Colleen Gibbons is the Deputy Director of the Upstate office.  Reporting to the Director of the Syracuse office, Colleen works on a variety of state court initiatives, including supporting the expansion of opioid courts; developing new projects in the criminal, civil and family court systems; and overseeing the office’s numerous existing initiatives. In addition, Colleen spends a portion of her time working with the Center’s National Technical Assistance team, helping to provide training and technical assistance to jurisdictions across the country on a wide range of justice issues. Colleen received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Human and Community Development from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and her J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, with a concentration in Disability Law and Public Policy. Before joining the Center, Colleen worked at a Syracuse law firm, focusing on not-for-profit and elder law matters. Her previous research centered around disability rights, specifically the involvement of people with disabilities in non-disability specific activities, including in school systems, community activities, and research experiences.