Hello! My name is Abi Dumm, I’m a fourth-year student majoring in Health Sciences on the pre-occupational therapy track with minors in American Sign Language, Disability Studies, and the Assistive Technology Certification. Prior to becoming a student at Ohio State, I attended Westlake High School near Cleveland Ohio. There I was highly involved with Youth Challenge Sports, an organization that brings together teen volunteers and children with physical disabilities through sport and art programs. I’m a passionate advocate for the disabled and hope to have a career where I am working directly with this community.
At Ohio State I am a Stamps Eminence Fellow. Within the Stamps Eminence Program I have ran the early arrival program for the incoming freshman class for the last 3 years. I also served as a teacher assistant for the freshman eminence seminar. I have also participated in the United Nations Millennium Fellowship.
I’ve been given the opportunity to be involved in a variety of research while being an Ohio State student. I currently work as a research assistant in the Rehabilitation Engineering Design Lab under Dr. Anand Mhatre, PhD. In this lab I’ve worked on a variety of projects related to wheelchair seating and maintenance. I presented this past spring at HRS Research Day on my work within the KidStart project. I am also currently pursuing my undergraduate thesis in this lab on the WheelTrak project. Prior to being in the RED lab I worked in the Psychosocial Cognitive Lab under Dr. Irina Castellanos, PhD where I analyzed how cochlear implantation affects executive functioning in preschool aged children using behavioral coding.
Outside of the classroom I am an intern with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce. There I work within the department of exceptional children on various projects related to assistive technology, related services, dropout prevention, and more. Previously, I have also interned with On The Other Hand Therapy where I collaborate with other interns to coordinate a motor lab at a local preschool under the guidance of a professional occupational therapist. I also got the chance to work as a teacher assistant for a summer at the Cleveland Sight Center. There I worked in their bright futures preschool program for children with visual impairments.
Through OSU I’ve been able to study abroad in both London and Scotland. I was one of 10 individuals in the US chosen to participate in the fully funded Fulbright UKSI Summer Institute in Scotland studying creativity, technology, and innovation with the Glasgow School of Art and University of Strathclyde. This was an amazing experience and opportunity provided by the Fulbright Commission. I got to tour amazing facilities such as BBC Scotland, see castles, try delicious foods, travel across the Scottish Highlands, and go to a Celtic match! I also visited London on a study abroad program through OSU on the literature and culture of London. There, we explored famous London based literature in the city itself. I also got the chance in my free time to see 6 different shows on the West End! My favorite of which was Newsies followed closely by Matilda. These international experiences have helped me to become a more global citizen, and as someone who has had little access to travel previously I am thankful for Stamps Eminence giving me the tools to access them.
On campus I’m involved in a variety of organizations. I am the co-founder of The Main Menu Project, which is a service organization that partners with local restaurants to make their menus screen reader accessible for people who have visual impairments. We recently received the Outstanding Student Organization Award for New Organizations and also presented at the Multiple Perspective Conference. I also have worked with Design for 90 as the GoBabyGo Team Lead where I modified toy cars into powered mobility vehicles for children with disabilities. I’m the co-founder of Voyage, which is a student organization focused on mentoring high school students with disabilities. We’ve partnered with Columbus City Schools and the Hilliard YMCA, and presented recently on our program at the Sci Access Conference. I’m also the president of pre-physical and occupational therapy club, a volunteer with the Nisonger Center TOPS program, the undergraduate liaison for the adaptive sports club, and a signer of the ASL national anthem at OSU basketball and football games.
My favorite organization on campus is TEDxOhioStateUniversity. As an organization, we put on an annual TEDx conference on campus with a wide range of speakers. I’ve been the director of their content committee for the last 2 years, where I lead the selection and coaching of the speakers on our stage. My freshman year I was a speaker coach for Morgan Podraza whose talk amassed 37k views. My sophomore year I coached Alexa Paulay-Simmons who gave the first TEDx talk in American Sign Language that we’ve had on our stage.
In my free time I love to listen to audiobooks and have been working on my own fiction novel. I also love cooking and exploring local restaurants and coffee shops. If you ever need recommendations on the best restaurants in Columbus let me know and I can send you my list. I have lots of plants that I’m struggling to keep alive, a bullet journal I like making pretty lists in, a fancy tea set my roommate and I have tea parties with while watching period dramas, and an addiction to Stardew Valley. I love spending time with my friends, many of whom are Stamps Eminence Fellows too!
Thanks for taking the time to get to know me, and I’d love to hear from you! Feel free to reach out anytime at my email Dumm.32@osu.edu