Daniel M. Fienup, Ph.D. BCBA-D

My overarching interests are in academic behavior and the effectiveness and efficiency of instruction. My primary line of research includes the development and refinement of Equivalence Based Instruction (concept learning based on principles of stimulus equivalence) and computerized, programmed instruction. I am also interested in functional analysis of academic performance with children. Additionally, I mentor a variety of academically related research projects.

Kimberly Reyes-Giordano, MA

The opportunity to participate in the academic instruction lab suited my professional and academic goals. Post-graduation, I plan to work with children with developmental disabilities, assisting them in learning academic and social concepts. Academically, there are endless opportunities to devise and test instructional interventions. My current project is aimed at efficiently testing the effectiveness of various spelling interventions with children who experience difficulties in this academic area.

Jeffery Hamelin, MA, BCBA

My past clinical and research experiences have contributed to my interests in the areas of academic instruction, staff training, and evidence-based practices in developmental disabilities. I am currently involved in designing and evaluating an equivalence-based instructional program on functional analysis and function-consistent interventions. Moving forward I hope to be able to conduct more instructional and treatment-based research related to the application and dissemination of empirically-supported behavioral interventions for children and adults with DD.

Bryan Tyner

I am interested in intersecting behavioral principles with computer-based instruction and human-computer interaction. Understanding learning processes helps to identify how users acquire computer skills and can inform design in order to improve user learning, performance, and experience. I am currently comparing the effects of video modeling and text-based instruction on graphing skills in Microsoft Excel.

Mirela Cengher, MA

I obtained a Master’s degree in Applied Behavior Analysis from Queens College and now attend the Behavior Analysis PhD program through the Graduate Center, CUNY. To date, I have conducted research on topics such as motivating operations for verbal behavior and teaching children with Autism to engage in social referencing behavior. My primary interest is to conduct translational research that may improve the applied work of behavior analysts by incorporating efficient basic processes (e.g., transfer of function, stimulus equivalence) into teaching strategies targeting socially significant behaviors.

Julia Brodsky

The research I conduct in the ACE Lab is relevant to the career I am seeking post graduation, which is to teach at the college level. In this lab, I am able to work on projects related to my primary interests: developing academic interventions and professional skills interventions for college-level students. To date, I have helped develop, run, and analyze data for equivalence based instruction projects. Through my involvement in the lab, I have gained valuable management and collaboration experience.

Graduates