Samantha Marsh Hollins served as AUCD's 2009 Disability Policy Leadership Fellow. She earned a BS from Virginia Commonwealth University in Psychology and her Masters in Teaching from Virginia Commonwealth University in Special Education.

Samantha is a PhD Candidate in the Special Education and Disability Policy Leadership Program at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and a former LEND trainee from the Va-LEND Program, the Partnership for People with Disabilities in Richmond, Virginia. At VCU she conducted research on reading skills in students with Autism Spectrum Disorders as well as managed the behavior of at-risk children in the preschool setting. Samantha has taught courses related to professional development in working with individuals with ASD at the undergraduate and graduate level. Before pursuing her doctoral degree, Samantha worked in the public school setting as an elementary special education teacher and as a community services organizer in Virginia.

At AUCD, Samantha assisted the Legislative Affairs staff in pursuing its legislative goals, especially in the area of education policy, employment and civil rights as well as assisting program staff to fulfill ADD contract activities. Currently, Samantha is employed as an Educational Specialist for Autism and Intellectual Disabilities in the Office of Instructional Support and Related Services at the Virginia Department of Education.