Speaker bios
OAR’s Seventh Annual Applied Autism Research and Intervention Conference
Conference Faculty
Steve Anderson, Ph.D., BCBA
Stephen R. Anderson, Ph.D., BCBA, received his Ph.D. in Developmental and Child Psychology from the University of Kansas. He has served as Adjunct Assistant Professor at number of colleges and universities including the University of Kansas, Northeastern University, the State University of New York at Buffalo and Buffalo State College. Dr. Anderson currently is the Chief Executive Officer of Summit Educational Resources in Amherst, New York. Summit serves children and young adults with developmental disabilities, including autism, through a comprehensive system of early intervention, preschool, schools, and consulting programs. Dr. Anderson also is a reviewer for a number of professional journals and has published many journal articles, book chapters, and one book on the education and treatment of children with developmental disabilities. Dr. Anderson has been an active member of the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis, serving as its president and a member of its Board of Directors. He served as a panel member appointed by the NYS Department of Health to develop clinical practice guidelines for children with autism. As a licensed psychologist and Board Certified Behavior Analyst, Dr. Anderson has worked in the autism field for more than 30 years and has served as an expert witness and consultant.
Laura Anthony, Ph.D.
Laura Gutermuth Anthony, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Departments of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Pediatrics, Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC), George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences (GWU) is a psychologist at the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders (CASD). Dr. Anthony completed a dual degree Ph.D. program in clinical and developmental psychology at the University of Illinois at Chicago, with a focus in developmental disorders. After completing internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, she joined the faculty there and was the Associate Director of the Maryland Center for Attention and Developmental Disorders, a successful interdisciplinary clinical, research and training team. She had a clinical specialty in Autism Spectrum Disorders, which lead to a large clinical caseload, teaching opportunities and national speaking engagements. Since joining CASD in 2006, Dr. Anthony has been responsible for diagnostic evaluations of children and adolescents on the autism spectrum, individual, group, and family therapy, training of professionals, and leading research efforts to improve classroom functioning in students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and reducing parent burden. She has received two foundation grants (Organization for Autism Research and the Bertha and Isadore Gudelsky Family Foundation) to develop an intervention to improve flexibility of children with ASD in their classroom. Additionally, she is the Co-Director of the Leadership Education for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (LEND) Autism Spectrum Disorders training program funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of HRSA.
Jed Baker, Ph.D.
 Jed Baker, Ph.D. is the director of the Social Skills Training Project, a private organization serving individuals with autism and social communication problems. He also directs social skills training for Millburn Public Schools in New Jersey. He is on the professional advisory board of Autism Today, ASPEN, ANSWER, YAI, the Kelberman Center and several other autism organizations. In addition, he writes, lectures, and provides training internationally on the topic of social skills training and managing challenging behaviors. He is an award winning author of five books, including Social Skills Training for Children and Adolescents with Aspergers Syndrome and Social Communication Problems; Preparing for Life: The Complete Handbook for the Transition to Adulthood for Those with Autism and Aspergers Syndrome; The Social Skills Picture Book; The Social Skills Picture Book for High School and Beyond; and No More Meltdowns: Positive Strategies for Managing and Preventing Out-of-Control Behavior. His work has also been featured on ABC World News, Nightline, the CBS Early Show, and the Discovery Channel.
Frank Cicero, Ph.D., BCBA
Frank Cicero, Ph.D., BCBA, is currently the Director of Psychological Services for the Eden II Programs, an applied behavior analysis program in New York State serving children and adults with autism. He is a certified school psychologist receiving his Masters degree in school psychology from St. John’s University and his Doctorate in Educational Psychology from the City University of New York Graduate Center. He is also a certified behavior analyst. Dr. Cicero is an adjunct instructor in applied behavior analysis at Caldwell College, New Jersey. He frequently conducts workshops, consultations and research presentations nationally and has been published in the areas of toilet training and developmental disabilities.
Moira Cray, LMSW
Moira Cray is the Assistant Director of Education at the New York Center for Autism Charter School (NYCACS). She received her Master of Social Work degree from Fordham University in 2004 and is currently working toward her board certification in behavior analysis. Moira spent more than a decade providing intensive behavioral intervention to children with autism in a variety of settings including homes, community-based specialized schools and regular education classrooms. At NYCACS, she implemented an innovative peer-mentoring program that teaches middle school students to interact with children on the autism spectrum.
Paula Durbin-Westby, B.A.
