Corey Robertson graduated with a Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis and Organizational Behavior Management from Florida Institute of Technology in 2006 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2007. He began his career in 1998 as an exceptional education teacher for the Orange County Public Schools, working two years at the elementary level and two years at the middle school level. He has since worked as a behavior analyst for a number of organizations, working in homes, schools and community settings with parents, teachers, and staff to improve the lives of children and adults with and without disabilities. He is also interested in Organizational Behavior Management as it applies to human services. Corey is passionate about teaching and enjoys interacting with students from all types of backgrounds, from all over the world. His experiences in different applications and settings of applied behavior analysis has given him a well-rounded perspective and has contributed to his knack for explaining things in a way that is easy to understand and remember.

Jan (Montgomery) Pierce graduated with a Master’s of Science Degree in Psychology with an emphasis on Applied Behavior Analysis from North Dakota State University in 1988 and became Board Certified in 2000. Her career has included behavior analytical work at a head injury rehabilitation program, where she directed a secure locked unit for violent offenders, chairing LRC committees, consulting with group homes, and providing behavior training via workshops for caregivers and professionals. For the last eleven years, Jan has worked with dependent children and caregivers beginning with a pilot project with the Positive Parenting group under Dr. Michael Stoutimore based on Dr. Glenn Latham’s work. Having had the opportunity to work in the areas of developmental disabilities, traumatic brain injury, and also with children, caregivers and professionals in the child welfare system has given Jan a wide range of experience in training. Her specialty area in ABA is working within the child welfare system with children and biological and adoptive parents as well as other alternative caregivers including relatives and residential situations. Jan finds it particularly exciting to teach Behavior Analysis to students who will go on to use the knowledge to change lives.

Kristin Myers-Kemp graduated with a Master’s of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology in May of 2005 and received her BCBA the same year. After spending several years “in the field” Kristin returned to FL Tech to pursue a Ph.D under Dr. David Wilder. Kristin received a Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis in July of 2011. Upon graduation Kristin returned to her previous position as the Director of Curriculum Evaluation and Improvement for ABA Technologies, Inc in conjunction with FL Tech’s own ABA Online Program. She has worked for the University of Florida Behavior Analysis Services Program, providing training on Behavior Intervention Plans to caregivers, as well as writing Behavior Intervention Plans and overseeing their implementation. Kristin has also acted as a liaison for dependent children receiving treatment in DCF programs, community providers and other partners to develop, access, and network behavioral resources for children and families. She has been a co-instructor for the ABA Online Program since 2007 although most of her time is dedicated overseeing the curriculum rather than teaching. Her research interests include behavior analysis in education through educational programs, including maximizing effectiveness of education through curriculum design, the effect of effort on behavior and childhood compliance.

Tom Freeman, MS, BCBA earned his Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology in 2000 and earned his BCBA in 2001. Tom has over twenty years of experience in both applied behavior analysis and animal behavior research. Currently, he is the lead co-instructor at the ABA Online Program, as well as the CEO and President of Praseworx, Inc. In his role at Praiseworx, Inc. he provides clinical, educational, organizational, and administrative behavioral consulting services. Previously, Tom served as the Local Review Committee Chairperson and Area Behavior Analyst for the Agency for Persons with Disabilities Program in Daytona Beach, FL where he provided comprehensive oversight of all behavioral services in Volusia and Flagler Counties. Additionally, Tom has served an adjunct professor at the Florida Institute of Technology’s Department of Psychology where he taught undergraduate classes in Applied Behavior Analysis. In addition to his plethora of experience working with individuals with developmental disabilities, Tom has conducted animal behavior research with Humpback Whales and Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins at the University of Hawaii and the University of California, Santa Cruz. Finally, Tom has produced a number of publications and presentations and is a co-author of the chapter titled, “Ethical Considerations for Applied Behavior Analysis” in Cooper, Heron & Heward’s (2007) Applied Behavior Analysis. Tom is a passionate, knowledgeable instructor who enjoys sharing this passion with his students.

