Message from The Chair

Dear Colleagues:
 
I hope you and your family are safe and healthy amidst this unprecedented time. The first week of April is Graduate Student Appreciation week. Typically, we honor graduate students through several events, including an appreciation breakfast or lunch, and public signs recognizing their good work. Because of social distancing, we’re presently unable to arrange events of this type. This year we assembled a newsletter entirely devoted to recognizing our valuable students and the contributions they make. Many thanks to Angela for pulling it all together. I assure you that when we return, we will arrange a breakfast (and both campus and online students are welcome to join us)! Until we see you in person again, please know that the department greatly appreciates your contributions and excellent work. The students are the heart and soul of what we do and why we do it. We see you and appreciate you!
 
Respectfully,
Flo
ABS Chairperson
Thank You
ABS Graduate Students!!!
Jean's Students

Kelsey Shinnick Goddard

Congratulations to Kelsey Shinnick Goddard, who successfully defended her dissertation, “Examining the Effects of a Home Usability Intervention on Community and Home Participation,” in January!





Jay Schulz
Jay Schulz is entering the home stretch of his program, with his dissertation defense scheduled for later in April and multiple job interviews already completed. Hang in there, Jay!
Jan's Students
Alicia Morgan
Alicia is finishing her Master’s thesis and has shown wonderful dedication and determination in maintaining the Truancy Prevention and Diversion Program. She is an excellent teacher, and students appreciate her guidance and support. It has been a pleasure to watch her grow to the consummate professional that she is today. We wish her all the best in the future.

 Madison Graham
Madison is an absolute delight to work with. This is her first year in graduate school, and she has undertaken every task in a professional manner and has excelled in all of her work. Her enthusiasm, smile, work ethic, and dedication make her an instrumental part of our research team. We are so very fortunate to have her with us and appreciate all that she does.
Flo's Students
Amazing!

This past year has further revealed to me just how amazing the Performance Management Lab students are. While facing so many unknowns at the start of the pandemic, they quickly mobilized to create a remote work culture that reflects our values and mission. As the pandemic continued through a new academic year, they welcomed new labmates and established practices to ensure connection and remote team building. All students pivoted to designing and conducting remote experiments, adjusted their teaching to accommodate student needs, and maintained our consultation work in a remote environment. We have all had to do these things in some capacity, which is a Herculean task! I wish to acknowledge my team because they did so while remaining committed to the idea that we are only as strong as the weakest member and we must lift each other up and support one another while simultaneously challenging one another. I am, quite frankly, humbled by my team. Thank you Tyler, Abby, Sandra, Matt H, Marren, Grace, and Matt L for the honor of mentoring you and for making me a better professional in all the ways you challenge me. I so very much appreciate you!


Tyler – Shout outs for receiving the BABAT award, several first-author pubs, passing your comprehensive exam and dissertation proposal, and accepting at post-doc fellowship with Dr. Higgins! We will miss you but can’t wait to see all that you accomplish.
 
Abby – The growth in your research and consultation skills this past year is impressive (and your skills were great to begin with)! Thank you for supporting your labmates and striving to maintain the lab culture. I appreciate you living your values! Also, your game night prep is over the top 😊
 
Sandra – Congratulations on successfully defending your thesis and submitting a first-author paper for peer review. It has been so fun working more closely with you for 160 and our consultation work. I’m looking forward to your research gaining traction and continued collaboration. Thanks for your contributions!
 
Matt H – We miss you, but know you are doing great things and putting behavior analysis to good use in the military! I look forward to resuming your thesis project once in-person research is approved…. Thanks for your patience!
 
Marren – Your persistence in the face of challenges is impressive. You have been become a valuable member of the team and I appreciate what you’ve brought to the lab. Thank you for your candor even when it’s hard!
 
Grace – It has been fun transitioning from undergrad advisor to graduate mentor – thank you for choosing KU and trusting me with the awesome responsibility of mentoring you! I so very much appreciate your flexibility and willingness to embrace the learning opportunities available in our program. Kudos to you. you already have some thesis data that are beautiful!
 
Matt L – I am so grateful that your educational journey brought you to KU and you permitted me the wonderful opportunity of serving as your mentor. I also appreciate your commitment to supporting your colleagues in and outside the lab and your enthusiasm for learning. I already can’t keep up with you… it’s gonna be a busy four more years!
Derek's Students

Rachel Foster: Over the past year, you’ve crystallized some research interests and carved a fantastic niche for yourself. I am proud of the work you contributed to the ABE Lab, which culminated in a very fun and interesting thesis (which you defended with flying colors), as well as some novel publications. Your transition into community health will be fun to watch—you’ve definitely found a clever way to integrate behavioral economics with major health applications.
 
