Sehrish Shikarpurya (She/Her) is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education at the 佪圖app, College Park. Her research takes a critical and comprehensive approach to understanding the multifaceted impact of intersectional and marginalized identities, such as race and disability, on the postsecondary transition outcomes of racially minoritized young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Specifically, her work centers on postsecondary transition and equity across three interconnected strands: (a) strengthening culturally competent and equity-focused family-centered interventions, (b) reexamining policies and practices to increase pathways of economic and social mobility, and (c) reshaping community engagement and social belonging for racially minoritized young adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families. Her work is guided by an equity-focused perspective aimed at ameliorating systemic inequities to ensure that all racially minoritized young adults have the opportunity to live meaningful lives while actively participating in the broader social and economic landscape of their communities.
She has published in top-tier peer-reviewed journals, presented at multiple conferences, served in leadership positions for national organizations, and conducted workshops for schools, communities, and non-profit organizations. She is also committed to community-driven research partnerships and is currently working alongside organizations serving racially minoritized families of children with disabilities across DMV and Texas.
2023 Ph.D., Educational Psychology, Texas A&M University
2016 M.Teach, Secondary Education, University College London
2016 M.A., Muslim Societies and Civilizations, University College London
2014 B.A., Education, Emory University
2020-2021 Teaching as Research Fellowship, Center for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning, Texas A&M University
2024 The Society for Research on Educational Effectiveness (SREE) Mentored Travel Award
2024 Student and Early Career Professional Award, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Region 5 Award
2022-2023 Patricia Sitlington Emerging Researcher Award, Division of Career Development and Transition, 1st place award
2022 Education Policy and Politics Doctoral Scholar, Higher Education Consortium of Special Education (HECSE)
2022 Student and Early Career Professional Award, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Region 5 Award
2022 Teaching as Research Award, Center for Integration of Research, Teaching and Learning, Texas A&M University
2021 Student Research Week, Texas A&M University, 1st place award
Selected Publications (* indicates students)
Bogenschutz, M., Johnson, K. R., Hall, S., Lineberry, S., Rand, J., Rossetti, Z., Shikarpurya, S., & Ticha, R. (2024). An equity-based research agenda to promote social inclusion and belonging for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, 62(3), 186-199.
Gilson, C. B., Shikarpurya, S., Pena, H., Morissette, L., & Valentini, B. J. (2024). Fostering equity and inclusion in secondary education for students with intellectual disability: Guidelines for practice and research. In K. Shogren, L.A. Scott, E. Dean, & B. Linnenkamp (Eds)., Research-Based Practices for Educating Students with Intellectual Disability. 2nd edition. Routledge.
Shikarpurya, S., Fogarty, M., Gilson, C. B., *Benzel, M., Fletcher, K.E., *Osburn, C., *Villareal, A., & *Tassin, A. (2024). A mixed methods-grounded theory of friendships between peers with and without intellectual and developmental disabilities. Journal of Applied Research in Intellectual Disabilities, 37(3).
Shikarpurya, S., & Gilson, C. B. (2024). Resisting legacies of racialized adversities: Counterstories of South Asians navigating transition planning. Career Development and Transition for Exceptional Individuals, 47(1), 62-75.
Shikarpurya, S., & Gilson, C. B. (in press). SAATHI: A pilot transition intervention for South Asian parents of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
Shikarpurya, S., Gilson, C. B., Dunn, C., & Fletcher, K. (in press). Exploring transition planning among racially minoritized parents of children with disabilities using DisCrit and QuantCrit. Inclusion.
Shikarpurya, S., Gilson, C.B., Whirley, M.L., Banerjee, A., & Devlin, M. (2023). Parent education interventions for parents of adolescents with Autism: A Scoping Review. Review Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders.
Shikarpurya, S. & Singh, S. (2021). Value them as members of the community: Existing support structures in mosques for South Asian Muslim families of children with IDD. Journal of Disability and Religion, 25(2), 159-180.
Singh, S., Shikarpurya, S., & Keese, J. (2023). I'm doing my best: Experiences of parents navigating services for their children with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic. Disability & Society.
2024-2025 Maryland Catalyst Fund New Directions
2024-2025 Faculty-Student Research Award (FSRA)
2023-2024 Support Program for Advancing Research and Collaboration (SPARC)
2022-2023 P.E.O Scholars Dissertation Award , P.E.O International
2022-2023 Graduate Research Grant, Texas A&M University
2022-2023 Deans Scholarship Award, Texas A&M University
2021-2022 Carolyn S. Lohman/Heep Fellowship, Texas A&M University
Fall 2024 EDSP 671/871: Qualitative Methodologies in Special Education
Spring 2024 EDSP 687: Collaborative Partnerships in Special Education