Dr. Zuna has more than 15 years of experience working with children with disabilities and their families in a variety of roles including, researcher, certified special education teacher, and in-home/in-school skills trainer. Her research interests include family quality of life, individual and family supports across the lifespan, and transition to adulthood for students with significant intellectual and developmental disabilities. More specifically, she conducts quantitative and qualitative research to understand individual/family characteristics and systemic variables that impact family quality of life in families who have children with disabilities; she also conducts intervention research to enhance transition outcomes for students with autism and significant intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Ph.D.
in Special Education, University of Kansas
M.S.Ed.
in Special Education, University of Hawaii
Member,
Faculty Council, The University of Texas at Austin
Member,
Gender Equity Council, College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin
Member,
Austin Area Regional Autism Task Force, Texas Council for Autism and PPD
Treasurer,
Quality of Life SIRG, International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities
Member,
Editorial Board, Journal of Disability Policy Studies
Schaller, J., Yang, N., Eun, J. & Zuna, N. (n.d.). Asian Americans with Depressive/Mood Disorder from the RSA National Data File (accepted). Journal of Applied Rehabilitation Counseling.
Chiu, C., Kyzar, K., Zuna, N., Turnbull, A., Summers, J. & Aya, V. (n.d.). Family quality of life. Oxford handbook of positive psychology and disability (in press). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.
Jay Turnbull Fellowship for excellence in scholarship that advances the community-based quality of life of individuals with intellectual or other developmental disabilities and their families
- University of Kansas, Beach Center/Life Span Institute (2010)
University of Kansas Woman of Distinction for contributions to the disability field
- University of Kansas (2007 - 2008)
Judy Tate Outstanding Doctoral Student Medallion Award
- University of Kansas, Department of Special Education (2007)
Student Award
- American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (2007)
