Brian Iwata, Ph.D.  Brian Iwata is Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Florida, where he directs research programs on disorders of learning and behavior.  He has published over 200 articles and chapters and has received over $6 million in research grants to support that work. Brian is the former editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and past president of the Association for Behavior Analysis, Division 33 of the American Psychological Association, the Florida Association for behavior Analysis, the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis, and the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.  He has chaired study sections for both the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health and is a fellow in the American Association on Mental Retardation, the American Psychological Association, the American Psychological Society, and the Association for behavior Analysis.  Brian has received a number of significant awards for his work, including the D.F. Hake Award for Contributions to Basic and Applied Research as well as the Award for Applied Research from APA, the Award for Distinguished Contributions to Service from ABA, and the R. B. Dillard Award for Excellence in Research from AAMR.  Brian is just as much a teacher of researchers as he is a researcher: Half of the recipients of the B.F. Skinner Award (APA Division 25) have been his former Ph.D. students.

Kelly Wilson, Ph.D.  Kelly Wilson is an Associate Professor of psychology at the University at Mississippi. He is the current President of the Association for Contextual Behavioral Science. He received his Ph.D. from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1998. After running a National Institutes on Drug Abuse clinical trial in Reno, he joined the faculty at the University of Mississippi in 2000 where he founded the Mississippi Center for Contextual Psychology. Kelly serves as Associate Editor for The Behavior Analyst and the Journal of Applied and Preventive Psychology. Kelly is one of the cofounders of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. He has devoted himself to the development and dissemination of basic behavioral principles and their application in ACT for the past 18 years, publishing 29 articles, 21 chapters, and 4 books. He has central interests in the application of behavioral principles to understanding topics such as purpose, meaning and values, therapeutic relationship, and present moment processes. Kelly has presented workshops to more than 4000 individuals in 15 countries, and has participated as co-investigator on a wide range of research projects in the U.S., Sweden, and the United Kingdom. In addition to his own research and that of his students at the University of Mississippi, he is currently collaborator on grants at the University of Texas-Houston Medical Center, Duke Medical Center, and the Dorset Healthcare Trust in the England.

Mark Sundberg, Ph.D., BCBA   Mark L. Sundberg received his doctorate degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Western Michigan University (1980), under the direction of Dr. Jack Michael. Dr. Sundberg is the co-author of the books The Assessment of Basic Language and Learning Skills: The ABLLS, Teaching Language to Children with Autism or Other Developmental Disabilities, and A Collection of Reprints on Verbal Behavior. He has published over 45 professional papers, including a recent book chapter titled “Verbal Behavior” in the new edition of Applied Behavior Analysis by Cooper, Heron, & Heward (2007). He is the founder and past editor of the journal The Analysis of Verbal Behavior, a twice past-president of The Northern California Association for Behavior Analysis, a past-chair of the Publication Board of ABA:International, and was a member the BACB committee that developed the BCBA and BCABA Task Lists. Dr. Sundberg has given over 450 national and international conference presentations and workshops, and taught 80 college courses on behavior analysis, verbal behavior, sign language, and child development. He is a licensed psychologist in private practice who consults to programs and classrooms that serve children with autism in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Sundberg has received a number of awards, including the 2001 “Distinguished Psychology Department Alumnus Award” from Western Michigan University.

Jeannie Golden, Ph.D., BCBA   Dr. Jeannie Golden is a Licensed Psychologist who received her Ph.D. in School Psychology from Florida State University in 1981. Dr. Golden had a private practice in Greenville, NC where she worked with children, teenagers and families for over 16 years.  She became the first nationally Board Certified Behavior Analyst in North Carolina in December of 2000.  Currently, Dr. Golden is faculty in the East Carolina University Master's Clinical Psychology where she was given the Alumni Association Teaching Excellence Award in May of 2001. Dr. Golden has been a presenter throughout the United States, as well as in England, Italy, Belgium and Australia.  She speaks from a wide range of professional and personal experiences in a refreshing down-to-earth style. 