 Paula C. Durbin-Westby, B.A., is a member, and on the Board of Directors of The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network. She is also the Virginia Coordinator for ASAN. Paula works with The Autistic Self-Advocacy Network on public policy advocacy, educational issues, media and community outreach. She is an autistic community member of the Academic Autistic Partnership In Research and Education (AASPIRE). She works on making sure the research is relevant to the autistic community and conducted in a respectful, ethical manner. Paula is also a member of the Virginia Partners in Policymaking Class of 2009. Partners in Policymaking is an advocacy training program sponsored by the Virginia Board for People with Disabilities. Paula has testified at numerous Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee (IACC) meetings, calling for research into supports and services throughout the lifespan, urging NIMH to include autistic individuals as full partners in research projects. She also gave an invited presentation to the IACC committee on “Ethical Concerns in Autism Research.” Paula was interviewed in the February 2009 issue of Northern Virginia magazine, for an article on Asperger syndrome.
Jennifer Durocher, Ph.D., BCBA
Dr. Jennifer Durocher is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Miami and serves as the Assistant Director of the University of Miami-Nova Southeastern University Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (UM-NSU CARD). Dr. Durocher earned her Bachelors degree in Psychology at Rutgers University in 1992 and completed her doctoral studies in 2001 at the University of Miami, where she obtained both her M.S. and Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. Dr. Durocher completed her clinical internship at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, at the JFK Autism and Developmental Disorders Clinic in 2000-2001. She has worked extensively with individuals with autism and their families for over 15 years and has presented and published nationally and internationally on the assessment, diagnosis and treatment of ASDs. Dr. Durocher is currently the PI on the OAR-funded study “A Clinical Randomized Control Trial of a Joint Attention Intervention for Young Children with ASD.”
Marc Ellison, M.A., L.P.C.
Marc Ellison, M.A., L.P.C., has worked professionally for 25 years to provide person-centered support, services and advocacy to individuals who live with autism spectrum disorders, their families and those who support them. Marc worked with Ruth Sullivan, Ph.D. for nearly two decades to develop community-based supports for individuals living with ASD, and now works with Barbara Becker-Cottrill, Ed.D. at the Autism Training Center, located at Marshall University. Marc coordinates a program that provides academic, social and independent living supports to college students diagnosed with Asperger’s Disorder who, otherwise, are living a typical college experience. Marc is a Licensed Professional Counselor in West Virginia, and an adjunct Professor of Counseling at Marshall University.
Julie Fisher, LMSW, BCBA
Julie Fisher, LMSW, BCBA, has served as Executive Director for the New York Center for Autism Charter School (NYCACS) since January, 2009. Prior to that she held the Director of Education position at NYCACS beginning in 2006. She received her Master of Social Work degree from New York University and is a board certified behavior analyst. While earning her undergraduate degree at Rutgers University, Julie began working with children and adolescents on the autism spectrum, and has remained in the field for over 20 years.
Avi Glickman, B.A.
 Avi Glickman, B.A., graduated from West Chester University in 2002 with a bachelor's degree in Psychology and a minor in Criminal Justice. After graduating, he spent four years working as a Therapeutic Staff Support with students' ages 7-16 who were diagnosed with a variety of emotional, behavioral, and cognitive impairments. Avi has spent the last three years working with individuals on the autism spectrum in a community- based education program. He has matriculated and presented at several conferences on autism including the annual Organization for Autism Research Conference, Penn State Autism Conference, ABAI conference, and annual Pennsylvania Autism Network Conference. Avi has had extensive training in Applied Behavior Analysis, Behavior Management, CPR, and first aid. He is currently enrolled at Immaculata University where he is completing his master’s degree in Educational Leadership with dual certification in elementary and special education. He will begin work on obtaining his Board Certified Behavior Analyst Certificate starting this summer.
Janet Graetz, Ph.D.
 Janet E. Graetz, Ph.D., is an assistant professor at Oakland University (Rochester, Michigan) in Human Development and Child Studies. For the past 30 years, her life has revolved around individuals with developmental disabilities. She began classroom teaching in 1970 and taught in various schools and institutional settings until 2001. During the last 15 years, her classroom teaching focused on children with autism spectrum disorders. She attended George Mason University in Virginia and completed her Ph.D. in Special Education and Instructional Technology in 2003. That same year, she joined the faculty at Oakland University in Special Education. Her current research studies include the topic of college students with Asperger’s Syndrome, spirituality and Asperger’s Syndrome, and the use of Video Eyewear for adolescents with autism.
Melissa Hale, Ph.D., BCBA
Dr. Melissa Hale serves as the Coordinator of Psychological Services for UM-NSU CARD. She is also a Licensed Psychologist and a Certified Behavior Analyst. Dr. Hale received her Ph.D., in school psychology from the University of Florida in 2002 with a specialization in applied behavior analysis. She then completed her pre-doctoral internship at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Hale has worked extensively with individuals with autism for over 10 years. Previously, Dr. Hale served as a program coordinator at the Autism Consortium at Nova Southeastern University where she provided clinical services and school-based consultation for individuals with autism spectrum disorders. She was also adjunct faculty in the psychology department at Nova Southeastern University. Dr. Hale has presented at numerous local and national conferences on topics related to autism spectrum disorders and is currently Co-PI, along with Dr. Anibal Gutierrez, for the OAR-funded joint attention intervention study.
