MEET THE BOARD
President
Andresa De Souza
Ph.D., BCBA-D
Dr. Andresa De Souza is an assistant professor at the University of Missouri – St. Louis. She received a Master’s in Behavior Analysis and Therapy from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale under the supervision of Dr. Ruth Anne Rehfeldt and a Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis from the University of Nebraska Medical Center under the supervision of Dr. Wayne Fisher. She completed her Post-Doctoral Fellowship at Marcus Autism Center and Emory University in Atlanta, GA. During her studies, Dr. De Souza gained valuable experience in early-intervention applications for children with autism, the assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior, and the autism diagnostic criteria. She has provided supervision for behavior analysts and worked as a consultant for international sites. Dr. De Souza published several peer-reviewed articles on applications of Skinner’s verbal behavior within the framework of an autism diagnosis, and currently serves on the editorial board of The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Her research focuses on strategies for teaching verbal behavior, the arrangement of conditions that can facilitate the emergence of novel language and decrease restricted stimulus control, and caregiver training. Dr. De Souza earned the 2017 VB-SIG Student Paper Award.
Secretary
Videsha Marya
Ph.D., BCBA-D
Dr. Videsha Marya is the Director of Practicum and Immersion Experiences and an Adjunct Professor at Endicott College. She received her doctoral degree in ABA from Endicott College under the advisement of Dr. Alice Shillingsburg. Videsha has provided behavior analytic services to children with autism since 2011. Over the course of her professional experience, Videsha has gained national and international experience in the field of behavior analysis. Within the US, she has worked in autism clinics in Oklahoma, Colorado, Houston, and Georgia. She has presented poster and oral presentations at regional and national conferences as well as co-authored several peer-reviewed papers and book chapters. She has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Endicott Academic Excellence Award and research awards through two Special Interest Groups from ABAI. Her research interests include verbal behavior, ethical behavior, international dissemination, and evaluating effective and efficient teaching practices.
Treasurer
Samantha Bergmann
Ph.D., BCBA-D
Dr. Samantha Bergmann is an assistant professor in the Department of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas. She co-directs the Training and Research: Autism Intervention Laboratory housed in the UNT Kristin Farmer Autism Center and co-directs a peer-mentoring program in Housing and Residential Life called UNT Collaborative Action for the Neurodiverse. Her research interests include applied and translational questions related to instructional efficacy and efficiency, procedural fidelity, stimulus control, and verbal behavior. Dr. Bergmann serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice and is an Associate Editor for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Dr. Bergmann has presented at state, regional, and national conferences and has published research in multiple peer-reviewed journals including
the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, and The Analysis of Verbal Behavior.
Dissemination Coordinator
Meral Koldas
Ph.D., BCBA
Dr. Meral Koldas completed her Ph.D. in Behavior Analysis at Queen's University
Belfast, Northern Ireland, where her research focused on VB training for practitioners
working with individuals with autism, utilizing asynchronous and telehealth modalities.
Currently, she holds a post-doctoral position at the University of Nebraska Medical Center,
Munroe-Meyer Institute, under the mentorship of Dr. Alice Shillingsburg. Dr. Koldas serves
as a board member for both the Advancement of Behavior Analysis International and the
International Behavior Analysis Organization. With nearly 15 years of experience working
with individuals with autism in Turkey, North Wales, Northern Ireland, and the USA, and
having trained practitioners in over 12 countries worldwide, her primary focus is promoting
knowledge sharing and dissemination within the group, as well as increasing international
activities and events, particularly in underserved areas and countries.
Newsletter Coordinator
Janet Sanchez Enriquez
Ph.D., BCBA-D
Dr. Janet Sanchez Enriquez, PhD, BCBA-D attended the University of North Carolina Charlotte as an OSEP scholar working under the mentorship of Dr. Rob Pennington. Her research interests include working alongside vulnerable and diverse populations promoting applied behavior analysis for teaching and learning through research and the development of culturally and linguistically diverse verbal behavior assessments and interventions. She is a founding member and Secretary of the non-profit the Mexican Organization of Practitioners of Applied Behavior Analysis (Organización Mexicana de Practicantes del Análisis Conductual Aplicado, serves on the Board of Directors for the World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance, sits on the Executive Council for the Texas Association of Behavior Analysis and was previously the Council for Exceptional Children’s Division on Autism Developmental Disabilities DEI Student Liaison.