Carlos Zuluaga, M.S., BCBA, received his BCaBA in 2005, graduated with a Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2006, and received his BCBA in 2007. Carlos has been working with children with developmental disabilities and language delays for the past five years. Throughout this experience, he has seen how important it is to have a good foundation in the basic principles and procedures used in behavior analysis in order to be an effective practitioner. Carlos has served as the lead behavior analyst at Quest Kids, Inc. in Orlando, FL since 2005. In this role, Carlos carries out assessments of skill deficits and develops, implements, and evaluates behavior programs to address those deficits. He also provides supervision to behavior analysts in training, conducts parent training on compliance management, community outings, feeding programs, and functional communication training. Carlos is excited to have the opportunity to be a co-instructor for the Florida Tech ABA Online Program and to share his knowledge, skills, and experiences with students.

Mai-Linh Pham, M.S., BCBA, earned her Master of Science in Organizational Behavior Management from Florida Tech in May of 2010, and received her BCBA later the same year. While attending classes in Melbourne she worked as a curriculum assistant for the school, where she developed assessment tools, performed content analyses, and created learning activities and testing materials. Before that she worked as a behavior technician for Autism Early Interventions Clinics in Tampa, and during her time at the University of Florida for undergrad she worked as a research assistant at the Behavior Analysis Lab at Sidney Lanier. She considers OBM to be her area of expertise and is especially interested in mainstream applications of ABA, such as in business and politics. Having worked for such a large portion of her career on curriculum development, Mai-Linh finds it incredibly exciting and rewarding to be teaching and to be an active part of the learning process.

Robert Satterfield graduated with a Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2005 and received his BCBA that same year. Robert brings with him a wealth of experience, having gained over 16 years of experience working in the field of applied behavior analysis, as well as 10 years of teaching experience. Robert was selected to serve as a member of the Hillsborough LRC from 2005 through 2008, where he reviewed behavior analysis service plans, reviewed data to determine behavior plan efficacy, provided support to Hillsborough area providers, and developed and conducted training on Functional Replacement Behavior. Currently, Robert serves as a senior behavior analyst at Attain inc., where he provides oversight and monitoring of behavior analytic services, supervises and instructs direct support professionals in a 20-hour basic behavior analysis class, develops service plans, and conducts functional behavioral assessments. Robert’s main interests lie in staff training, maintenance of skills, and procedural integrity of interventions. He cites teaching as his favorite professional endeavor and enjoys sharing his real-life experiences with students.

Alex Dominguez, Ph.D., BCBA-D, earned his Ph.D. in Marriage and Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern University. He received his Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in Medical Family Therapy from Nova Southeastern, and has a bachelor’s degree in Psicologia from Universidad del Norte. He began working in human services in 1987 as an internship psychologist at CEDES Special Education. He spent a short time working as a living skills specialist at a community re-entry center in 1990, and then spent 2 years working as a milieu therapist for Alternative Family Care System. From 91 to 92 he worked as a behavior specialist for ARC Broward, and then he was promoted to Habilitation Services Supervisor. He continued working in human services in positions such as behavior analyst for Rita Honan, PH.D. and Associates, and lead behavior analyst at Nova Southeastern’s Baudhuin Oral School. He has worked as clinical director for Alex Dominguez and associates since 1995, and has been the director of Dominguez Group Homes since 2000. Alex is passionate about spreading behavior analysis to other countries, and is currently working to promote behavior analysis and provide services in Columbia.

