PhD in ABA
Meet Our Current PhD Students
2020 Cohort
Shreeya Deshmukh, M.S.
Research Interests:
- ABA and sports
- Behavioral coaching procedures
- ABA therapy in a dance context
Current Research Projects:
- A comparison of the effectiveness of verbal feedback and video feedback to improve dance skills
- An analysis of the accuracy and completeness of verbal and video feedback during dance training
Classes taught or currently teaching:
- Research Methods and Ethical Issues in Behavior Analysis (Doctoral Teaching Assistant)
- ABA Basic Principles (Doctoral Teaching Assistant)
Asha Fuller, M.S.
Research Interests:
- ABA in child welfare
- BST and staff training
- Teaching safety and self-advocacy skills
- Law enforcement and correctional officer trainings
Current Research Projects:
- Using BST to teach mandatory reporters the steps to reporting sexual assault and misconduct
- Using BST to teach college students bystander intervention and sexual assault reporting skills
- Evaluating training methods for law enforcement on interacting with individuals diagnosed with ASD and developmental disabilities
Classes taught or currently teaching:
- Behavioral Assessment and Intervention Planning in Applied Behavior Analysis (Doctoral Teaching Assistant)
- Single Case Experimental Design (Doctoral Teaching Assistant)
Justin B Han, M.S., BCBA
Research Interests:
- Functional Analysis Methodology and Training
- Assessment and Treatment of Problem Behaviors
- Cultural Adaptation of Behavior Technology
- Translational Research
Research Projects Underway:
- Visual-Inspection Fidelity of Functional Analysis
- Implementation and Efficacy of
- Indirect and Descriptive Assessment
Classes Taught or Currently Teaching:
- Fundamentals of Applied Behavior Analysis (Doctoral Teaching Assistant)
- Visual-Analysis of Functional Analysis Data (Graduate Level)

Alyssa Rojas, M.S., RBT
Research Interests:
- Establishing protective factors for problem behavior
- Prevention of stereotypic behavior
- Assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior
- Early intervention
- Interdisciplinary school-based intervention
- Teacher training
Current Research Projects:
- Descriptive study on appropriate behaviors of typically developing preschoolers
- Function analysis of topographies of problem behavior
- Review paper on addressing stereotypy as a risk factor for developing self injurious behavior
Classes taught or currently teaching:
- Applied Behavior Analysis in Autism and Developmental Disabilities (Doctoral Teaching Assistant)
- Practicum Seminar (Doctoral Teaching Assistant)
More Coming!
2019 Cohort

Rasha Baruni, M.S., BCBA
Research Interests:
- BST and safety skills
- Increasing behavior variability for children with ASD using lag schedules of reinforcement
- Assessment and treatment of problem behavior
Current Research Projects:
- Emerging issues in the research on safety skills training
- An evaluation of video self-modeling to teach firearm safety skills
- An evaluation of parent implemented web-based behavior skills training for firearm safety skills
- Using behavioral skills training to increase fidelity of staff room searches at a juvenile residential facility
- Passive cooperation: A review of procedures to teach tolerance of unavoidable aversive events in daily life for individuals with autism or related disabilities.
Classes taught or currently teaching:
-
Fundamentals of ABA (Co-instructor)
-
ABA Basic Principles (Teaching Assistant)
-
Fundamentals of ABA (Instructor)

Amalix Flores, M.S., BCBA
Research Interests:
- Translational Research
- Adventitious reinforcement and its impact on maintenance of problem behavior/errors emitted in the context of skill acquisition programs
- Investigating the stimulus function of various behavioral procedures such as the High-P sequences
- Investigating whether the temporal locus of certain clinical procedures correlates with its efficacy and/or differential effect
Research Projects Underway:
- Assessing the effects of music on vocal stereotypy and skill acquisition
Classes taught or currently teaching:
- Single-case Experimental Design
- Child Clinical Psychology- Behavior Therapy
- Basic statistics
- Psychology: Basic Process
- Behavior Modification
- Research Methods
- Health Socio-anthropology
- Practicum Seminar
- Practicum
Link to CV

Karie John, M.S., BCABA
Research Interests:
- Preference and the assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior
Research Projects Underway:
- Some Effects of Functional Analysis Outside of Session
Classes taught or currently teaching:
- Behavior Assessment and Intervention Planning and Single Case Research Design (Teaching Assistant)

