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ABA Faculty
Dr. Tonya Davis, professor, is director of the Applied Behavior Analysis program. She specializes in special education and applied behavior analysis. She has research interests in the treatment of challenging behavior, communication interventions, and teaching others to implement evidence-based practices for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Dr. Davis is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral Level (BCBA-D). She also serves as the Coordinator of the Special Education Undergraduate Program and Coordinator of the PhD in Educational Psychology Program.
Dr. Jessica S. Akers, is an assistant professor of Educational Psychology, specializing in Applied Behavior Analysis. Dr. Akers completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, working in the Munroe-Meyer Institute. Dr. Akers is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral Level (BCBA-D). Dr. Akers’ research interests include strategies for promoting appropriate social and play skills and verbal behavior in individuals with autism and related disabilities. She is primarily interested in targeting appropriate play between children with autism and their typically developing peers and siblings. Dr. Akers is the Director of the Baylor Clinic for Assessment, Research, and Education (CARE), which is part of the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities.
Dr. Kristen Padilla, clinical assistant professor, is a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA). She is director of the Baylor Center for Developmental Disabilities and has research interests in behavior assessments, applied behavior analysis, and developmental disabilities. Padilla has received several awards for her outstanding service to the field. In 2015, she was awarded the Early Career Spotlight Award from the National Association of School Psychologists, Outstanding School Psychologist from the Texas Association of School Psychologists, and Task Supervisor of the Year from the Diana Garland School of Social Work.