Martin Ivancic, Ph.D.   Dr. Ivancic received degrees from Case Western Reserve University, Western Michigan University, and Florida State University studying with Drs. Jon Bailey, Brian Iwata, and Dennis Reid in addition to completing an internship at the John F. Kennedy Institute of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD. He has worked in the field of developmental disabilities and head injury for over 30 years including work as a
therapist, programmer, program director, director of staff development, behavioral consultant, psychologist, and senior psychologist. He is currently a Senior Psychologist at the J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center. He has published 20 research articles or chapters including work on skill training, staff management, reinforcer assessment, and happiness. He has participated with students and co-workers in over 170 data presentations addressing the clinical issues of his consumers emphasizing life-quality for people with profound, multiple handicaps. He is a member and past president of the NCABA and a member of ABA. He received the 1998 Fred S. Keller Award for Excellence in Behavior Analysis and the 1998 Hargrove Award in honor of his contributions to mental health care and support of research in the North Carolina state system. He also received a 1991 Quality of Life Award from Western Carolina Center, a 1992 Secretary's Award for Excellence by the North Carolina Department of Human Resources, a 1996 Director's Award for Excellence and a 1998 Gold Stamp Award from the Western Carolina Center.

Maureen Schepis, Ph.D., BCBA   Maureen M. Schepis, Ph.D. received her doctorate degree in education with a specialization in teacher training and assistive technology from George Mason University.  She is currently the Director of the Center for Early Communication and Learning in Morganton, NC, an assistive technology resource center for families and service providers with a focus on children birth to five.  She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and licensed teacher and provides private consultation to families, service providers and school systems.  She has been in the field of developmental disabilities for over 30 years and has published over 50 research journal articles or book chapters.  She serves on the editorial boards of Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention and Behavior Analysis in Practice. She was the recipient of the Fred S. Keller Excellence in Behavior Analysis Award in 2002 and the NC Assistive Technology Award of Excellence in 2006. She has served as President and Secretary-Treasurer of the North Carolina Association Behavior Analysis Affiliated Chapter.  Her research interests focus on interventions for children with autism, assistive technology and language development.

Ruth Hurst, Ph.D., BCBA   Dr. Hurst received her M.A. at Drake University in 1979 and her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and the University of North Carolina—Greensboro in 2005. Currently she is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she teaches and provides practicum supervision within the newly established applied behavior analysis master’s program concentration.. Her areas of interest and expertise are in applied behavior analysis, clinical behavior analysis, behavior genetics, and Asperger’s disorder. In addition to her work in applied behavior analysis, she is establishing a program of research designed to phenotype the behavior of mice having genotypes associated with human psychopathology; e.g., schizophrenia and autism.  Her research uses behavior analytic preparations to better understand genetic influences on behavior. 

Carol Pilgrim, Ph.D.  Dr. Carol Pilgrim received her Ph.D. from the University of Florida (Go Gators!!) in 1987 with a specialization in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.  She is currently Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of North Carolina Wilmington, where she has been honored with a Distinguished Teaching Professorship (1994-1997), the North Carolina Board of Governors Teaching Excellence Award (2003), and the Faculty Scholarship Award (2000).  She received the Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award and the College of Arts and Sciences Excellence in Teaching Award in 1992, and the ABA Student Committee Outstanding Mentor Award in 2006.  Her research contributions include both basic and applied behavior analysis, with an emphasis in human operant behavior, relational stimulus control, and the early detection of breast cancer.  Dr. Pilgrim has served as editor of The Behavior Analyst, associate editor of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior and The Behavior Analyst, co-editor of the Experimental Analysis of Human Behavior Bulletin, and as a member of the editorial boards of those and several other journals.  She has served as President of the Association for Behavior Analysis, the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis, Division 25 of the American Psychological Association, and the Southeastern Association for Behavior Analysis.  Additionally, she has been Member-at-large of the Executive Council of ABA and Division 25, and member of the Boards of Directors of the Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis, and the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.

