Krystle Merry

Assistant Professor of Special Education
College of Education and Human Development

Dr. Krystle Merry is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the University of Maine College of Education and Human Development. Merry has a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with an emphasis in Special Education Transition from the University of Arkansas and achieved her doctorate as an Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) Leaders for Transition scholar and International Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) Scholar for women in research.

Prior to joining the University of Maine, she was an instructor to preservice special education teachers at the University of Arkansas, a qualitative research intern at the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) in the Center for Inclusive Technology and Education Systems (CITES), and an intern as an accessibility support specialist at the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP) in the Research to Practice (RTP) division. Before working in higher education, she obtained her National Board Certification as an Exceptional Needs Specialist in 2018 and worked for 11 years in the secondary and middle-level general and special education mathematics classroom. 

In addition to her practitioner experience, she continues to develop her research on artificial intelligence (AI) to support students with disabilities, digital accessibility, open-access research, digital community resource mapping, and transition programming in online or virtual school environments. 

Merry is also the Maine Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) Student Chapter advisor, CEC Association for the Gifted (TAG) Newsletter editor, American Educational Research Association (AERA) SIG52 Instructional Technology Communications Officer, AERA SIG96 Inclusion & Accessibility in Educational Assessment Secretary/Treasurer, and serves on various committees at the national, state, and local institutional level. 

Howorth, S., & Merry, K.E. (2026). Use of digital assistants as assistive technology for students with extensive support needs or intellectual disabilities. TEACHING Exceptional Children. https://doi.org/10.1177/00400599261464902 

Merry, K. E., McKoy, S. L., & Uloko, C. (2026). Hashtags to help: An exploratory netnographic study of how educators navigate AI on TikTok to support students with disabilities. Journal of Special Education Technology. https://doi.org/10.1177/01626434261456278 

Randolph, K. M., Quinn, S. E., Sears, J. A., Howorth, S. K., Howerter, C. S., & Merry, K. E. (2026). Replicating and expanding the use of artificial intelligence to support special education practice: A mixed-methods investigation. Frontiers in Education, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/feduc.2026.1916444 

Welsh-Young, N., Merry, K. E., & Kucharczyk, S. (2024). Creating dynamic community resource maps for transition planning. Inclusive Practices, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1177/27324745241251806

Merry, K.E. (2023). An introductory guide and resources for creating accessible documents and presentation materials. U.S. Department of Education, Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP). Section 508 Accessibility. Guidelines and Resources for Developing 508 Compliant PDFs, Websites, and Other Media. Retrieved from https://osepideasthatwork.org/sites/default/files/2023-08/Intro%20GuidetoCreating508Materials_Final.pdf. 

McKoy, S., & Merry, K. E. (2023). Engaging advanced learners with differentiated online Learning. Gifted Child Today, 46(1), 48–56. https://doi.org/10.1177/10762175221131068

Merry, K. & McKoy, S. (2023) Supporting twice exceptional (2E) students through transition programming: Preparing for life after high school. Strategies and Considerations for Educating the Academically Gifted. Chapter 15. https://www.igi-global.com/chapter/supporting-twice-exceptional-2e-students-through-transition-programming/320108 

Merry, K. E., Webster, F., & Kucharczyk, S. (2022). Investing in students with extensive support needs: Steps to integrate personal financial literacy in inclusive settings for educators, students, and families. Inclusive Practices, 1(4), 156–170. https://doi.org/10.1177/27324745221128931

Merry, K. E. (2022). Twice-exceptional, twice-excluded. Gifted Association of Missouri GAMbit May 2022 Newsletter. https://nebula.wsimg.com/c066edfb40c042a310d38fac30f691b4?AccessKeyId=26085D3D6B0761E711B5&disposition=0&alloworigin=1

Brady, K. P., Kucharczyk, S., Schaefer Whitby, P., Terrell, E. & Merry, K. (2021). A review of critical issues in transition team’s decision-making and the importance of ethical leadership. Journal of Leadership and Instruction, 20(2), 14-19. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1327898

  • Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals (JAASEP)
  • Special Education Research, Policy, and Practice (SERPP) 
  • TEACHING Exceptional Children (TEC) 
  • Journal of Special Education Technology (JSET) 
  • Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals (CDTEI) 
  • International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH)
  • Exceptional Children 
  • Behavioral Sciences
  • Disabilities 
  • Trends in Higher Education

Education

Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction – Special Education, 2024, University of Arkansas
Graduate Certificate in Autism, 2024, University of Arkansas
Graduate Certificate in Special Education Transition, 2024, University of Arkansas
Foundations of User Research (UX) Certificate, 2024, University of Arkansas Professional and Development Workforce
Graduate Certificate in English to Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL), 2018, Henderson State University
MS.Ed. in Gifted and Talented Education, 2012, Arkansas State University
Bachelor of Science in Middle Childhood Education – Math and Science, 2008, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith
Portrait of Krystle Merry
Assistant Professor of Special Education