Andrew Houvouras graduated with a Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology from Marshall University in 1997 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2000. Andrew has worked as a behavior analyst since 1998, and has worked for Brevard County Public Schools since 2001. In his current role he is responsible for students’ functional behavioral assessments and behavior intervention plans, provides faculty inservices on various disabilities, participates in child study meetings as part of multi-disciplinary teams, and trains and models interventions for teachers, teaching assistants, students and parents. Additionally, he developed the emergency procedures section of the County Plan Manual, is an annual presenter for special inservices on autism spectrum disorders, and serves as an expert witness for county due process cases. In addition to his work as a behavior analyst, Andrew instructed a graduate-level Applied Behavior Analysis course approved as a preparatory course for the national Board Certification Examinations for Behavior Analysts (BCBA) and Associate Behavior Analysts (BCaBA), and co-authored and presented continuing education courses for behavior analysts. His interests lie in behavioral medicine, social skills, and functional analysis, and he has been involved in research regarding reducing safety vests for students and teaching fire safety to children. He looks forward to every class that he teaches and cites ABA as his way of contributing to a better world.

Bethany Contreras possesses a Master’s Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis and Organizational Behavior Management, she received her BCBA in September 2012. She began teaching while earning her undergraduate degree, and taught a course on learning and motivation while attaining her Master’s degree. She has worked with a wide variety of clients, and has implemented a large range of behavior plans. With her experience in the field as a practitioner, she can provide real-life examples that apply directly to course content. She has been involved in research projects involving verbal behavior and problem behavior, while clinically she has used ABA to work in an EI setting with children with autism as well as in an ADT setting with adults with various developmental disabilities. She considers her specialty to be early intervention and verbal behavior, and is always looking for new experiences to contribute to her role as an instructor.

Bill Carlucci, M.S., BCBA received his Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2009. Currently, Bill is a behavior analyst at Devereux Florida State Inpatient Psychiatric Program in Orlando, FL. Bill is responsible for conducting functional assessments/analyses for individuals ages 12-17 diagnosed with mental health disorders, developing and evaluating behavioral programs, and implementing a campus-wide level system and incentive system. Bill has also worked as a behavior analyst for Devereux Florida Family Care, where he was responsible for conducting assessments, developing, and evaluating behavior programs for individuals with developmental disabilities. Additionally, Bill conducted a 30-hour training in the basic principles of Applied Behavior Analysis to foster parents working with individuals with developmental disabilities. This experience allowed Bill to develop teaching materials, including real world examples to share with students. Shortly after, Bill continued teaching ABA courses to other foster care programs and group home staff members. He enjoyed the experience of tutoring these individuals to assist them as they sat for the BCBA and BCaBA exams. Bill’s diverse clinical experience has provided him with a vast array of experiences to share with his students and the ability to provide everyday examples.

Bryant C. Silbaugh graduated with his Master’s degree in Psychology at San Diego State University in October 2008. He completed his BCBA at Florida Tech in May of 2012 after working for the Center for Autism Research, Evaluation and Service (CARES). While there he helped design and supervise the behavior intervention home programs and aided in parent consulting and school consultation for individuals with Autism ages 2 to 18; prior to that he was a Case Supervisor and an Early Childhood Behavior Interventionist. His extensive background in autism, verbal behavior, observational learning, imitation, and theory of mind has made him a valuable asset to our program.

Bryon Neff graduated with a Masters of Science Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of North Texas in 1997. He has been with the Department of Child and Family Studies at the University of South Florida’s Mental Health Institute since 1997. While at the Mental Health Institute, he has served a number of roles, including, Behavior Analysis Services Program (BASP) Senior Behavior Analyst, BASP Program Coordinator, and currently, Behavior Analysis Research Team Coordinator. Among his many contributions, Bryon has developed a training curriculum, “Tools for Positive Behavior Change”, to teach proactive childcare techniques to caregivers, staff, teachers and teenage parents in foster care, and developed and implemented interventions to stabilize and improve behavior of high-risk foster youth. Additionally, he chaired a Local Peer Review Committee and has had a key role in contract negotiations for Florida’s Department of Children and Families (DCF), including, reviewing behavior analysis practice standards for Florida’s child welfare system and providing recommendations for legislative changes. Currently, in his role as Behavior Analysis Research Team Coordinator, he is responsible for grant writing, curriculum development, designing research projects, and collaborating with child welfare agencies. Furthermore, Bryon has published a number of publications and presented papers regarding foster care and child welfare.

