Sandy Magaña

Sandy Magaña, Ph.D., MSW, is a Professor holding the Professorship in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work, The University of Texas at Austin. She serves as Executive Director of the Texas Center for Disability Studies (TCDS) and Director of the Autism Consortium of Texas Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and other Related Disabilities (ACT LEND). Previously, she held faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Social Work for 12 years and the University of Illinois at Chicago Department of Disability and Human Development.

Education:

• Ph.D. from Heller Graduate School of Social Policy, Brandeis University
• Master of Social Work from California State University, San Bernardino
• Post-doctoral training: NICHD funded Post-Doctoral Program in Developmental Disabilities Research, Waisman Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Her research examines cultural contexts of family caregiving across the life course for persons with disabilities, with concentrated focus on racial/ethnic disparities in autism and developmental disabilities among Latinx and BIPOC communities. She develops culturally tailored interventions addressing healthcare access, obesity prevention, and transition services through community-engaged frameworks.

Current research initiatives include SALUD (2028), UCEDD (2027), TX-ADDM Network (2026), EMPOWER Study (2026), and PODER (2024), funded by NIMH, NIA, NICHD, and NIDILRR. These projects investigate intersectional health disparities, parent training efficacy, and capacity-building for racially diverse populations with intellectual/developmental disabilities.

As leader of TCDS and ACT LEND, Dr. Magaña directs statewide interdisciplinary collaboration on disability policy, training, and evidence-based practices while mentoring future professionals through federally funded leadership education programs.