Hope Sparks

Meet Hope

I use she/her pronouns. I’m a Floridian and completed both my BA and MS in Psychology in Florida. My older sister Sara has Down syndrome, and that spurred my interest in disability studies. I’m a current RA for LEND. I love podcasts, baking, and my two pet bunnies!

Minor Program
Disability Legal Certificate

Why did you choose DHD at UIC?
The research coming out of the DHD department is so important and I wanted to be a part of the work and learn from the experts, and it’s the only Disability Studies Ph.D. in the country!

What do you want to do with a DHD degree?
My end goal is working in either a non-profit, academic, or policy-related field focusing on federal advocacy for families!

Research Interests
Federal policy focused on guardianship and supported decision making. Family member advocacy and support.

Selected Publications
Sparks, Hope Marie, “The Influence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Disclosure on Peer Social Distancing in Higher Education” (2021). UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations. 1079. https://digitalcommons.unf.edu/etd/1079

Education
Masters of Science, Psychological Sciences, University of North Florida, 2021. Bachelors of Arts, Liberal Arts with a focus in Psychology, New College of Florida, 2019.