Brett Gelino: You had a “breakout” year, for sure! A major first-author journal publication, a major first author book chapter, defending your thesis, and working toward a second Masters in Environmental Studies as you pivot toward dissertation mode. Wow! It is no surprise you are emerging as a rising star in the behavior analytic contributions to sustainability. I also appreciate your dedication to ABSC 100 and supporting your labmates.
 
Josh Harsin: It is bittersweet seeing you transition to public health interests—I’ve loved our work together, but I’m excited to see you take your skillsets to a new domain. Congratulations on defending your thesis, as well as getting a portion of it accepted for publication in JEAB! You’ve left an important fingerprint on the ABE Lab, and I look forward to continued collaboration.
 
Gideon Naudé: What a year! A comp, dissertation, graduation, post-doc, and a bunch of publications. We are proud to have you transition to Johns Hopkins for your post-doc with Matt Johnson and look forward to seeing you transition into new research frontiers. Your technical support to the lab—especially in the area of statistics and quantitative analysis—will be missed. Congrats on … well … everything!!!
 
Fernanda Oda: Your personality, wit, and conceptual interests have enriched the ABE Lab in innumerable ways. Your contributions to the COVID research have been phenomenal, and the number of fun projects you have up your sleeve should keep us busy for a long time. I appreciate your passion for teaching ABSC 100 and your willingness to learn new things. And congrats on the MANY (too many to list) scholarships and awards this year, as well as your JEAB acceptance!!!
 
Allyson Salzer: Your dedication to the field, the department, and our lab is inspirational! You challenge all of us to do better, contribute to the field, and support each other. Congratulations on defending your thesis! I sincerely appreciate your efforts to make the lab feel more connected during COVID, as well as your various teaching efforts to provide ABS undergraduates some truly neat course offerings.

Vincent's Students
Leaders!!!
Jevan Bremby Mr Bremby is a full time Research Associate with the Center for Public Partnerships and Research at KU, where he leads a team doing incredible work on strategic planning and building cultural awareness among the staff and leadership associated with the Foster Care system in the State of Kansas. This work is challenging, but will improve a system that supports many youth in the State.

 
Ruaa HassaballaMs Hassaballa has been leading the Douglas County health equity effort to increase COVID-19 testing among marginalized persons as a full time employee of Lawrence Douglas County Public Health. She previously led several undergraduates on data collection, secondary analysis of data, and feedback on systems improvement on substance abuse prevention for a dozen counties in Iowa that are funded to facilitate community engagement for systems improvement. This work will help contribute to an improved understanding of the conditions under which community systems improvement leads to population-level behavior change.


Rachel Foster - Ms Foster successfully defended her Masters Thesis in December, and has been working as a graduate research assistant in the Energy Balance Lab with Dr Joe Donnelly at KUMC. She has been involved in some amazing research on the effects of Yoga and movement on functional mobility, attention and cognitive flexibility among youth with Autism. She is also an incredible asset as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the undergraduate Building Healthy Communities course (ABSC 310/311).
Claudia's Students
PASSIONATE SUPERSTARS!
Nicole Kanaman: You have outdone yourself this past year! Completing your master’s thesis, spearheading several research projects and written manuscripts, and being an amazing leader and colleague are just a few. Your professionalism, excellent analytical skills, and passion for serving adult consumers is impressive! I thank you immensely for all the support you provide me and your other colleagues.
 
Sara Diaz de Villegas: I cannot thank you enough for all your effort in getting ABS 304 up and running in the online format! Also, I’m so impressed with all the skills you have acquired in our work with adult consumers---you have rolled with the punches and have become a very strong member of that team. Thanks so much for your diligence in getting a large-scale manuscript finalized and published in JABA. I’m so excited for our next year in restarting your research on synchronous reinforcement schedules and can’t wait to see all the differences you will make in the lives of our adult consumers.
 
Katie McHugh: You are one of the most professional and hardworking individuals I have ever met. Your drive and passion under extremely difficult circumstances is commendable! Your organization and attention to detail make all the difference in the lives of staff and consumers. I’m so excited about your mask-wearing study for our adult consumers---what a huge difference this had made in their lives!
 
