get to know me
Dr. Sandoval believes more humane and equitable working and learning environments are possible.
As an expert in communicating effectively across difference and difficulty she has worked with many leaders and organizations to enhance work cultures and climates and implement evidence based and promising practices in the space of diversity, equity, and inclusion. Dr. Sandoval challenges individuals and institutions to move past the illusion of inclusion into spaces of true belonging.
Dr. Sandoval is an Associate Professor of Communication at the University of Central Florida and a campus leader for equity and inclusion initiatives. She has a Master’s in Dispute Resolution from Pepperdine University School of Law and a Ph.D. in Culture and Communication from the University of New Mexico.
Her research focuses on how identity shows up in complex contexts like healthcare and education. Her projects have often been in the context of reproductive and sexual health examining everything from international surrogacy policy and practice to family planning for LGBTQIA+ folks in the U.S. She often investigates how identity intersects with the constraining structures of our institutions.
Dr. Sandoval’s work has been published in journals like the Journal of International Intercultural Communication, the Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, and the Journal of Creative Communications. She has worked as an executive communication coach and consultant for many different agencies including HealthFirst, Inc., Sony Pictures, and several Planned Parenthood affiliates around the country.
Approach to organizational CHANGE
All Dr. Sandoval’s work is guided by an ethic of care, compassion, and connection. Constructing authentic safer and braver spaces for feedback and vision alignment is an essential step in changing environments. She believes there is no finish line when it comes to DEI work, but rather that the goal will continue to move as cultures shift toward belonging.
With a unique intersection of lived experience, professional conflict management skills, and scholarly expertise in culture Dr. Sandoval is able to identify and understand challenges and barriers quickly and provide critical resources for effective intervention and structural change. Her goal is to always work herself out of a contract by co-constructing sustainable practices and plans as well as coaching emerging leaders within organizations to take the lead moving forward.