collaboration with the Florida Deafblind Project. Ashley also worked with families through the FSDB’s Parent Outreach Program as an early interventionist. After moving back to her home state of New Jersey in 2015, she taught in a local public school district and established a mainstream program for students who were deaf, visually impaired, and deafblind. In addition to her students, Ashley’s passion is to empower educators in the classroom, partner with administrators to individualize student programs, and help families connect with resources in their community. Ashley envisions cultivating a community that values collaboration, accessibility, and inclusion, where children with deafblindness across the state can thrive.
Angela Smith
Deafblind Specialist at New Jersey Center on Deafblindness (NJCDB)
Angela is a certified Orientation and Mobility Specialist. She holds a Master of Science degree from Salus University. Angela began her career serving adults with the New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired. She moved on to assist in expanding the Orientation and Mobility Immersion Program at Guide Dogs for the Blind. Angela has created curricula, presented internationally, and provided direct service to individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities. As a program specialist, she endeavors to support educators, service providers, and families of children who are deafblind. She believes that educational teams must collaborate to assess and address the needs of each student to encourage access, communication, functional development, independence, and quality of life.
Heather Osowski
The Campaign for Language & Literacy Excellence (CLLE) Project Director
Heather Osowski has worked in the field of Deaf Education for over 20 years and holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a Master of Arts in Teaching, both from The College of New Jersey. She is certified in Elementary Education, Teacher of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, and Supervision in the state of New Jersey, and has recently completed her Educational Leadership Certificate at The College of New Jersey. During her tenure at the state school for the Deaf, she served as a high school instructor, transition coordinator, and led initiatives such as Community-Based Instruction and Person-Centered Approaches in Schools and Transition, collaborating with various state and national organizations supporting individuals in the Deaf, hard of hearing, and Deafblind communities. Following this, she became the Project Director for the New Jersey Center on Deafblindness (NJCDB), providing technical assistance to families and educators, and working closely with national organizations like the National Center on DeafBlindness and the Helen Keller National Center. She later transitioned into the role of Project Coordinator for the Campaign for Language & Literacy Excellence (CLLE), a partnership between TCNJ’s Center for Sensory & Complex Disabilities and the NJ Division of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, where she led a small team in implementing key initiatives. A fluent user of American Sign Language, Ms. Osowski also serves as an adjunct professor and clinical supervisor in TCNJ’s Teacher of the Deaf program and as Faculty/Staff Advisor for the Deaf Hearing Connection. Beyond TCNJ, she is actively involved as an executive board member of the Katzenbach Parent and Staff Education Foundation and serves as the Public Relations Coordinator for the New Jersey Association of the Deaf.