SungWoo Kahng, Ph.D., BCBA
 SungWoo Khang, Ph.D., BCBA, is a faculty member in the Department of Behavioral Psychology and Senior Behavior Analyst on the Neurobehavioral Unit of the Kennedy Krieger Institute. He is also an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine as well as past Director of Training for the Department of Behavioral Psychology. He is currently on the Board of Editors of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavioral Interventions and has served as an ad hoc reviewer for numerous other journals. He has over 50 peer-reviewed publications and chapters and is an adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Maryland – Baltimore County, adjunct faculty at the University of Massachusetts – Lowell, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Dr. Kahng is the recipient of the 2003 B.F. Skinner New Researcher Award given by Division 25 of the American Psychological Association. He has conducted research on the behavioral assessment and treatment of severe problem behaviors (e.g., self-injurious behavior, aggression, and property destruction) exhibited by individuals with developmental disabilities. His other research interests include childhood obesity, pediatric feeding disorders, computerized systems of data collection, and the prevention and early intervention of self-injurious behavior.
Lauren Kenworthy, Ph.D.
Lauren Kenworthy, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Pediatrics, and Neurology at the Children’s National Medical Center, GWU. Dr. Kenworthy is the Director of the Center for Autism Spectrum Disorders, where she has specialized in the neuropsychological assessment of children with social learning disorders and executive dysfunction since 1998. She has received several grants and published several papers investigating the neurocognitive phenotype of autism, with an emphasis on executive function. Dr. Kenworthy has also published the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Functioning (2000), an innovative assessment tool of executive functions, which uses parent and teacher report to measure executive functions in real life contexts. Dr. Kenworthy is Co-Principal Investigator on the flexibility intervention, as well as collaborating with investigators at NIMH and Georgetown on fMRI studies in ASD. Additionally, she is the Co-Director of the LEND Autism Spectrum Disorders training program funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau of HRSA.
Robert LaRue, Ph.D., BCBA
Robert LaRue, Ph.D., BCBA, is an Assistant Research Professor at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers University. He earned a dual doctorate in biological and school psychology from Louisiana State University in 2002. He completed his predoctoral internship with the Kennedy Krieger Institute at Johns Hopkins University and a postdoctoral fellowship with the Marcus Institute at Emory University. He currently serves as the Assistant Director of Research and Training at The Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center, where he supervises several doctoral students providing behavioral consultation to divisions within the Center. He has authored articles in peer-reviewed journals, written several book chapters, and presented at national and international conferences. His research interests include the assessment and treatment of maladaptive behavior, staff and teacher training, and behavioral pharmacology.
Erik Mayville, Ph.D., BCBA
 Erik Mayville, PhD., BCBA, received his doctorate in clinical psychology, developmental disabilities emphasis, from Louisiana State University. He completed his pre-doctoral internship in Applied Behavior Analysis and developmental disabilities at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Mayville’s practice focuses on psychological evaluation, treatment consultation and educational program evaluation for children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). He has coauthored a number of peer-reviewed published articles and book chapters related to problem behavior, social skills, psychiatric disorders, and psychotropic medication use in people with ASD and developmental disabilities. Dr. Mayville is a licensed psychologist and is currently is the clinical director of the Institute for Educational Planning, an affiliate organization of the Connecticut Center for Child Development in Milford, CT. He is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas.
Carla Mazefsky, Ph.D.
Carla Mazefsky, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in Psychiatry and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The overall goal of Dr. Mazefsky’s research is to clarify factors related to psychiatric disorders and emotional reactions and experiences in older children and adolescents with high-functioning autism or Asperger’s disorder. More specifically, Dr.Mazefsky's research carefully considers multiple potential contributors tothe complexity of emotional functioning in autism, from individualbehavioral and cognitive characteristicsto underlying neurobiology. This information can then be used to improve diagnostic assessments, inform treatment, and identify methods to promote emotional stability in autism spectrum disorders. In addition to her research, Dr. Mazefsky has extensive experience conducting assessments and treatment with children with autism spectrum disorders as a licensed child clinical psychologist specialized in this area. Dr. Mazefsky serves as a reviewer for many scientific journals and grant organizations, and is also a Faculty Associate for the Pennsylvania House of Representatives Legislative Office for Research Liaison. She has won awards recognizing her contributions to the field in both clinical service and research.
