Dr. Denise Necoechea has been working in the fields of disability studies and special education for over 29 years, and currently serves as a faculty member at Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU). Prior to her work at PLNU, Dr. Necoechea was a faculty member at San Diego State University in the Department of Special Education and a special education teacher in K-12 public schools. In addition to teaching courses about inclusion, disability awareness, and special education programming, Dr. Necoechea is the Coordinator of the College Peer Mentor Program, a program designed to support the success of college students with disabilities. Outside of higher education, Dr. Necoechea works closely with the San Diego County Office of Education to provide consulting in inclusive school practices for K-12 public/private school educators and administrators. Finally, over the past 15 years, Dr. Necoechea has served on the boards of several non-profit organizations in the areas of disability employment, social inclusion for young adults with intellectual/developmental disabilities, and international inclusive programming in developing nations.