Scientific Council

Our Scientific Council is comprised of 20 leading autism and medical professionals from across the U.S. Together they serve as an expert information resource for us on matters related to research and current practice. In that regard, the Council assists our Board of Directors in developing its research strategy, near term priorities, and long-range research objectives. The Council also provides program guidance and oversight for the annual research competition and plays a central role in ensuring the highest quality reviews for prospective OAR research studies.

Peter F. Gerhardt, Ed.D.
Executive Director
EPIC School
Paramus, NJ
Chair, Scientific Council

Joanne Gerenser, Ph.D.
Executive Director
Eden II Programs
Staten Island, NY
Vice Chair, Scientific Council

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Shahla Ala’i, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Associate Professor, Department of Behavior Analysis
University of North Texas
Denton, TXCurriculum Vitae

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Kevin M. Ayres, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Professor, Co-director, Center for Autism and Behavioral Education
University of Georgia
Athens, GA

Teal Benevides, Ph.D., MS, OTR/L
Associate Professor, Department of Occupational Therapy
Augusta University
Augusta, GA
LinkedIn

Jonathan Campbell, Ph.D.
Professor and Director, PsyD Program, Department of Psychology
Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC Curriculum Vitae

Kara Hume, Ph.D.
Associate Professor, School of Education
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, NC
Curriculum Vitae

SungWoo Kahng, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Chair, Department of Applied Psychology
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, NJ
LinkedIn
Curriculum Vitae

Gerald P. Koocher, Ph.D.
Attending Psychologist, Boston Children’s Hospital and Faculty, Harvard Medical School Bioethics Center
Boston, MALinkedIn
Curriculum Vitae

Suzanne Letso, M.A., BCBA
Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer
Milestones Behavioral Services
Milford, CT

Michael Londner, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.
Berkeley Medical Center WVU East
Martinsburg, WV
Curriculum Vitae

James A. Mulick, Ph.D.
Professor, Department of Psychology
College of Social and Behavioral Sciences
The Ohio State University
Columbus, OH
Curriculum Vitae

Daniel Openden, Ph.D., BCBA-D
President & CEO
Southwest Autism Research & Resource Center
Phoenix, AZ
LinkedIn

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Dora M. Raymaker, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Portland State University
Portland, OR Curriculum Vitae

Paul Shattuck, Ph.D.
Senior Fellow
Mathematica
Portland, ME
Website

Rachel Taylor, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Center for Applied Behavior Analysis
Founder, CABA Consulting
Los Angeles, CA
LinkedIn

Curriculum Vitae

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Mary Jane Weiss, Ph.D., BCBA
Professor of Education and Director of Programs in ABA and Autism
Endicott College
Beverly, MA

Oliver Wendt, Ph.D.
Director of the Research Lab on Augmentative and Alternative Communication in Autism and Developmental Disabilities
Assistant Professor, School of Communication Sciences and Disorders
University of Central Florida
Orlando, FL
LinkedIn

Curriculum Vitae

Patricia Wright, Ph.D., MPH
SVP, Strategic Initiatives
NEXT for AUTISM
New York, NY
LinkedIn

Thomas Zane, Ph.D.
Director
Online Applied Behavior Analysis Programs
University of Kansas
Lawrence, Kansas
Curriculum Vitae

Meet the OAR Staff