Catalina Rey, MS, BCBA graduated with a Master’s of Science degree in Organizational Behavior Management from Florida Institute of Technology in 2010 and received her BCBA the same year. Catalina has several years of experience in behavior analysis and has a strong background in research. Currently, she is a Behavior Analyst at New Way Day Services where she conducts behavior assessments, develops behavior support plans, trains foster parents to implement behavior plans, supervises verbal behavior therapists and provides direct therapy. Previously, Catalina conducted functional assessments including functional analyses, developed behavior support plans, trained and monitored staff on behavior plan implementation, implemented point system for staff performance, interviewed prospective employees, graphed and analyzed data, presented behavior plans to local review committee (LRC), assessed client progress, and worked with multi-disciplinary team to conduct ongoing research. Finally Catalina has produced a number of publications and presentations on behavior analysis and performance. Her aim is to bring her real life experiences into the classroom to share with others. Catalina is passionate about behavior analysis, finds teaching to be motivational and is excited to be teaching in the field.

Chad Kinney earned his MS in Applied Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2007, and became a BCBA that same year. He first became interested in behavior analysis in 2000 while in undergrad at the University of Florida, and began working as a behavior consultant in homes and schools after graduating in 2003. He earned his BCaBA in 2004, and started working with the Humane Society on dog training, and began working in home with children with autism and developmental disabilities. He also did some direct care staff work with adults at a local ADT, and led an anger management course for court-ordered youth at a local P.A.L. From 2007 to 2009, Chad worked as the lead teacher/program director/principal of a small school for children with autism. Chad has been a co-instructor for the online program since 2007. He is especially interested in the tremendous applications of behavior analysis to general education, counseling, and animal training, and is excited to be teaching in the field.

Christi Reed received her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Central Florida and her Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology. She has an extensive background in applying ABA methods in a variety of areas such as homes, schools, companies and in the courtroom as an expert witness in the field of ABA. Ongoing support and protection of the integrity of the field by training quality persons to have better standards of practice and the ability to develop effective and high caliber programming is what motivates Christi in her practice (though she admits chocolate is a close second). Christi looks forward to the opportunity to become more involved in teaching in a more formal environment to help students prepare for certification in ABA.

Dana M. Gadaire obtained her doctorate from the University of Southern Maine in August of 2011 and shortly thereafter completed her BCBA – at the doctoral level in 2012. Over the course of her graduate work she acquired a broad range of training in the fields of clinical, community, and school psychology in addition to being a licensed clinical social worker. Her specific areas of interest include impulsive behavior, social skills training, behavioral parent training, sleep disorders, and bullying prevention. She believes society is well-served when we achieve greater understanding of human learning and behavior and has found these principles useful in 1) helping clients learn a variety of skills (e.g., language, study skills, self-management, sleep hygiene), 2) decreasing problem behavior (e.g., disruptive behaviors, lying, habit behaviors, anxiety, depression), 3) facilitating compliance with treatment recommendations, and 4) improving family and social interactions. Her hope is to continue to convey this greater understanding of human learning and behavior on into the classroom.

Etti Parnes, MS, BCBA, earned her Master of Science in Special Education from Adelphi University in 2000. She completed her coursework to meet the instructional requirements set by the BACB through Penn State University in 2007, and earned her certification as a BCBA in 2009. Etti has been working in the field of special education since 1993, in both school and home settings. She currently teaches a course on Curricular Assessment and Behavior Management at Mercy College in Brooklyn, NY, and also provides behavioral services at home; she works with students with a range of disabilities and challenging behaviors. She loves empowering future teachers about ABA and is excited about how effective behavior analysis is when used in the classroom setting.

