Brad McGarry Center for Neurodiversity

In July 2022, Mercyhurst University announced the creation of the Brad McGarry Neurodiversity Center. Named in honor of one of the nation’s best-known advocates for college students on the autism spectrum, Brad McGarry’s leadership of the Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst (AIM) program since 2014 has grown the enrollment from four students to more than 80 today. The program has delivered impressive outcomes that not only benefitted these students and the university, but propelled a whole new set of talented and productive employees into today’s workplace.

Through his work with AIM, McGarry became a resource for many other institutions across the country. He testified before the U.S. Congress on best practices in serving this growing demographic and was a subject-matter expert in stories featured in The Chronicle of Higher Education, National Catholic Reporter, C-SPAN, and Forbes. He forged partnerships with big names including Wells Fargo, PricewaterhouseCoopers, the MITRE Corp., and Erie Insurance, among others; 60 percent of AIM graduates have found productive employment; the national average for autistic Americans with university diplomas is 25 percent. 

The new Brad McGarry Center for Neurodiversity includes four components: 

  • Expanding the AIM program to accommodate more students and broaden opportunities for their academic and social development.
  • Expanding summer residential programs for prospective AIM students to determine whether they are ready for the demands of college life.
  • Launching a first-of-its-kind initiative this fall to train students on the autism spectrum for jobs in the rapidly growing field of cyber security. The Cyber-Autism Pilot Program blends the strengths of the AIM program and the university’s Cyber Security program and is made possible through the collaboration of PricewaterhouseCoopers. Research shows that persons with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have many characteristics that make them ideally suited to work in the cyber security field, findings upon which Mercyhurst based its rationale for the program.
  • Creating a training program to support companies and organizations seeking to integrate neurodiverse people into the workplace as they recognize their growing numbers and unique skills.
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Old Main at Mercyhurst
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Students showing off signs
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Group photo of students
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Student setting up outdoor festival
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Students smiling and pose for photo
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Group photo of students in summer
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Two students pose for photo while working on assignments
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Students pose on a off-campus trip
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Students learning cooking
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Students riding horses
   

Contact Us

Autism Initiative at Mercyhurst
Phone: 814-824-2325 
Email: aim@mercyhurst.edu