Kathleen Holehan: Over the past several years, I have been amazed with your organization, excellent clinical and supervisory skills, great analytical skills, and billing guru skills. Also, our undergrads in the lab and Little Steps have learned so much from you! I’m so proud of you on the post doc position at KKI and look forward to seeing the amazing things you do in the future.
 
Stacha Vera: You have come in and so quickly made such a huge difference in so many of our lives! I appreciate all the support and supervision you provide our undergrads in Little Steps and am amazed at your learning curve in the lab. I am so impressed with all your work in creating a system for promoting an anti-bias curriculum in the Child Development Center---we have all learned so much! I’m so excited about our future research project on parent training and our work together on the grant!
 
Marissa Kamlowsky: You have jumped right into Little Steps and the lab, learning a ton of stuff in a very short time! You have excellent clinical skills, a drive and passion for conducting research, and great organizational skills. It is such a pleasure to work with you---the culture you have helped cultivate in Little Steps and the lab is so awesome! I’m so excited to start your research study on the influence of social interaction preference assessments for children with disabilities.
 
Ky Kanaman: I’m so excited you joined the lab! I can’t believe how many skills you have gained in such a short period of time. The staff, undergraduate students, and children in Educare absolutely adore you---you have made such a big impact on all their lives. Your willingness to jump right in, learn from your colleagues, and foster an excellent work environment are so appreciated. It is such a pleasure to work with you!
 
Brittney Vaughn Mitchelson: I’m so proud of all the work you do in your full-time job providing excellent services for children with disabilities! You do all this while continuing to work on your doctoral degree---INSANE! I’m so excited to get rolling on your dissertation----this will be such a fun and important project. Also, thanks for always being such a great support to me and other colleagues---it is very much appreciated.
 
Rachel Jess: I have been impressed with how you have been flexible in your timeline to finish your degree---this last year was not easy, but you have weathered the storm. Your work in increasing handwashing in young children has international attention, and this is well deserved! I’m excited about your dissertation project—what a neat evaluation!

Dave's Students


Resilient!!!


This past year has been challenging for everyone.
My team has handed it with grace.

Stefanie Stancato – I appreciate the way that you have thrown yourself into writing your comps and navigating the unique challenges that your assistantship at the Army Research Institute entails. Your hard work will serve you well!
 
Robert Lecomte – You can do, and always do – even when we cannot see how it can be done. As a lab, we are busier than ever – conducting more research than ever. Your organizational skills and can do attitude are some of the only reasons that we have been able to do so. Thanks!
 
Tadd Schneider – This year has needed your calm, and you have given it. The circumstances that have pushed such volume through the lab have required your enthusiasm and you have given it. The coming months will require your hands – and I am confident that they will get them. Thanks!

Jomella's Students
Changing the World!!!


  • Courtney Moore - Courtney continues to demonstrate dedication and commitment to fulfilling her goal and is soon to complete her doctoral studies at KU. In this past year, her grace, persistence, and pleasant demeanor has been important for our team and in advancing our shared work. Courtney has embraced life and many pleasant opportunities, which our team is happy to celebrate with her.

  • Daryl Stewart - Daryl provides consistent and dedicated leadership as an anchor for our team and with our partners. She is well-organized, dependable and supports a steadfast commitment to advancing our efforts. Daryl is very compassionate and reflective in her contributions to our team and with those served in the community.

  • Priya Vanchy - Priya is very considerate and is always willing to assist others on our team and in the community. She provides an adaptive and flexible approach for engaging with students and in interactions with partners, which is often a great balance. Priya now demonstrates leadership and confidence in her work and in pursuing her goals to support change and improvements in our communities.

  • Valerie Thompson - Valerie is a team player and contributes to ensuring the shared success of our group. She is very thoughtful in her interactions and engagements with the team and in the community. She offers a balance of both curiosity and reflective innovation that advances our shared work in both research and teaching.

  • Joshua Harsin - Josh has engaged with our team and offered valuable contributions to advancing our shared work with communities. He is thoughtful and supportive in his engagements with other team members and community partners. Josh has started to identify his passions and areas of commitment to contribute to improvements in communities.

  • Cynthia Esiaka - Cynthia is a valued graduate student colleague on our team, She offers a multidisciplinary perspective, which is a helpful balance in advancing our shared work. She is persistent and has a commitment to ensuring meaningful contributions to improve conditions in communities. Cynthia is both thoughtful and reflective regarding the opportunity to learn and contribute with our team in advancing our shared work.
Allison's Student
Hayley Hypse
Thank you to Hayley Hypse who has shown flexibility during the pandemic and worked hard to adapt to the pandemic. Your sticktuitiveness is impressive!