Genevieve Coxon, M.S., BCBA, graduated with her Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Tech in May 2010 and received her BCBA shortly thereafter. She has a range of experience working in the field; she worked for two years as a behavior specialist at the Scott Center for Autism Treatment starting in August of 2008, and before that she worked as the lead instructor therapist for the Portia Learning Centre in Ottawa, Canada. She also worked for several years as a counselor with various institutions in Ontario and British Columbia, where she worked with and provided care for clients as well as developed instructional programs. After working with individuals with autism and developmental disabilities for so long, Genevieve considers early intervention and language training to be her areas of expertise. She is excited to be sharing these skills and empowering Florida Tech’s online students to go out and make positive changes in the world.

Han-Leong Goh graduated with a Philosophical Doctorate in Psychology with experimental analysis of behavior from the University of Florida in 1997 and received his BCBA in 2001. He first got interested in applied behavior analysis when he worked as a clinical specialist at the Children’s Seashore House in Philadelphia. He pursued his interest in ABA by enrolling as a graduate student at the University of Florida under the tutelage of Brian Iwata. After receiving his doctorate, Han worked as a post doctoral fellow at the Kennedy Krieger Institute with Cathleen Piazza. Most recently, Han was a Senior Behavior Analyst with the University of Florida’s Behavior Analysis Services Program where and he and 63 other Behavior Analyst enjoyed indoctrinating ABA into Florida’s Child Welfare System. He is a guest reviewer for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Research in Social Work Practice and has acted as assistant editor for Self-Injury News and Abstracts. Han has produced numerous publications, and frequently presented papers and posters at conferences. Within ABA, his specialty is functional analysis of problem behaviors, and he is most interested in functional analysis, child welfare, and developmental disabilities. Han feels motivated knowing that he can help students learn something very practical and useful to everyday life.

Jamie Duncan-Chapman has over 12 years of experience working with children with disabilities in public and private settings. She earned her Master’s in 2002 from Florida Institute of Technology and also became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in the same year. She is currently an Instructional Specialist for CSAAC where she evaluates student programs and trains teachers and teaching assistants. Through her work, she has experience designing and developing online courses for various audiences, something she believes will help her as a co-instructor in the online classroom. Jamie has had extensive practice troubleshooting teaching procedures to determine the most effective techniques and has also been responsible for county-wide acquisition and implementation of a web-based professional development and resource program. She has also been a featured speaker in several webinars and workshops on the topic of autism. Jamie anticipates bringing her real-world experience into the real-virtual world to contribute to the next future behavior analysts.

Jennifer Engheben, M.S., BCBA, earned her Master of Science in Elementary Regular/Special Education from Mercy College in May of 2005. She met the BCBA’s instructional requirements by completing the Florida Institute of Technology’s online course series in December of 2008. She has 8 years of teaching experience, working with students with disabilities and their families, and with students with disabilities in the regular education classroom. Prior to teaching, in 2001, she volunteered at a shelter for women and children and worked in the nursery and after school program. She has worked as a supervisor, SEIT, and parent trainer since 2005, and currently provides supervision to aspiring BCBAs and BCaBAs. She is passionate about improving the quality of life of caregivers and those they assist, and is exciting to be helping train new BCBAs how to improve the quality of so many people’s lives.

Jessica Dean, M.S., BCBA graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology with a Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis in 2006 and received her BCBA that same year. Jessica specializes in teaching those with developmental disabilities functional communication based on Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior. She is interested in continuing to expand behavior analysts’ knowledge of the verbal operants and believes that this is an area that applied behavior analysts should have a greater understanding of. In addition to her duties as a co-instructor, Jessica also does behavior analytic work as an independent contractor for Behavior Change Consultants, Inc. and Establishing Operations, Inc. In these roles, Jessica is responsible for the oversight and programming for children and adolescents diagnosed with a developmental disability. She focuses on the acquisition of communication in combination with deceleration of inappropriate behavior and parent training. In terms of teaching future behavior analysts, Jessica’s greatest strength is her ability to take complex concepts and break them down into terms and situations that apply to them. Her students appreciate her availability to them, as well as her ability to relate tough concepts to “real world” situations that we, as behavior analysts, encounter on a daily basis.