Dennis Reid, Ph.D.   Dr. Reid received his doctorate in psychology, with a specialization in applied behavior analysis and school psychology, from Florida State University.  He is currently the executive director of Habilitative Management Consultants, Inc. in Morganton North Carolina, and the director of the Carolina Behavior Analysis and Support Center.  He has more than 30 years experience in working with developmental disabilities, as a manager, clinician, and consultant in educational services, staff training and management, treatment of challenging behavior, support services for people with severe disabilities, and teaching functional skills to people with severe disabilities.  Dr. Ried has published more than 100 applied research journal articles and book chapters focusing on applied behavior analysis in developmental  disabilities, and staff management, and he has published seven books. 

Eric Drasgow, Ph.D.  Erik Drasgow is an Associate Professor of Special Education and is the coordinator of the Severe Disabilities Program at the University of South Carolina. He has been in the field of special education for 23 years and is a nationally recognized expert in autism, early language intervention, and positive behavior support.  Dr. Drasgow has more than 50 publications, and has published in the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, Journal of Autism and Other Developmental Disorders, and Focus on Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities. He has conducted workshops and given presentations across the country in his areas of expertise and has provided technical assistance for more than 15 years to families, teachers, related therapists, and paraprofessionals. Dr. Drasgow currently serves as an associate editor of Evidence-Based Communication Assessment and Intervention.

Barbara Metzger, Ph.D., BCBA   Dr. Metzger received her doctorate in Psychology from West Virginia University, in Morgantown, West Virginia in 1992. Currently, she is the coordinator of the Low Incidence Disabilities and Autism Program at Sam Houston State University.  She is also an assistant professor of education in the department of language, literacy and special populations at Sam Houston State University. Barbara has been a member of NCABA for a long time and prior to a move in 2004 served as a board member for the organization as well.

Rhonda Merwin, Ph.D.   I received my Ph.D. from the University of Mississippi and my B.S. & M.A. from East Tennessee State University. I completed my Clinical Internship at Duke University Medical Center. I am currently in my 2nd yr of a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Duke University Medical Center. I am provisionally licensed as a Clinical Psychologist and my position titles are Postdoctoral Fellow in Behavioral Medicine and Clinical Faculty in the Duke Eating Disorders Program. I am affiliated with DUMC, Division of Medical Psychology, and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences.

Wendy Donlin, Ph.D.  

I am an experimental psychologist with primary interests in Applied Behavior Analysis, especially as it applies to substance abuse.  My research goals are to apply behavioral treatments, called contingency management programs, to local drug abusing populations.  Contingency management involves setting up close monitoring of drug use, and providing positive reinforcers when a person shows evidence of recent drug abstinence.  I am a full member of ABA, and serve on the board of directors for SEABA.  I have been involved in the field of behavior analysis for 11 years. 

Monica Campbell, Ph.D.  Dr. Campbell is an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she teaches in the Special Education Program. Her research interests include strategies for struggling readers, multimedia instruction, and direct instruction.

Linda Mechling, Ph.D.   Dr. Mechling is an associate professor at the University of North Carolina Wilmington where she teaches in the Adapted Curriculum Special Education Program. Her research interests include use of assistive technology to teach persons with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities; use of computer-based video technology to teach persons with moderate to severe disabilities; community-based instruction and functional skills instruction

Tracie-Lynn Zakas, M.S.   Tracie-Lynn is a doctoral student in the special education program at UNC Charlotte. She was a classroom teacher for students with varying disabilities for 11 years. She worked as a special education coordinating teacher for Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools for almost a decade. Currently, she is a liaison between the university and CMS for the specialized grants projects.  Her primary interests in the field of special education are access to the general education curriculum for all students, autism, significant cognitive disabilities, and educational research.

