Parthenia Dinora, Ph.D.

Education

• Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Master of Public Administration, Virginia Commonwealth University
• B.A. in Sociology, University of Mary Washington

Research interests

• Community services and supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities
• Family decision making
• Intervention development to support independent living for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities

Career highlights

• Principal Investigator on two field-initiated grant awards (2018, 2021) focused on community living and participation for people with IDD from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research
• Department of Justice awardee on a research project testing the efficacy of a healthy relationships intervention for people with IDD
• Gained the 2021 designation of the Partnership as a university-level research center at VCU
• Over the past five years, took a leadership role in securing over $11 million in externally funded work at the Partnership

Recent publications (2020-2021)

• Prohn, S., Dinora, P., Bogenschutz, M., & Broda, M. (in press). Measuring four personal opportunities for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Inclusion.
• Mayton, C.., Cramer, E., Dellinger-Wray, M., Dinora, P. & D'Aguilar, A. (in press). “You can change your mind about who you trust”: People with intellectual disability’s understanding about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Journal of the Division on Autism and Developmental Disabilities.
• Dinora, P., Prohn, S., Cramer, E. P., Dellinger-Wray, M., Mayton, C., & D'Aguiliar, A. (2021). Testing the efficacy of Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP), a healthy relationship training intervention for people with intellectual disability. Developmental Disabilities Network Journal, 2(1), 10.
• Broda, M. D., Bogenschutz, M., Dinora, P., Prohn, S. M., Lineberry, S., & Ross, E. (2021). Using machine learning to predict patterns of employment and day program participation. American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 126(6), 477-491.
• Bogenschutz, M., Broda, M., Lineberry, S., Dinora, P., & Prohn, S. (2021). Testing a wellness indicators measure for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Developmental Disabilities Network Journal, 2(1), 9.
• Cheng, S. L., Prohn, S. M., Dinora, P., Broda, M. D., & Bogenschutz, M. (2020). Measuring and tracking personal opportunity outcome measures over 3 years to guide policy and services that promote inclusive community living. Inclusion, 8(4), 335-350.
• Dinora, P., Bogenschutz, M., & Broda, M. (2020). Identifying predictors for enhanced outcomes for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 58(2), 139-157.
• Dinora, P., Schoeneman, A., Dellinger-Wray, M., Cramer, E. P., Brandt, J., & D’Aguilar, A. (2020). Using video vignettes in research and program evaluation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities: A case study of the Leadership for Empowerment and Abuse Prevention (LEAP) project. Evaluation and Program Planning, 79, 101774.

Bio

Parthenia “Parthy” Dinora, Ph.D., is the executive director of the Partnership for People with Disabilities (the Partnership), a center within the School of Education and Virginia Commonwealth University’s federally designated University Center for Excellence in Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD). Dinora has spent her career in the disability field. Her earlier years were spent administering direct service projects focused on community participation for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). For the last 20 years, she has conducted research and evaluation studies focused on disability services and supporting families. She has been with the Partnership for 19 years, where she directed research and evaluation, and later program development, ultimately becoming the associate director for the UCEDD.

Dinora has been the principal investigator on many federal training, research and model development projects promoting community living for people with IDD. Her most recent awards include a 2021 Field Initiated grant from the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research; a 2021 Community Based Transition Partnership Planning Grants grant from the Administration on Community Living; and gaining the 2021 designation of the Partnership as a university-level research center at VCU. Over the past five years, she has taken a leadership role in securing over $11 million in funded work at the Partnership. She earned her master's and doctoral degrees from VCU’s Wilder School in Public Policy and Administration with a focus on disability policy. As the parent of a child with a developmental disability, she is especially committed to demonstrating how the work of the Partnership can support choice and self-determination for people with disabilities and their families.