Kaitlynn Gokey received her Masters of Science at Florida Institute of Technology and has a heavy research background on studies with autistic children. She has served as a primary therapist in clinical, home, and school settings, providing 1:1 direct instruction as well as natural environment teaching and shadowing. These positions have included performing functional assessments, writing programs and reports, collecting and interpreting data, and training family and staff on a behavior plan. Kaitlynn loves teaching and lives for that “Aha!” moment when a student learns a pivotal or challenging new concept. Teaching, for Kaitlynn, is a way to broaden one’s impact on the world, a way to leave a legacy and improve lives beyond a person’s direct reach.

Karin Torsiello graduated with a Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology in 2000 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst that same year. She is the President of Behavior Basics Incorporated, a consulting firm in Florida and is the Director of Operations for Advantage Behavioral Group. She has worked as a behavior analyst for three consulting firms and served on the faculty of the University of South Florida for seven years as the Senior Behavior Analyst with the Behavior Analysis Services Program, in partnership with the Department of Children and Families. Karin’s role included supervising a team of behavior analysts who provides direct services to families experiencing behavior issues with their children. She was also responsible for curriculum development and revision, research activities specific to parent training, and providing training for caregivers in the community. Additionally, she has developed behavior management programs for local group homes and mental health facilities. She currently conducts behavior management training for parents, teenage mothers, and prisoners awaiting re-entry into the community, provides in-home consultation services for caregivers and children, and consults with multi-disciplinary committees to review cases of children who are displaying maladaptive behaviors. One of her favorite duties across all of her positions is teaching, as she loves to experience new people on a regular basis.

BEHP 1022: "Instructor and Parent Training" Provider Workshop*

Kimballee Cheung, MS, BCBA, earned her Master’s degree in Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2009, and became a BCBA the same year. She did her undergraduate in Psychology at Southern California University of Professional Studies, and graduated in 2006. Kimballee began working in ABA in 1999, when she worked as a behavior specialist for Alex Dominguez & Associates, which later became Dominguez Group Home. In 2003 she became a behavior service coordinator for Dominguez Group Home, and she worked in this position for 7 years. From there she became the Program Director, and has directed all operations of four residential group homes since 2010. She is passionate about developing better training/teaching skills to facilitate the success of children and adults in and across all areas.

Mark Chambers graduated in 2002 from Southern Illinois University with his MS in Analysis & Therapy; he received his BCBA certificate in 2005, and has been working as an Applied Behavior Analyst for 10 years. He has had a lot of experience teaching informally, in training parents and staff on behavioral programs. He has had the opportunity to supervise other behavior analysts and has also experienced the potent nature of ABA in curbing problematic behavior. He is inspired to pass on his knowledge, and is highly motivated to take on all of the challenges of his first official role as an instructor.

Matt Potak graduated with his Masters in Applied Behavior Analysis at Florida Institute of Technology and has over 10 years of experience working in the field of Behavior Analysis. Matt is currently serving as the president of the Bay Area Association for Behavior Analysis and also serves on the Legislature committee for the Florida Association for Behavior Analysis. As an instructor he brings a diverse background that includes working with individuals with acquired and traumatic brain injury, sex offenders, developmental disorders, and Autism. Matt brings many experiences throughout his career to the classroom that he believes can help others retain concepts, principles, and how to apply them in real life settings. He owns his own practice and is excited to teach and to make a difference in the field of Applied Behavior Analysis.

