Daune O'Brien

Daune O'Brien is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at the University of Maryland, College Park, where she has taught since 2014. Her instructional portfolio includes Advanced Composition, Academic Writing, Business Writing, and Technical Writing courses. She holds an M.F.A. in Creative Non-Fiction and an M.A. in English Literature with a concentration in Language, Rhetoric, and Writing.

Research Focus: O'Brien's scholarship intersects disability justice, feminist theory, and universal design principles. Her work examines accessibility barriers in educational technology and develops inclusive pedagogical frameworks. Current research investigates how disability perspectives can transform technical communication practices and digital learning environments.

Academic Initiatives: In 2024, O'Brien co-founded the Disability Research and Technology Hub following successful TLTC Grant funding. This initiative explores assistive technologies, accessible content design, and disability-informed research methodologies. From 2017-2018, as TRACE Faculty Research Assistant in the College of Information Studies, she piloted developmental accessibility software solutions.

Awards:

• 2024 Teaching Excellence Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching

Instructional Innovation: As a 2015 Online Course Development Cohort member, she designed asynchronous Professional Writing curricula integrating universal design principles, enhancing accessibility for diverse learners across digital platforms.