Congratulations to Dr. Josh Abrams!

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 09:34:13 -0500
accessibility, success

The Division of Information Technology celebrates Dr. Josh Abrams as he graduates this December with a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership with a specialization in Adult and Professional Learning Facilitation from Frostburg State University, following the successful defense of his dissertation, "Beyond Reactive: Nudging Faculty to Promote Digital Accessibility." His work focuses on practical strategies to create a culture of accessibility, shifting from a reactive approach to a proactive one when it comes to creating accessible digital course content. Josh's doctoral research investigated whether digital nudging interventions, such as in-app and pop-ups in Blackboard, could effectively increase instructor engagement with course accessibility tools like Ally.

"This doctorate is the latest in a long list of achievements for Josh," said Mariann Hawken, Director of Instructional Technology, and member of Abrams' dissertation committee. "His work will make a tangible difference, and his expertise and dedication are a tremendous asset to our team and the entire university."

Josh's research, which he recently presented at the Online Learning Consortium Accelerate conference, is central not only to UMBC's inclusive excellence mission but also to higher education's support of digital accessibility. With recent updates to ADA regulations, institutions are required to transition from a reactive model (where students must request accommodations) to a proactive approach that ensures all digital course materials are accessible from the start.

Josh joined DoIT's Instructional Technology team in 2020 and quickly emerged as an expert in instructional design and Blackboard system administration during the pandemic. He is an expert in digital accessibility, holding credentials in digital accessibility program planning and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) from EDUCAUSE, a nonprofit association for higher education professionals that supports the strategic use of technology and data. Josh is also a certified Quality Matters Peer Reviewer and Master Reviewer, and in March 2025, he was recognized with the Gritty Award for exceptional work and dedication.