Matthew Grennell, M.S., BCBA, graduated with his Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology in 2009 and received his BCBA that same year. Matthew has many years of experience working with both adults and children who have skill deficits and various forms of problem behavior. His work, both applying and teaching the principles of behavior in clinical settings, provides him with a strong foundation for providing instruction to students studying applied behavior analysis. Matthew has worked in a variety of clinical settings, providing behavioral treatments in-home, in clinics, and in vocational and residential settings.  In his current position as a behavior analyst for Community Ties of America located in Orlando, FL, Matthew provides behavioral treatments for children and adults with developmental disabilities, autism, and with mental health diagnoses. In this role, Matthew assesses client needs, develops treatment procedures, trains the client’s family and support system, and develops and reviews behavior plans for Local Review Board Committees. Matthew is motivated by seeing behavioral principles and strategies applied correctly and achieving real outcomes. He strives to deliver quality instruction and to motivate students to be well-informed, professional behavior analysts.

Meagan Gregory, PhD, BCBA, earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Behavior Analysis from the University of Florida in 2010, and has been a BCBA since 2004. Her current position at Florida Tech is an assistant professor in the School of Psychology and a faculty supervisor at the Scott Center for Autism Treatment.

Dr. Gregory possesses a great deal of research, clinical, and teaching experience. After earning her Bachelor’s degree, she worked for the Kennedy Krieger Institute (KKI), which serves children and adolescents with developmental disabilities- on the Neurobehavioral Unit. While at KKI, she earned her Masters in Human Services Psychology with an emphasis in Applied Behavior Analysis. Dr. Gregory then moved to the University of Florida to pursue her PhD under the advisement of Dr. Brian Iwata while working as a behavior analyst for a residential program for adolescents and adults with Prader-Willi syndrome. During this time, she also taught classes in ABA at University of Florida.

As the majority of her clinical and research experiences revolved around individuals with developmental disabilities and severe problem behaviors, Dr. Gregory considers this application of behavior analysis to be her specialty. She thoroughly enjoyed her formal teaching experiences, and looks forward to continuing to share her knowledge and enthusiasm for ABA with future students.

Melissa Knoll graduated with a Master’s of Science Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology and received her BCBA in 2007. She has experience working in the field of autism and other related disabilities, and is most interested in working with clients with severe behavioral disorders and rare diagnoses, and has been privileged to work with a few rare cases including Prader Willi and Phelan Mcdermid Syndrome. Melissa has researched stimulus-stimulus pairing procedure on a 3-year-old autistic male and also has worked to develop a hand-held computer used to assist caregivers of patients with Alzheimer’s Disease in their daily living. She has worked as a behavior analyst working with children with developmental disabilities for organizations such as Florida Tech Behavioral Services, Quest Kids, Inc., and PRBAI. Melissa loves working with and teaching students, to help them become confident and knowledgeable behavior analysts.

Paula Leonardo graduated with a Master’s of Science Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology in May of 2003 and received her BCBA in 2004. Since 2001 Paula has worked as a Behavior Analyst for three consulting firms and served on the faculty of the University of South Florida for five years as a Behavior Analyst with the Behavior Analysis Services Program (BASP), in partnership with the Department of Children and Families. In this capacity, Paula’s role included providing services to families experiencing behavior issues with their children or foster children who were living with them. Paula has experience working with children with mental health issues or developmental issues, and has assisted in the development of behavior management programs for local group homes and mental health facilities. Paula also has five years of experience providing parenting trainings for caregiver’s in the community. She currently holds the additional duties of assisting in developing curriculum for parent trainings, providing behavior management trainings for parents, teenage mothers, and inmates in jail awaiting re-entry into the community. Paula is motivated by the fact that as a CBA, she can make a huge difference in people’s lives and the world.

Robert Ryan graduated with a Master’s of Science Degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Tech in 2007 and received his BCBA in 2008. He has experience in verbal behavior, functional assessment and analysis, behavior support plans, discrete trail training, natural environment teaching, precision teaching, direct instruction, and assessment of basic language and learning skills, but considers verbal behavior his specialty and the area he is most interested in. Robert has held various positions as a behavior analyst including District Behavior Analysis for the Osceola County Public Schools where he developed programs and training for school and district level staff, and administrated district cases for implementation of programs and student placement changes. He has also been the CEO and President of Behavior & Communication Therapy, Inc., a Behavior Analysist company consulting with individual families and institutions specializing in individual student and employee goals, providing training, management and organization for those who are working with individuals with autism and other developmental disorders. Robert has always thought that ABA is a critical component of teaching; it defines, describes, and prescribes what good teaching is.

