KU Professor Sean Smith Receives Prestigious 2026 David Rose UDL Research Award

An image of Sean Smith against a background of blue shapes

KU Life Span Institute investigator Sean Smith is the 2026 recipient of the David Rose UDL Research Award from CAST.

Wed, 08/05/2026

Christina Knott

KU Life Span Institute investigator Sean Smith is the 2026 recipient of the David Rose UDL Research Award from CAST. This honor celebrates innovative research that advances universal design for learning (UDL) principles of representation, engagement, and expression to give all students the opportunity to succeed.

Smith, a professor of special education at KU, has worked to incorporate UDL in both his role as an instructor and as a researcher. In addition to his published articles and book chapters, Smith has delivered keynote lectures at international conferences and regularly conducts professional learning on UDL strategies for educators.

“Sean has been a leader in the area of UDL research for over a decade,” said collaborator and KU Professor Amber Rowland when nominating Smith for the award. “Sean is passionate about proactively designing educational environments that reduce barriers and foster inclusion for all learners.”

Smith has worked on several projects to support practical applications of UDL in the classroom that has impacted the learning experiences of diverse students in various ways.

This includes the projects WRITE, VOISS, and AI-SCORE, which demonstrates how UDL can be leveraged alongside emerging technologies to improve access, engagement, and outcomes for learners with disabilities and diverse learning needs.

“Through his research leadership, publications, educator training, and mentorship of future scholars, Sean has helped shape the national and international UDL field while translating research into practical, scalable solutions that support educators and learners worldwide,” Rowland said.

The Life Span Institute is dedicated to research that helps improve the health and development of people in Kansas, across the nation, and around the world. Learn more about his work developing an AI-based program to improve writing outcomes or his work to support social development skills for autistic students through virtual reality.