Diana Abarca Sasser (“Dr. D”) is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Science and Disorders at the University of Central Florida. Her research uses qualitative and community-informed methods to investigate marginalized families’ experiences in early intervention and enhance personnel preparation on culturally responsive practices. She has presented at national and international conferences on early language interventions for infants and toddlers and has a specific focus in professional learning for pre and in-service professionals on culturally responsive service delivery. Her work has been funded through the American Speech-Language Hearing Foundation and the Society for Research on Child Development.

Diana is a proud Knight- she received her B.S. and her M.A. in Communication Science and Disorders from the University of Central Florida. She continued her education at Florida State University, completing her Ph.D. in Communication Science and Disorders in 2025. While in the doctoral program, Diana worked in the field as a speech-language pathologist in Florida’s early intervention program, with a specific focus on caregiver coaching and eligibility evaluations. Diana is passionate about fostering students’ interest in work with infants and toddlers, as well as engagement in research.