Sarah B. Mallory

Assistant Professor

Dr. Sarah B. Mallory is an assistant professor with a joint appointment in the School of Education and the Center for Disabilities Studies at the University of Delaware. Dr. Mallory specializes in special education with a focus on evidence-based practices that can support individuals with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Dr. Mallory is also an associate director at the Center for Disabilities Studies (CDS), where she directs the center’s Health and Wellness unit and co-directs Delaware’s Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities (LEND) program. Her work at the center focuses on interdisciplinary training in intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), facilitating access to health and wellness systems for individuals with disabilities, and early identification and intervention. She leads the Delaware Network for Excellence in Autism (DNEA), which is Delaware’s autism training and technical assistance center, as well as Family SHADE, which supports families of children and youth with special healthcare needs.

Before joining UD, Dr. Mallory was the Director of Special Education Teacher Preparation Programs at the University of Maryland. She received her Ph.D from Teachers College, Columbia University where she was an instructor in the Intellectual Disability/Autism teacher preparation program and an Advanced Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Opportunities and Outcomes for People with Disabilities.

Prior to entering academia, Dr. Mallory was a special education teacher and has experience working with children with autism and their families in public school and home-based settings.

Educational Background

• Ph.D., Special Education, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, 2014
• M.Ed., Special Education, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, 2006
• B.A., Psychology, George Washington University, Washington, DC, 2002

Professional Experience

• Assistant Professor, School of Education, University of Delaware, 2019–present
• Associate Director, Center for Disabilities Studies, 2024–present
• Co-Director, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and Related Disabilities, Center for Disabilities Studies, University of Delaware, 2022–present
• Director, Health and Wellness Unit, Center for Disabilities Studies, University of Delaware, 2021–present
• Assistant Clinical Professor of Special Education, Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education, University of Maryland, 2014–2019
• Program Area Director, Special Education Program, Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education, University of Maryland, 2017–2019
• Director, Special Education Teacher Preparation Program, Department of Counseling, Higher Education, and Special Education, University of Maryland, 2014–2019

Recent Grants

• Mallory, S. (2026). Family SHADE. Division of Public Health, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. ($1,099,178)
• Mallory, S. (2026). Framework for Supporting Inclusive Environments for Young Children. Office of Early Childhood Intervention, Delaware Department of Education. ($72,976)
• Mallory, S. (2020-2024). Delaware Network for Excellence in Autism (DNEA). Health Fund Advisory Committee, Division of Developmental Disabilities Services, Delaware Department of Health and Social Services. ($2,685,000)

Recent Professional Awards

• Compassionate Champion Award (Delaware Network for Excellence in Autism), Delaware Governor’s Office, 2024
• First Prize, One Voice Conference Poster & Presentation, American Association of Developmental Medicine and Dentistry, 2023
• Provost’s Excellence Award in Service, University of Maryland, 2019