David Rotholz, Ph.D.   He is the Associate Director of the Center for Disability Resources (UCEDD) and Clinical Associate Professor at the University of South Carolina School of Medicine.  His professional goals center on high quality, evidence-based supports for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through services, training and research. Dr. Rotholz’s 25+ years of experience in the profession provide the basis for his current work.  These experiences include work as a direct support professional in the late 1970s as live-in group home staff and as a classroom teacher for children with autism (using discrete trial methodology before it became “mainstream”); consultant to school-based special education programs; clinical direction of a nationally respected treatment program for children with autism; teaching, research, and service provision in university settings; and development and implementation of training curricula for practitioners who support people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Dr. Rotholz’s recent responsibilities include research policy advisor to a state MR/DD agency and trainer to community services staff, school psychologists, and special educators across the country in the areas of positive behavior supports and effective teaching methods for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.  He has also been an active leader with the AAIDD Psychology Division, AAIDD Board of Directors and state chapters of the AAIDD and the Arc.  David received his Ph.D. in 1985 from the University of Kansas and has been an active member of AAIDD since 1992.  He became a fellow of AAIDD in 2002 and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2005.

Mark Stafford, M.A.   Mark Stafford is a Licensed Psychological Associate who received his Masters degree in 1990 under the direction of Dr. Jack Michael at Western Michigan University.  Mark moved to North Carolina in 1991 and worked with adults recovering from traumatic brain injuries before starting his own practice as an independent consultant to group homes for individuals with severe to profound disabilities in central North Carolina.  Mark has also worked with Shigley Family Services in Raleigh providing assessments and treatment to children with a variety of developmental disabilities including autism, learning disabilities, and severe behavior disorders.  While at Western Michigan University, Mark had the privilege to work with Mark Sundberg on the early development of Dr. Sundberg’s approach to utilizing B.F. Skinner’s analysis of verbal behavior to teach language to children with autism and other communication handicaps.  Mark Stafford is now at the Murdoch Developmental Center where he works as a staff psychologist and is again becoming active in the field of verbal behavior.

Marsha Parsons, M.A.   Marsha Parsons is currently the director of a day program for adults with severe disabilities at the J. Iverson Riddle Developmental Center in Morganton, North Carolina.  Over the last 25 years, Marsha has coauthored more than 45 research articles, books and manuals related to teaching people with severe disabilities as well as training, managing and motivating human service staff.  She has presented her work at more that 50 local, state and national conferences.  Marsha received the Fred S. Keller Excellence in Behavior Analysis award from the North Carolina Association for Behavior Analysis in 1997 and the James F. Favell Excellence in Research award from North Carolina AAMR in 2002.  She is a past editorial board member for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and currently serves on the editorial board of Behavior Analysis in Practice.

Valerie Grigg   Valerie Grigg is a graduate TA and student in the Low Incidence Disabilities and Autism Program at Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX.  In addition to being a volunteer at the Humane Society shelter, Valerie is a tutor in a home-based ABA program for a child with autism.  She plans to graduate in May of 2008 and then take the exam for certification in behavior analysis.

Lori R. Stuart, M.A.   Lori Stuart is a Licensed Psychological Associate who received her Masters degree in 1998 under the direction of Dr. Jeannie Golden at East Carolina University.  Lori has her own private practice as an independent consultant to five county schoool systems in North Carolina where she aggressively trains other psychologists, speech therapists and other county level autism team members in effective teaching methods for children with autism, to include verbal behavior analysis. She has worked side by side with many Executive Exceptional Children’s Directors increasing awareness and improving educational experiences for children with autism.  She is also a regularly invited speaker to parent groups, professional groups and psychology and education classes.  Further, Lori provides assessments and treatment to children with autism and other related disorders on a private basis.

Additional presenters at the 2008 conference not pictured above include: Christin Hughes, Pamela Mims, Perry Lattimore, Gretchen Thwing, James McGimsey, Ronald Mazik & Wendy Fitch