Pam's Students
Katie Johnson: Thank you for your hard work supporting Little Steps during such a challenging year. Additionally, thank you for helping get the lab reactivated. I know that you (and your colleagues) spent a lot of time onsite redesigning the lab room, ensuring access to PPE, and setting up computer and data collection equipment such that we can continue research operations in a safe and healthy environment!
 
Ashley Romero: I wrote this last year, but it holds just as true this year, “Thank you for your never-ending optimism, honesty, hard work, and creative ideas”! Thank you for your strong leadership at the North Star Academy. Transitioning to a new position always presents some challenges, but doing so in the face of an pandemic takes it to a new level!! Congratulations on your Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis 2021 Senior Student Presenter Grant!
 
Katie Gorycki: Congratulations on your 1st-author publication in Cogent Psychology (Gorycki, Ruppel, & Zane, 2020)! Also, I’ve been impressed with your flexibility and persistence. You (and Bre) did a great job pivoting quickly in the face of pandemic to design new thesis studies that can be conducted either in-person or remotely. Now you have two studies designed! 😊
 
Bre Roberts: You (and Katie G) did a great job pivoting quickly in the face of the pandemic to design new thesis studies that can be conducted either in-person or remotely. I know this delayed your thesis timeline. However, you are experimentally asking some interesting questions about token reinforcement! I also can’t thank you enough for your smooth coordination of our undergraduate research assistants!!
 
Lisa Ambrosek: Kudos for your initiative and hard work at North Star Academy! You have a keen eye for detail and have made great clinical suggestions that will help us continue to strengthen the program. Not to mention the fact that it’s your first year, and it started in a pandemic! We’re lucky to have you!
 
Laura Camafreita: I’ve been so impressed with way you have taken to teaching ABSC 350, especially helping me to brainstorm ways to maintain effectiveness and efficiency of the practical competency assessment within an online instructional environment! I’m also impressed with the rapport you establish with the undergraduate students. We’re lucky to have you!

Continuity of Critical ABA Services for Vulnerable Populations During Pandemic
 
A huge, heartfelt, resounding shoutout goes to the graduate students involved in providing clinical and educational services at Edna Hill Child Development Center and Goodlife Innovations, Inc. The COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely challenging for everyone. However, this group was devoted to determining ways to ensure continuity of quality behavioral services that are critical for some of our most vulnerable populations (young children in group care, children with IDD in early intervention clinics, and adults with IDD in residential and vocational settings). They shifted services to telehealth, shifted practicum courses to online environments, assisted with the development of COVID safeguards and staffing modifications across settings, and provided in-person services under maximum risk-mitigation conditions.

Thanks to all of you for your professionalism, flexibility, eagerness to learn, dedication, and positive attitudes!!!
Edna A. Hill Child Development Center: Grace Bartle, Sara Diaz de Villegas, Katie Gorycki, Kathleen Holehan, Rachel Jess, Katie Johnson, Marissa Kamlowsky, Breanna Roberts, Ashley Romero, Stacha Vera
Goodlife Innovations: North Star Academy: Lisa Ambrosek, Laura Camafreita, Ashley Romero
Goodlife Innovations: Adult Behavioral Services: Sara Diaz de Villegas, Katie McHugh, Nicole Kanaman
Michael's Student


Gideon Naudé
During his time as GRA in my lab, Gideon Naudé examined delayed reward discounting among people with different patterns of substance using open-access data from the Human Connectome Project dataset. The paper was recently accepted for publication in the APA journal Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology. Congrats Gideon!
Online MA Program Students
Robin's Students
Katia Anguino – Thank you for your active participation in lab and regular attendance at prosems. I look forward to continuing to refine your DEI-related thesis project. 

Kylie Baima – Thank you for your involvement in the graduate student organization and for the assistance you provide to peers in lab. Your thesis proposal on teaching safe weightlifting exemplified great attention to detail and I look forward to the implementation of your project. 

Joanna Calahan – Thank you for soaking up every learning opportunity presented in lab with enthusiasm. I look forward to continuing to develop your thesis ideas into research projects. 

Kianna Csolle – Thank you for exploring diverse applications of behavior analysis and for your mentorship of new lab members; you have been generous with your time and skills and it is appreciated. Your thesis project on identifying preference for and discounting of community reinforcers is important. 

