Mrs. Melina Cavazos will be graduating with her doctoral degree in school psychology from Texas A&M University in December 2021. She has just defended for dissertation titled Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) Involvement in the Assessment and Planning of Postsecondary Transition in Texas. Mrs. Cavazos first joined the team as a Diversity Fellow funded by the Administration on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AIDD). Her research projects as a Diversity Fellow included working with Dr. Dalun Zhang and other Diversity Fellows in surveying efforts taken by DD Network Partners to increase diversity in their respective programs, and with Dr. Meagan Orsag in evaluating the effectiveness of monthly parent training sessions for parents of students with autism.

She was later employed as a graduate assistant to provide research support in the Capacity Building project, a project funded by the Texas Workforce Commission, in improving capacity between Texas Workforce Commission and Texas Education Agency in their mission to support students in their post-secondary transition planning process. She is forever grateful for the support and experiences she gained while at the Center, and is excited to share her research in this area with others to continue improving post-graduate outcomes for students with disabilities!

Mrs. Cavazos is currently completing her postdoctoral internship in Austin, TX at Austin Anxiety and OCD Specialists in her pursuit of becoming a licensed psychologist. She is looking forward to continue serving children, adolescents, and their families via psychological and psychoeducational therapeutic services.