Skip to main content
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Health & Society
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
Sections
  • All News
  • Arts & Culture
  • Business & Economy
  • Campus & Community
  • Health & Society
  • Media, Law & Policy
  • STEM
  • Veterans
  • University Statements
  • Syracuse University Impact
  • |
  • The Peel
  • Athletics
  • Home
  • About
  • Faculty Experts
  • For The Media
  • ’Cuse Conversations Podcast
  • Topics
    • Alumni
    • Events
    • Faculty
    • Students
    • All Topics
  • Contact
  • Submit
Health & Society

School of Education Student Appointed to White House Committee

Tuesday, May 27, 2014, By Jennifer Russo
Share
appointmentsdisabilitiesSchool of Education
Micah

Micah Fialka-Feldman, a student and employee at the School of Education, has been asked to serve on the President’s Committee for People for Intellectual Disabilities.

President Barack Obama has appointed Micah Fialka-Feldman, a student and employee at the School of Education, to serve on the President’s Committee for People for Intellectual Disabilities. Ten other individuals around the nation were appointed to this committee for a term expiring in May 2016.

President Obama says, “The extraordinary dedication these men and women bring to their new roles will greatly serve the American people. I am grateful they have agreed to serve in this administration and I look forward to working with them in the months and years to come.”

An advocate for college and community inclusion, Fialka-Feldman says, “It is an honor to be appointed to this Presidential Committee and to speak up for people with disabilities.”

Fialka-Feldman has worked at the School of Education since 2012 as a teaching assistant for two special education courses, and as a peer trainer with the Peer-to-Peer program in the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education, where he provides support for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities seeking a full social and academic college experience at Syracuse University. In 2013, he interned at the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C.

He has served on a number of boards, including the Governing Board for National Youth Leadership Network, the National Project Advisory Committee for the Center for Postsecondary Education for Students with Intellectual Disabilities, the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education and the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service. In 2009, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from Family Voices.

Fialka-Feldman graduated from the Options Program for students with intellectual disabilities at Oakland University. He produced a documentary film about his journey in inclusive education, “Through the Same Door,” and he regularly presents at conferences and workshops around the country. His story has been told on NPR and CNN, and has been included in numerous textbooks on inclusive education.

Originally from Michigan, Fialka-Feldman made his home in Syracuse after presenting at the 2011 Disabled & Proud Conference, hosted by the Taishoff Center for Inclusive Higher Education, and subsequently becoming a student at Syracuse University, auditing courses as part of their InclusiveU programs and services.

“Micah has been a valuable part of the Taishoff Center team,” says Professor Wendy Harbour, executive director of the Taishoff Center, “and we are delighted that he will be able to share his enthusiasm for educational inclusion with people working on these issues at a federal level.”

  • Author

Jennifer Russo

  • Recent
  • Professor Anthony Adornato Trains Journalists in Kosovo Through Fulbright
    Wednesday, August 6, 2025, By Kelly Homan Rodoski
  • Construction Continues at Stadium Place, Center Crosswalk to Close Aug. 8
    Wednesday, August 6, 2025, By Jennifer DeMarchi
  • Whitman School Celebrates Record Fundraising Year, Builds Momentum for Transformation
    Wednesday, August 6, 2025, By News Staff
  • Communication Sciences and Disorders Scholars Earn Grants and National Honors
    Wednesday, August 6, 2025, By News Staff
  • New Award Recognizes Faculty Volunteers for Academic Integrity Service, Impact
    Wednesday, August 6, 2025, By Diane Stirling

More In Health & Society

Bringing History to Life: How Larry Swiader ’89, G’93 Blends Storytelling With Emerging Technology

Instructional design program alumnus Lawrence “Larry” Swiader ’89, G’93 has built a career at the intersection of storytelling, education and technology—a path that’s taken him from the early days of analog editing as a student in the S.I. Newhouse School…

4 Maxwell Professors Named O’Hanley Faculty Scholars

The Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs announced the appointment of four new O’Hanley Faculty Scholars: Brian Brege, Sarah Hamersma, Yüksel Sezgin and Ying Shi. Selected in recognition of their exceptional teaching, scholarly achievements and service to the institution,…

The Racket About Padel: Newhouse Students Partner With Global Media Firm to Track Rise of Sport

Why all the racket about Padel? Students and faculty in the Newhouse School of Public Communications collaborated with a global communications consulting firm to release a report about the emerging sport’s rapid rise in popularity. The report, “Celebrities, Community, Content,…

Fact or Fiction? The ADHD Info Dilemma

TikTok is one of the fastest-growing and most popular social media platforms in the world—especially among college-age individuals. In the United States alone, there are over 136 million TikTok users aged 18 and older, with approximately 45 million falling within…

Lab THRIVE: Advancing Student Mental Health and Resilience

Lab THRIVE, short for The Health and Resilience Interdisciplinary collaboratiVE, is making significant strides in collegiate mental health research. Launched by an interdisciplinary Syracuse University team in 2023, the lab focuses on understanding the complex factors affecting college students’ adjustment…

Subscribe to SU Today

If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.

Connect With Us

  • X
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
Social Media Directory

For the Media

Find an Expert Follow @SyracuseUNews
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • LinkedIn
  • @SyracuseU
  • @SyracuseUNews
  • Social Media Directory
  • Accessibility
  • Privacy
  • Campus Status
  • Syracuse.edu
© 2025 Syracuse University News. All Rights Reserved.