About
Dr. Kimberly Coy was teaching in virtual classrooms long before “You’re on mute” became part of everyday conversation. A professor of special education at Fresno State, she brings experience as an elementary classroom teacher, virtual special educator, researcher, and teacher educator to conversations about making learning work for everyone.
Kimberly’s work connects Universal Design for Learning, digital learning, and teacher preparation, with a focus on students with disabilities. She helps educators turn research into practical choices that create more accessible, engaging learning environments. Her recent work explores how future special educators can thoughtfully use artificial intelligence, including its possibilities, limitations, and the questions teachers need space to ask.
She has shared her expertise through national and international presentations, research publications, and Harvard’s Universal Design for Learning Summer Institute. She also writes children’s books, including Mia with Dyslexia, bringing her commitment to inclusion to a different kind of classroom: the storybook.
Whether she’s working with kindergarteners, doctoral students, or a lively Zoom chat, Kimberly brings curiosity, humor, and a teacher’s practical perspective. She is especially interested in how digital spaces can support connection, belonging, and learner agency—and how we prepare educators to make that happen.