CATHERINE BRANCH LEWIS is a passionate advocate of integrating disability advocacy and the arts.  As a flutist with cerebral palsy, she holds a unique perspective on music’s ability to act as an instigator of positive change.  Ms. Branch is dedicated to exploring the arts as a vehicle to promote social inclusion for people with disabilities, and in 2008 was awarded a Thomas J. Watson Fellowship to research the role of art in social activism around the world.  During her travels she began the “Music of Difference” project: a concert series whose goal is to encourage positive conversations about diversity.   The first Music of Difference album debuted in 2011, and as the project grows, a dedication to championing the music of living composers remains at its core.  Currently, in addition to working toward her Doctor of Musical Arts degree at the Eastman School of Music, she is a research fellow of the national Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program.  Ms. Branch works at the Institute for Innovative Transition at University of Rochester, an organization dedicated to supporting positive, informed transitions into adulthood for people with disabilities.  Catherine and her colleagues work together to support inclusive higher education, competitive employment, and engaged, self-determined community living for people with disabilities.