Oct. 30—EAU CLAIRE — UW-Eau Claire on Thursday announced the naming of Katie Bublitz as the new director of Services for Students with Disabilities and TRIO Project Ability in Motion.

According to the university, Bublitz is a six-year veteran of the campus unit, having previously served as disability accommodations coordinator and TRIO Project AIM careers and services coordinator.

Before joining the university's SSD staff in 2016, Bublitz served as a special education support specialist for the Eau Claire Area School District, supporting students with cognitive disabilities and autism, the university stated.

Bublitz officially stepped into her new role on Oct. 17.

"I'm excited to take on this role," Bublitz stated in a university news release. "My whole time at UW-Eau Claire has been about creating equal access for students with disabilities and creating a welcoming and inclusive environment where students have their needs met and feel safe.

"While I look forward to continuing to provide the mandated accommodations that we always have, I hope also to promote a stronger disability culture on campus and spotlight disability rights through more education for students, faculty and staff about the disability civil rights movement and what it means in this space."

The SSD program currently serves about 700 students. At the core of her mission, Bublitz stated in the university news release, she hopes to raise awareness of SSD services and overall campus inclusiveness for all students her office services.