Lucas Vander Ploeg

Summer Graduate Assistant

Lucas is a first-year Ph.D. student in the School Psychology department at the University of Connecticut. He previously graduated with a B.A in Psychology and a minor in Special Education Studies from Calvin University. In his studies, he had the opportunity to work with a student with ASD in an inclusive college learning environment. Also, he interned at the Helen Devos Children’s Hospital’s Autism Clinic, observing, and participating in an interdisciplinary diagnostic process. In the future, he hopes to become a school psychologist at the middle school level, using the information and skills he learned from LEND to advocate for families and students with neurodevelopmental disabilities. He also hopes to provide opportunities for extracurricular activities such as sports and clubs. In his free time, he enjoys running, reading books, and singing in acapella groups and barbershop quartets.

Lucas’ research seeks to better understand what factors predict academic performance for students with disabilities in Connecticut and how we can use this knowledge to better serve these students. His research seeks to provide an evidence base for understanding the complex relationship between several variables that are associated with student performance.