Dr. Ellie Bowen is an assistant research scientist at the Center on Community Living and Careers (CCLC) with the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Indiana University, Bloomington.
Bowen is committed to person-driven services and supports that advance identity exploration, voice, and agency in the disability community. Bowen started this work as a direct support professional and moved into Medicaid waiver service coordination for youth and young adults navigating independent living. These experiences influenced her early research that utilized narratives of family caregiver strain to help explain outlooks on systemic treatment, interpretation of stress, adaptability, resources, and need for services. Her research has expanded to focus on knowledge translation in the context of self-advocacy, seamless transition for families and youth exiting high school, and promoting high expectations for persons with disabilities across the lifespan.
Degrees
Bowen holds a bachelor’s degree in Special Education, a master’s degree in Special Education, and a doctorate in Special Education with a focus on teacher education from Indiana University.
Research Interests
- Charting the LifeCourse
- Competitive Employment
- Self-Advocacy
- Microlearning and Generative AI
- Seamless Transition for Families and Youth Exiting High School
Publications
- Bowen, E., Trepanier, A., Bolte, H., Gross, J. M. S. (2025). Research participants’ perspectives and opportunities for future development of Quillo Connect [White paper]. Indiana University, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Center on Community Living and Careers.
- Bowen, E., Trepanier, A., Bolte, H., Gross, J. M. S. (2025). Self-advocacy to enhance educational attainment and reduce disparities for students with disabilities and their families [White Paper]. Indiana University, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Center on Community Living and Careers.
- Gross, J., Francis, G., Hoon Choi, J., Stanley, J., & Bowen, E. (2024). Professionals need information too: Exploratory data from the Family Employment Awareness Training (FEAT) in Kansas. Inclusion.https://www.aaidd.org/docs/default-source/prepressarticles/professionals-need-information-too-exploratory-data-from-the-family-employment-awareness-training-(feat)-in-kansas.pdf
- Bowen, E. (2023). Improving interrater reliability of the edTPA with local rater training. (Publication No. 30813739) [Doctoral dissertation, Indiana University – Bloomington]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
- Ochoa, T., Erden, E., Alhajeri, O., Hurley, E., Lee, K., Ogle, L., & Wang, T. (2017). Disability laws and special education provisions in China, Kuwait, South Korea, Turkey, and the United States. International Journal of Special Education, 32(2), 325-354.
- Center on Community Living and Careers. (2022). 2020 youth with disabilities Indiana post-school outcomes report: What’s next? [White Paper]. Indiana University, Indiana Institute on Disability and Community, Center on Community Living and Careers. https://instrc.indiana.edu/transition-resources/whats-next.html