Erika Fiscus – Thank you for approaching all you do from a behavioral perspective. I look forward to working with you more closely in the coming semesters to develop your thesis project. 

Victoria Fluhart – Thank you for always going above and beyond to assist your lab mates, and for your commitment to continued growth. We share a love of animals and working to further develop your thesis project involving horses will be fun. 

Jorey Hart – Thank you for asking important questions and modeling effective self-management strategies. I look forward to your implementation of your thesis project on expanding language in young learners diagnosed with autism. 

Emily Messiah – Thank you for your considered approach to DEI-related research and mindfulness towards social validity. The results of your thesis project examining student-teacher engagement in the classroom should prove relevant and meaningful. 

Alanah Rau – Thank you for continuously building upon your solid foundation in behavior analysis and for knowing your limits. I look forward to working with you more closely in the coming semesters to develop your thesis project. 

Zoie Rickman – Thank you for being flexible and open to engaging in the process. In each meeting, our discussion leads you in new directions and while homing in on a topic of interest and significance. 

Amy Slagle – Thank you for your infusing your work with ingenuity, and for demonstrating your enthusiasm for the learning process. I look forward to further developing your thesis project. 

Jessika Tucker – Thank you for your hard work, dedication to growth, and considerable mentoring, and for your infectious positive attitude. Soon you will defend your thesis examining the effects of a package intervention on the creation and use of SAFMEDS. You should be very proud of all you’ve accomplished.

SECOND YEAR STUDENTS: 
Jess Bostick – Well wishes finishing up your thesis on sustainability! It has high social validity. 

Meagan Harder – Amazing job re-envisioning your thesis! You have shown tremendous work ethic and flexibility during these times of transition! 

Mariah Mussetter – Congratulations for being the first online student to defend and give a Prosem! You will set a high bar! 

Jessica Riley – You have a well-planned thesis and it will be exciting to implement it once the crisis has ended! 

Paula Ruppel – Thanks for all your hard work and perseverance this semester in modifying, adapting, and taking your project virtual! 

Kaitlin Scanlon – Despite the challenges, you’ve done an exceptional job this semester working and adapting your thesis for the ongoing times! 

Kayla Glover – Your work has been impressive! We look forward to planning your thesis on the assessment and treatment of problem behavior! 

Rebecca Woolbert – Thank you for your willingness to set aside your well-developed thesis to collaborate on a new, equally as exciting online project! 

Kiki Yablon – You have a great research question of a conceptual nature. It’s frustrating that it can’t be done now, but it’s worth waiting to ask! 

Kayt-Lyn Johnson – You've been a fantastic lab member, always participating and giving your colleagues feedback. Thank you for your continued collaboration! 

Becky Smith – We look forward to your return this summer and your involvement in L.A.B.! 
 
FIRST YEAR STUDENTS: 
Shout out to our first years, Kylie Baima, Morgan Benson, Cara Bonnell, Jason Church, Kianna Csolle, Amanda Curtright, Shannon Famuliner, Kathleen Johnson, Lynette Johnson, Cassidy Myers, Sophia Ruby, Kathleen Soyka, Jessika Tucker, Sarah Vitztum, Bradley Walker, & Yan Wang! We are really excited about working with you to develop your research ideas into thesis projects!
Jessica's Students
Shout out to the graduate students of the Juanico Lab for all their hard work the past couple of semesters! Because of you, we graduated two students and submitted one manuscript to a peer-review journal. We are currently preparing three manuscripts for submission to peer-review journals, collecting data for three studies, collaborating with other research labs on three studies, waiting for IRB approval for one study, and developing 12 studies. I cannot thank you enough for everything you do. I could not do it without each of you! Looking forward to seeing each your projects unfold! I will briefly comment on the research each of my students are conducting. 

Kayt-Lyn Johnson – Kayt-Lyn is evaluating the effects of video modeling for training parents to conduct Preschool Life Skills. Kayt-Lyn is third author on the manuscript we submitted to a peer-review journal. 

Morgan Benson – Morgan is evaluating the effects of a decision-making model for training students and practitioners to identify an initial function analysis variation. Morgan is also working with a graduate student from the University of the Pacific to extend a survey study looking at functional behavior assessment practices of practitioners. 

Kathleen Soyka – Kathleen is evaluating the effects of behavioral skills training for teaching special education professionals how to conduct an MSWO, collect and analyze MSWO data, and use the results of the MSWO in a subsequent teaching session. Kathleen has also been integral in developing the decision-making model with a student from Dr. Kuhn’s lab. 

