Brenda Barrio

Brenda L. Barrio, an associate professor of special education in the College of Education, serves as an assistant vice president for research and innovation after spending a year as the faculty fellow for the Division of Research and Innovation. 

In this role, Dr. Barrio helps facilitate faculty and staff efforts with institutional-level grants that leverage UNT's capacity as a Tier One Hispanic-Serving and Minority-Serving Institution to enhance the student and postdoctoral research opportunities for our UNT community. As a three-time UNT alum and first-generation graduate, Dr. Barrio understands firsthand the value of supportive mentors and opportunities to engage in student research.

Throughout her professional career, she has dedicated herself to serving students and her work was formally recognized last spring with the 'Fessor Graham Award, the university's highest student-given honor for faculty.

Her research experience — rooted in exploring the disproportionality in special education and evidence-based teaching practices — unites expertise across disciplines and serves as a crucial voice for inclusivity in the broader campus community. She brings important insight with her background in the social sciences, which is crucial as we continue to grow as a Tier One institution.

Dr. Barrio also is the principal investigator and co-founder of UNT ELEVAR, one of a handful of programs nationwide that give young adults with intellectual disabilities the educational training to pursue a meaningful career and skills to lead an independent life.