Website Coordinator
Haven Niland
Ph.D., BCBA-D
Dr. Haven Niland is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Texas Tech University and the Burkhart Center for Autism Education and Research. She earned her Ph.D. in Health Services Research with a concentration in Behavior Analysis from The University of North Texas. She completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Clinical Outcomes and Program Evaluation at the Kennedy Krieger Institute Department of Behavioral Psychology and the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She currently serves on the editorial board for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior. Her research interests include the development and evaluation of instructional procedures that facilitate emergent verbal behavior for children with autism spectrum disorder, the use of technology to improve supervision and practice, assessment-based instruction for skill acquisition, and procedural fidelity measurement and improvement.
Grant Competition Coordinator
Ciobha McKeown
Ph.D., BCBA-D
Dr. Ciobha McKeown is an Assistant Professor at California State University, Sacramento. She earned her Masters degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from California State University, Northridge and her PhD in Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Prior to joining the faculty at Sacramento State, Ciobha held a Research Assistant Professor position at the University of Florida where she developed a short-term, intensive early intervention program. Her research is focused in improving the quality of care of neurodiverse children and extending behavior analytic methodology to infants. This includes investigating procedures that promote language development, establish and maintain prosocial behavior, and prevent the development of problem behavior.
Research Competition Coordinator
Adrienne Jennings
Ph.D., BCBA
Dr. Adrienne Jennings is an Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Science department at Daemen University and a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Adrienne received her B.S. in psychology from Texas Christian University, M.A. in psychology with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis from California State University Sacramento, and her Ph.D. in applied behavior analysis from Caldwell University. As a doctoral student, Adrienne completed an externship at Kennedy Krieger Institute in the neurobehavioral unit. Additionally, she has over 10 years of experience in clinical settings working with individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. Most recently she has been consulting and providing staff training to local Boys and Girls Club groups. She serves as the Research Competition Coordinator for the Verbal Behavior Special Interest Group and the co-founder of the Consortium for Ethical AI in ABA. She also serves on the editorial boards for The Analysis of Verbal Behavior and Single Case in the Social Sciences. Adrienne completed a data visualization certification course through Rutgers University. Her research interests include the acquisition and development of verbal behavior, the role of verbal behavior in learning, emergent behavior, open science practices, and dissemination and cultural adaptations of behavioral services. Adrienne is also interested in artificial intelligence, ethics for artificial intelligence, and incorporating data science in behavior analytic research.
Professional Awards Coordinator
Chrissy Barosky
Ph.D., BCBA-D
Chrissy Barosky is currently the Chief Clinical Officer at Bierman Autism Centers. Chrissy has been working in the field of ABA as a practicing Behavior Analyst since 2008, and before that in the field of developmental disabilities and education since 2005. Chrissy is also Adjunct Faculty at Simmons University where she teaches masters level courses on verbal behavior and behavior analytic methodologies. Chrissy obtained her bachelor's degree from Northeastern University in Human Services, her masters degree from Columbia University in Applied Behavior Analysis and Education, and her Doctorate in Behavior Analysis at Simmons University. Chrissy's research interests are in Verbal Behavior, specifically in early language acquisition and how it ties into joint attention, staff training and its impact on client outcomes, and assent based treatment.
Membership Coordinator
Ji Young Kim
Ph.D., BCBA-D
Dr. Ji Young Kim is an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Penn State Harrisburg and a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Dr. Kim earned her Ph.D. and M.A. in Applied Behavior Analysis at Teachers College, Columbia University, and her B.A. in Psychology at Barnard College, Columbia University. As a doctoral student, Dr. Kim worked as a full-time teacher in an inclusion classroom at a public school and has over 5 years of experience in K-5 education working with individuals with and without disabilities and their families. She has published in peer-reviewed journals, and her work has been recognized through numerous awards and grants including the American Psychological Association (APA) Division 25 SABA Applied Behavior Analysis Dissertation Award, New York State Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA) research award for two consecutive years, and the Sidney W. and Janet R. Bijou Grant. Dr. Kim is interested in understanding decision-making and developing effective procedures to enhance learning for individuals with and without developmental disabilities. Her research focuses on the application of behavioral economics concepts to education and other socially significant behaviors. Dr. Kim is also passionate about exploring the intersection between verbal behavior and decision-making behavior.
Student Group Liason
Tianjiao Li
M.Ed.
Tianjiao Li is a fourth-year doctoral student at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC). Her research primarily focuses on identifying optimal behavioral procedures (e.g., tact instruction with progressive prompt delay) to teach children with ASD a second language. She had clinical and research experiences working with children with ASD in the school setting, and she also conducted research on college students to compare procedures in a controlled setting. In her free time, she enjoyed bouldering, playing badminton, and playing ultimate frisbee with friends!