Dr. Liza Conyers, professor of Rehabilitation and Human Services, received her Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Psychology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She is a tenured professor at Penn State University and has published over 60 publications and book chapters related to HIV and employment issues, psychosocial and cultural aspects of chronic illness/disability, and rehabilitation education.
Dr. Conyers co-found the National Working Positive Coalition (NWPC) and is president of the Board of Directors and co-chairperson of the NWPC Research Working Group. She is the recipient of several research grants and fellowships and was awarded the National Council on Rehabilitation Education (NCRE) Researcher of the Year Award and Educator of the Year Awards.
She is the principal investigator on several research projects related to HIV and employment and is also the principal investigator for the Pennsylvania Expanded HIV Testing Initiative. Dr. Conyers has provided input to several federal initiatives and policy meetings related to HIV and employment/workforce development issues, including development of the Getting to Work training modules developed in collaboration with the Office of Disability Employment Policy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and NWPC.
She currently serves on the Pennsylvania HIV Planning Group and was appointed to the Pennsylvania State Vocational Rehabilitation Board. In addition to her work related to the intersection of rehabilitation and mental health, she also conducts research and training related interprofessional education to meet the mental health needs of individual with aphasia and she Chairs the Penn State Student Disability Support Collaborative.