Melina Melgarejo

Associate Professor
Departments of Special Education and Dual Language and English Learner Education
San Diego State University

Dr. Melina Melgarejo is an Associate Professor in the Departments of Special Education and Dual Language and English Learner Education at San Diego State University, where her work advances equitable, culturally and linguistically responsive practices for children with disabilities, particularly multilingual learners with autism. Her interdisciplinary scholarship focuses on the implementation and scale-up of evidence-based practices and systems-level change to improve outcomes for underserved communities. Dr. Melgarejo has an established record of externally funded research, serving as Principal Investigator and Co-Project Director on multiple federal and state grants supporting educator preparation, interdisciplinary training, and inclusive early childhood systems. Her research has been published in leading journals such as American Psychologist, Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, and Implementation Research and Practice, with a strong emphasis on bridging research, policy, and practice.

In addition to her scholarship, Dr. Melgarejo is a committed educator and mentor who has helped develop dual credential pathways that integrate special education and bilingual education. She actively mentors master’s students and emerging scholars, many of whom focus on equity in special education. She advances advocacy and community engagement through her role as Co-Coordinator of the FERIA Partnership Conference, an annual bilingual conference that brings together families, educators, and professionals to strengthen advocacy, build community, and share resources that support individuals with disabilities across the lifespan, and as a faculty mentor for the Voice Your Language Forum, where she supports student leaders in organizing and leading a conference centered on linguistic justice and empowerment. As current AAHHE Faculty Fellow Co-Chair, Dr. Melgarejo is deeply committed to advancing the success and representation of Latina/o/x scholars in higher education and to fostering collaborative, community-engaged approaches to educational equity.