Sharin Smolenyak graduated with a Master’s of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Florida in 1974, became a Florida Certified Behavior Analyst in 1987 and received her BCBA in 2003. She worked at the Children’s Mental Health Autistic In-patient Unit at the University of Florida Shands Hospital, and has had 33 years of experience working at a Florida Developmental Services Institution with individuals juvenile to geriatric. Sharin was a Certified Behavior Analyst on-call for behavior emergencies for seven years for an institution of 550 residents. She provided behavioral services in Florida District 3 for ten years in group homes, foster homes, schools, ARC’s, and aging and adult services placements. She has worked for the past two years as a Clinical Behavioral Specialist F/C at the Seguin Unit male forensic facility for the Florida Agency for Persons with Disabilities. Sharin is proud and enthused to be a co-instructor, and to have a role in contributing to the quality of Applied Behavior Analysis services that are provided.

Suzanne Taylor, MS, BCBA received her Masters of Science in Special Education from Long Island University in Brookville, NY in 2003. She completed her BCBA certification coursework in 2008 from the Florida Institute of Technology and received her BCBA in 2009. Suzanne has over ten years of experience working with children and is certified as a public school teacher. Currently, she serves as the Regional Director for Autism Concepts. In this role, Suzanne designs and implements parent training research and provides supervision to BCBA and BCaBA applicants. Previously, she served as the director of the ACI Learning Center in Edmond, OK, where she conducted and presented research pertaining to verbal behavior and play skills in children with ASD. Additionally, she trained staff to implement ABA/VB program, conducted functional analyses to identify functions maintaining problem behavior, and provided training to school districts for autism and ABA. Suzanne considers Verbal Behavior and Functional Analysis to be her areas of expertise within ABA, and cites her ability to teach parents to be agents of behavior change as her greatest strength.

Tara Loughrey graduated with her doctorate in Behavior Analysis from Florida Tech in 2012 and received her BCBA in 2010. Tara has worked in the field of ABA for over eight years. Since completing her doctorate, she has been involved in various research projects and held several clinical positions. Her specializations are teaching verbal behavior, early intensive behavioral intervention, and training staff and parents. She has become increasingly interested in research examining efficient teaching practices for early intervention and training parents to act as interventionists. Currently, Dr. Loughrey is coordinating a research project at Munroe-Meyer evaluating the independent and combined efficacy of melatonin and faded bedtime with response cost to treat sleep disturbances with children with autism spectrum disorders. Because of her interest in the dissemination of ABA she is excited to share her knowledge, expertise, and passion of applied behavior analysis with others.

Tim Courtney graduated with a Masters of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology in 2006 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst that same year. He has worked as a behavior analyst since 2003 with different organizations such as the Brevard County Public Schools, The Transformations School of Autism, and currently, the Columbus Organization / Outreach Services of Indiana. In addition to his work as a behavior analyst, Tim has a plethora of instructional experience. He has been a co-instructor for Florida Institute of Technology since 2007, created a one-hour Autism curriculum for first responders and law enforcement throughout the state of Indiana, provides a two-day training in Positive Behavior Support throughout the state of Indiana, and is a BCBA Remote Supervisor, providing international supervision based on BACB standards. Tim’s research interests include functional assessment, medical and dental avoidance and escape behavior, verbal behavior, and dissemination of the science of Applied Behavior Analysis. He recently began working with the Indiana University’s dental program training dentists and dental hygienists how to behaviorally address avoidance and escape-maintained behavior. Serving as a co-instructor allows him the opportunity to stay on top of the latest innovative information, while sharing his experiences and teaching students best practices in the field of ABA.