University of Michigan School of Information PhD student Hira Jamshed has earned a 2025 Office of the Provost Disability Scholarship Initiative Grant. 

The grant supports research from U-M that seeks to better understand and address concerns of faculty and staff who have a disability. 

Jamshed’s project, “How do neurodivergent faculty use and envision generative AI tools for their academic life?” will investigate how neurodivergent (ND) faculty navigate professional challenges in research, teaching and service while identifying ways generative AI tools can help. 

The project team includes UMSI assistant professor Robin Brewer, UMSI clinical assistant professor Mustafa Naseem and UMSI research fellow Novia Nurain. 

“I’m most excited about understanding the lived experiences of neurodivergent faculty on campus and fostering a community where they can share helpful and practical strategies,” Jamshed says. 

U-M was the first major university to provide its community with a custom suite of generative AI tools. Though these tools have significant potential to support neurodivergent individuals by streamlining workflows and reducing cognitive load, little research has been done on their impact and the unique challenges ND faculty face. 

“Right now, accessibility in higher education is largely reactive,” Jamshed says. “It addresses issues after they arise rather than proactively designing systems that support diverse needs from the start. This not only creates unfair disparities but also fails to optimize the resources that institutions already have.”

Jamshed is a second year PhD student at UMSI. Her research focuses on studying the reading, writing and searching practices of users interacting with AI technologies, with a specific focus on older adults and people with visual and cognitive abilities. Her thesis advisors are Robin Brewer and Mustafa Naseem. 

Before joining UMSI, Jamshed completed an undergraduate degree in computer science at Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan before attending the University of Texas Austin. Her expected graduation date is 2028. 

“What I love most about UMSI is how supportive the faculty is when you're trying to explore different directions in your research,” she says. “Many professors are open to conversations about your evolving research goals, which has been incredibly valuable for me, especially during moments of doubt or when I feel lost. Having that kind of intellectual and emotional support makes a huge difference.” 

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Learn more about Hira Jamshed, Robin Brewer, Mustafa Naseem and Novia Nurain by visiting their UMSI profiles. 

Check out UMSI’s PhD in Information program and apply today!