Sophia Ruby – Sophia is evaluating the effects of behavioral skills training for teaching bullying prevention skills to adolescents with ASD. 

Jason Church – Jason is evaluating the effects of awareness training for reducing speech disfluencies in remote public speaking. Jason is also working with Dr. Dozier and myself to analyze preference assessment data from a feeding study on food selectivity. He will present this study at ABAI in May. 

Jessica Diestel – Jessica is evaluating the effects of a remote social skills group for teaching children with ASD to appropriately play remote games. 

Kayla Glover – Kayla is developing a translational model of problem behavior to evaluate the effects of treatment integrity decrements within DRA without extinction on problem behavior. 

Nicole Jones – Nicole is developing a staff training study to address skill deficits in her current place of employment. She is interested in effective and efficient training practices.

Ariel Fluharty – Ariel is systematically replicating Ferguson and Rosales-Ruiz’s (2001) trailer-loading study but with cows. 

Dani Thomas – Dani is developing an extension of Kayt-Lyn’s study to evaluate the effects of video modeling for training teachers to conduct Preschool Life Skills. 

Kylene Caquelin – Kylene is developing a translational model of problem behavior to evaluate the effects of lean and dense schedules of NCR with and without extinction on fading the NCR schedule. 

Poonam Patil – Poonam is developing a study to evaluate the effects of Khan Academy on teaching mathematics to children who did not master the skill following typical classroom instruction. 

Molly Malone – Molly is developing a study to train nurses how to be more effective in their responding to patients who engage in problem behavior. 

Chance Olson – Chance is interested in the assessment and treatment of problem behavior, particularly how it relates to the “control” or “my way” function. 

Angie Shaikh – Angie is interested in evaluating the effects of video modeling on training children to respond to bullying. 

Emily Herndon – Emily is interested in evaluating the effects of FIT Learning in a school setting. 
Tom's Students
Janelle Martinelli – Janelle is a first-semester member of our research lab, and has made impressive progress on narrowing down possible research interests. We have found Janelle to be receptive to feedback and interested in the other projects being discussed in the lab meetings.
 
William Bauer – William has a strong interest in the application of our behavioral technology to issues surrounding long-term spaceflight, and his master’s thesis is hopefully going to be focused on some component of crew performance.
 
Yan Wang – Yan is to be commended for her commitment to individuals with autism. Her thesis question focuses on identifying variables that influence the effectiveness of discrete trial teaching.
 
Lynette Johnson – Lynette is a significant contributor in our research lab meetings, providing helpful commentary to others. Her own study has been implemented with precision, obtaining results that will help clarify some of the outstanding issues in her area of study.
 
Sarah Vitztum – We appreciate Sarah’s open-mindedness in class. She strives to “look at the data” to make decisions and inform her behavior. Her recent focus is on ACT and we will eagerly await her opinions about it!
 
Cassidy Myers – Cassidy successfully defended her thesis on pedestrian safety, done on the streets of Oklahoma City. Ron Van Houten, the behavioral guru of such research, sat on her committee and gave her a strong endorsement. Congrats, Cassidy!
 
Shannon Martin – Shannon’s thesis is generally centered around improving the image and collaborative skills of behavior analysts who sit on multidisciplinary teams. It is shaping up to be one of the more empirical investigations of this issue, and should provide a good model of such experiments studying what variables might be influencing such behavior.
 
Nzinga Oby – Nzinga is a valued member of our research lab. She provides serious comments on the projects of others, and has shown a good grasp of the research on her chosen topic (language training in young children with ASD).
 
Gatwech Miak – We’ve enjoyed Gatwech’s focus on the use of self-management skills by individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Gatwech is sensitive to the goal of having individuals be as independent as possible, and through the teaching of self-management strategies, he hopes to empower these individuals to exert more control over their own lives.
 
Kiki Yablon – Besides being an excellent writer and supporter of the other research students, Kiki is investigating a real practical concern of dog owners during the pandemic – dogs demanding attention during humans engaged in remote (online) meetings. Her study will be one of the first to use a signaled DRO procedure to gain control over dog behavior. We eagerly look forward to the results!
 
Jessica Riley – Jessica successfully defended her thesis this semester. The focus was on investigating variables that influence the accuracy of data collection. As one of her committee members said, it is rare to have a thesis question focus on the practice and procedures of science. It was a very well-done experiment that had very practical suggestions for the improvement of data collection.