Kaori Nepo, M.A., BCBA
 Kaori Nepo, M.A., BCBA, is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst and holds active memberships in the Association for Behavior Analysis International, the Delaware Valley Association for Behavior Analysis, and Autism SIG. Kaori received her bachelor's degree in Psychology and her master's degree in Applied Behavior Analysis/Special Education from Temple University under the direction of Dr. Saul Axelrod and Dr. Phillip N. Hineline. She has extensive experience working with children, adolescents, and adults with autism spectrum disorder, brain injury, ADD/ADHD, ODD, behavior disorders, and learning disabilities as both a therapist and a consultant. Kaori mentors candidates for Board Certification in Behavior Analysis. Kaori's passion is educating and training families, teachers, and people in the community to provide support for those with behavior and learning challenges. She is committed to promoting the greatest possibility of independent functioning for our students.
Sam Odom, Ph.D.
 Samuel L. Odom, Ph.D., is Director of Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute at the University of North Carolina and Principal Investigator of the National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorders. He is the author or co-author of many refereed journal articles and editor or co-editor of seven books on early childhood intervention and developmental disabilities. He was previously a member of the National Academy of Science Committee on Educating Children with Autism, which published a report on effective educational programs for young children with ASD (NRC, 2001). He also was a member of the committee that developed the 10 Year Roadmap for Autism Research coordinated by the National Institute on Mental Health and the Interagency Autism Research Committee. His recent articles with his doctoral students have addressed the efficacy of a variety of focused intervention approaches (e.g., peer-mediated interventions, sibling-mediated interventions, parent-child intervention to promote joint attention, independent work systems approach to promote learning) for children with ASD. In 2007, Dr. Odom received the Outstanding Research Award from the Council for Exceptional Children.
Daniel Openden, Ph.D., BCBA
 Daniel Openden, Ph.D., BCBA is Clinical Services Director for Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center (SARRC). He received his doctorate in Special Education, Disability, and Risk Studies under the mentorship of Drs. Robert and Lynn Koegel at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Openden has worked extensively with families with children with Autism Spectrum Disorders on both federal and state funded research projects; provided consulting and training for school districts across the country; presented research at regional, state, and national conventions; and has been published in peer reviewed journals and book chapters in the field. He has expertise in developing training programs for teaching parents and professionals to implement Pivotal Response Treatment (PRT), a comprehensive, evidence-based treatment model for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders. In 2004, Dr. Openden received the CalABA Julie Vargas Award for original research with his study, "A Systematic Desensitization Paradigm to Treat Hypersensitivity to Auditory Stimuli in Children with Autism in Family Contexts." His research interests include parent education, professional development, positive behavior supports, early intervention, inclusion, and dissemination of service delivery models for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders.
Ian Paregol, J.D.
Ian Paregol offers a multi-disciplinary perspective to his role of Executive Director at CSAAC. His 20-year professional career is the culmination of his diverse background in law, management, and education administration. Mr. Paregol received his J.D. from the Dickinson School of Law/Penn State in 1989, and he is a Board Member of the Maryland Association of Community Services providers (MACS) as well as a member of the Maryland State Task Force on Trauma Informed Care/ Restraint-free Maryland Initiative, the Montgomery County Infants and Toddlers - Autism Work Group and the Interagency Coordinating Committee for Developmental Disabilities (InterACC/DD).
Paul Wehman, Ph.D.
 Paul Wehman, Ph.D., is Professor of Physical Medicine with a joint appointment in the Department of Special Education at Virginia Commonwealth University. He has his Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin. He helped to develop supported employment at VCU in the early 1980s. He has published over 200 articles and authored or edited 40 books, most recently Autism and the Transition to Adulthood by Paul Brookes Publishing Company. He was a recipient of the Kennedy Foundation Award in Mental Retardation in 1990 and also received the President’s Committee on Employment for Persons with Disabilities Award in 1992. Dr. Wehman was recognized as one of the 50 most influential special educators of the millenium by the Remedial and Special Education journal in December, 2000. He is also Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation.
Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., BCBA
Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., BCBA, received her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from Rutgers University in 1990. She became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2000. She is an Associate Research Professor at Rutgers University, and she is the Director of Research and Training at the Douglass Developmental Disabilities Center at Rutgers University. Her clinical and research interests center on the identification of best practice ABA techniques, on evaluating the impact of ABA in learners with autism, and in maximizing family members’ expertise and adaptation. She has written numerous articles and four books on autism, Right from the start: Behavioral Intervention for young children with autism (co-authored with Sandra Harris, 1998 ;2nd edition, 2007), Reaching out, joining in: Teaching social skills to young children with autism (co-authored with Sandra Harris, 2001), Sibling stories: Reflections on life with a brother or sister on the autism spectrum (co-authored with Lynne Stern Feiges, 2004) and Practical solutions for educating young children with high-functioning autism and Asperger syndrome (2008). She is also a regular presenter at regional, national, and international conferences on topics relevant to ABA and autism.
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