Department of Behavior Analysis at UNT

Congratulations to Sara Constance Ekua Ashun on successfully defending her this “An Evaluation of Content Modality on Accuracy and Discrimination” for the MS in degree! Her committee included Drs. Matt Laske (advisor), Sam Bergmann, and Karen Rader Toussaint. Sara plans to become a , support children and families, and pursue a doctorate degree. Congratulations, Sara, from the !

Congratulations to Taylor Nelius for successfully defending her thesis for the MS in from the ! Taylor’s project was titled “Miradas que Conectan/ Gazes that Connect:
Examining Joint Attention in a Culturally Responsive Parent Coaching Program for Latino Families,” and her committee members were Drs. Shahla Ala’i-Rosales (advisor), Aecio Borba, and Michael Siller. Taylor plans to sit for the certification exam to become a . Best of luck as you pursue your professional and personal dreams, Taylor!

Professor Dr. Shahla Ala’i-Rosales was featured on a UNT podcast—listen to learn more about her journey.

On the fourth episode of the Learning Ecosystem podcast, host Carrie Allen discusses the career of UNT College of Health and Public Service behavior analysis professor Shahla Ala'i Rosales, shaped by collaboration and inquiry.

Listen now: bit.ly/4xgbp2L

The Kristin Farmer Autism Center is seeking applicants for a Board Certified Behavior Analyst position. The autism center is in the College of Public Affairs and Health Sciences .hps with faculty Drs. Karen Rader Toussaint and Sam Bergmann in interim Executive Director and Clinical Director positions. Please apply and share with your networks!

https://careers.untsystem.edu/jobs/board-certified-behavior-analyst-bcba-denton-texas-united-states

If you’re at , come by the reunion! We would love to see all current students, faculty, staff, alumni, and friends!

The UNT Department of Behavior Analysis is excited to connect with prospective students at ABAI this week in San Francisco, including at the ABAI-accredited program expo.

Learn more about our undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral training opportunities, faculty mentorship model, and integrated experimental and applied training experiences in behavior analysis.

The UNT Department of Behavior Analysis is excited to connect with prospective students at ABAI this week in San Francisco, including at the ABAI-accredited program expo.

Learn more about our undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral training opportunities, faculty mentorship model, and integrated experimental and applied training experiences in behavior analysis.

ICYMI faculty Drs. Shahla Ala’i-Rosales and Sam Bergmann and MS graduate student David Morales shared our encouragement program with colleagues at the Student Performance Data Symposium this April. The Glenn and Ellis Mentoring System (GEMS) is an encouragement and engagement plan created by Dr. Ala’i-Rosales to help first-year MS students contact UNT resources, create community, and reflect on their progress.

Congratulations are in order for Laura Willoughby following a successful thesis defense! Her project was “Teaching Verb Tacts with Static and Dynamic Stimuli to Children with Autism” with committee Drs. Sam Bergmann (advisor), Karen Rader, and Daniele Ortu. This research project was supported with a student research grant from the Laura will be earning her M.S. degree from and will return to Kansas to begin her career. She plans to sit for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board exam following graduation. Congratulations, Laura!

Please note the new date. Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz's webinar for the AAB SIG has been postponed to next Thursday, May 7th.

Registration link is in the Facebook comments or send us a message for the link!

Here are the details from our earlier post:

Join Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and the AAB SIG for a free webinar.

Thursday, May 7, 2026

8–9:30 pm Eastern Time (7–8:30 Central Time)

1.5 BACB CEUs

Please note: This event will not be recorded.

PRESENATION ABSTRACT

Fearful and aggressive behaviors have generally been regarded as respondent behaviors. They are often considered to be natural reactions to certain antecedent conditions. To address these behaviors, trainers often rely on respondent procedures such as desensitization or counterconditioning. Another common approach may be to try to directly shape an alternative calm response using food or other positive reinforcers.

Alternatively, fearful and aggressive behaviors may be seen as successful operants that are captured and maintained by negative reinforcement. That is, engaging in the behavior leads to distance from or the removal of something the animal finds aversive. For example, a dog learns that when he growls, strangers go away and leave him alone.

This presentation will trace the evolution of a procedure that uses distance as a reinforcer to shape friendly behaviors that replace fearful or aggressive behaviors. We will examine a series of research studies that have been conducted with cows, dogs, cats, and horses to see what each experiment has to teach us about behavior change. These experiments can help us better understand how emotions and emotional behavior can be maintained by and changed by operant contingencies.

PRESENTER BIO

Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz is a professor in the Behavior Analysis Department at the University of North Texas. He has been at the forefront of bringing the science of behavior to the growing field of human-animal interactions. His work on functional analysis and shaping has helped bridge the gap between academia and applied animal training.