Daniel Kwak, M.A., M.S., BCBA
Research Interests:
- Evaluating methods of assessing social validity and implementation of socially valid treatments
- Considerations of culture in assessment, intervention, and training in behavior-analytic research and service provision
- Considerations of resource allocation, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness in assessments and implementation of treatments
- Improving assessment and intervention practices within tiered levels of supports
Research Projects Underway:
- Evaluating methods of assessing social validity: A comparison study
- Using data-based multicomponent class-wide intervention to increase handwashing in schools
- A meta-analysis of high-quality studies on training school personnel to implement behavioral interventions
- Cultural adaptations of assessment, intervention, and training in behavior analysis and related fields: A systematic review
- Implementing the Class Pass Intervention within schoolwide positive behavioral interventions and supports
- Using percentile schedules to increase on-task behavior
Classes taught or currently teaching:
- Research Methods and Ethical Issues in Behavior Analysis
- Applied Behavior Analysis in Autism and Developmental Disabilities
- Functional Assessment
- Psychological Methods: Research Procedures
- Gaps in Educational Opportunity and Achievement
2018 Cohort

Jesse Depaolo, M.S., BCBA
Research Interests:
- The use of ABA in sports/athletics
- Organizational Behavior Management
Research Projects Underway:
- Negative reinforcement contingency to increase out of practice workouts for collegiate athletes
- The use of sports based PDC on collegiate athletes
Classes taught or currently teaching:
- Behavior Assessments and Intervention Planning (undergraduate level)
- Fundamentals of Applied Behavior Analysis (undergraduate level)

Natalie Mandel, M.S., M.Ed., BCBA
Research Interests:
- Efficiency of skill acquisition
- Verbal behavior
Research Projects Underway:
-
An Examination of Skill Acquisition and Generalization of Tacts of Actions
-
Acquisition of Non-Target Stimuli Through Discrete Trial Instruction
-
A Comparison of Behavior-Specific and General Praise on Skill Acquisition
- Evaluating the Effects of Matched Stimulation on Vocal Stereotypy and Skill Acquisition
- Assessing Reinforcers and Preferences of Individuals: A Survey
Classes taught or currently teaching:
- ABA in Autism and Developmental Disabilities
- Fundamentals of Behavior Analysis

Trevor Maxfield, M.A., BCBA
Research Interests:
-
Safety Skills
-
Incorporation of technology into treatment
Research Projects Underway:
- An Investigation into the Effectiveness of Bullying Interventions: A Meta-Analysis
- Video Self-modeling to Teach Firearm Safety Skills
- Evaluation of Parent Implemented Web-Based Behavior Skills Training for Firearm Safety Skills Group Study
Classes taught or currently teaching:
-
Practicum in Applied Behavior Analysis
-
Research Methods and Ethical Issues in Applied Behavior Analysis
2017 Cohort

Jennifer Cook, M.S., BCBA
Research Interests:
- Improving sports, health and fitness behaviors
- Passive cooperation
- The assessment and treatment of stereotypy
- Developing evidence-based practitioner models
Current Research Projects:
- Passive cooperation: A review of procedures to teach tolerance of unavoidable aversive events in daily life for individuals with autism or related disabilities.
- The behaviors and motivational variables of experienced runners: A survey.
- An evaluation of the effects of music on running using a three-component multiple schedule.
- A case study of tolerating aversive but necessary events for an individual with autism: Wearing a bike helmet.
Classes taught or currently teaching:
- Fundamentals of ABA
- Behavior Theory
- Behavior Principles
- Behavior Assessment and Intervention Planning
- Ethics in ABA (Upcoming Spring 2020)
Program Graduates (by year)
Marlesha Bell/ August
Anthony Concepcion/ August
Hannah MacNaul/ May
Bryon Miller/ August
Spencer Gauert/ December
Jessica Moore/ May
Marissa Novotny/ May
Merritt Schenk/ August
Lindsey Slattery/ May
Jennifer Weyman/ May
Claudia Campos/ August
Anna Garcia/ May
Cynthia Livingston/ August
Sindy Sanchez/ August
Leslie Singer/ December
Diego Valbuena/ May
Rocky Haynes/ May
Mallory Quinn/ May