7th Annual Behavioral Science: Applications in Leadership & Supervision Conference

Affiliation:

Interim Executive Vice Chancellor and University Provost
The City University of New York

The Critical Role of Organizational Behavior Management in Exceptional Leadership Development

Abstract:

Effective leadership within behavior analytic organizations requires more than technical expertise—it demands a deep understanding of how organizational behavior management (OBM) strategies can build trust, shape culture, and promote ethical practice. This presentation will examine the critical role of OBM in developing exceptional leaders by defining trust in behavioral terms, exploring motivating operations as a mechanism for increasing loyalty and engagement, and highlighting the importance of transparency, consistency, and follow-through in leadership behaviors. Attendees will learn how to integrate OBM principles to expand beyond the traditional behavioral toolbox, foster ethical cultures of care, and maximize the effectiveness of performance evaluations and feedback. Emphasis will be placed on aligning leadership practices with the BACB Ethics Code, particularly responsibilities to professionals, trainees, and supervisees. Participants will leave with actionable strategies to enhance their own leadership and supervision practices through the systematic application of behavioral science.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Define trust in observable, measurable behavioral terms and describe the contingencies that strengthen or weaken trust within organizations.
• Explain how motivating operations influence loyalty, engagement, and leader–employee relationships, and apply these concepts to leadership practices.
• Identify OBM strategies that promote ethical cultures of care, improve the effectiveness of performance evaluations and feedback, and align leadership behavior with BACB Ethics Code standards.

Biography:

Alicia M. Alvero is the interim executive vice chancellor and university provost for The City University of New York, a role she was appointed to in November 2024. Dr. Alvero is a seasoned higher education leader driving transformative initiatives in academic and student success.

As CUNY’s chief academic officer and chief executive of the Office of Academic Affairs, Dr. Alvero oversees every aspect of the student and faculty experience, including academic programs and policy; research programs; strategic planning and innovation; student success and inclusion initiatives; faculty and student affairs; institutional effectiveness; K-16 initiatives and enrollment; and workforce development.

Dr. Alvero has served in senior leadership roles at the CUNY Central Office since August 2022; she was elevated to vice chancellor for academic and faculty affairs in February 2024 after serving as interim associate vice chancellor for academic effectiveness and innovation.

During her tenure as vice chancellor for academic and faculty affairs she co-led CUNY’s Transfer Initiative with the UFS and collaborated with hundreds of department faculty and chairs, established Faculty Transfer Fellows, and enhanced tools like CUNY Transfer Explorer to improve transfer pathways. Dr. Alvero has advanced access and equity through innovative programs like SEEK’s ICORP, new cohorts for College Discovery and SEEK, and the CUNY Reconnect Credentials Earned project, granting 400+ degrees to date. She oversaw programs like ASAP/ACE and strengthened collaboration across all student success units.

Focused on faculty development and advisement, Dr. Alvero created roles and programs to align institutional goals with student success, including founding the University Director of Academic Advisement Initiatives and launching the first Dean’s Council. She also coordinated CUNY’s 2025-2034 Master Plan, prioritizing equity and excellence in education.

Dr. Alvero began her academic career at Queens College in 2003 as a professor of organizational behavior management (OBM). She served as the associate provost for academic and faculty affairs at Queens College for over three years. Her responsibilities included overseeing academic programming, curriculum, general education assessment, faculty workload, interdisciplinary programs, academic appeals, graduate studies, centers and institutes, and academic program reviews. She expanded faculty support in tenure and promotion, teaching, and leadership development, rebranding the Center for Teaching and Learning as the Center for Excellence in Teaching, Learning, and Leadership (CETLL) to include these initiatives.

She created very popular leadership pipeline workshops and formal department chair training. She was a founding member of the CUNY Faculty Development Consortium and helped develop and co-chair the first-ever CUNY Introduction to being a CUNY Department Chair. She also co-chaired several CUNY-wide inaugural events: CUNY Conference for Department Chairs; CUNY Department Chair’s Leadership Development Program; Parenting through the Pandemic; Female-Identifying Academic Leaders Networking Event.

Dr. Alvero earned a B.A. in psychology from Florida International University and an M.A. in industrial-organizational psychology and Ph.D. in applied behavior analysis from Western Michigan University, where she received a Ford Foundation Fellowship for her research on behavioral safety. She has extensive experience teaching leaders in human services and higher education to apply organizational behavior management (OBM) to solve challenges and enhance leadership. Dr. Alvero has published widely in leading journals and served on multiple editorial boards. A sought-after speaker and consultant, she specializes in training, leadership development, and performance management.

Affiliation:

Chief Executive Officer
Reaching Results

How to Deliver Results as a Strong and Safe Leader: Using Behavioral Science to Drive Performance and Safety

Abstract:

This session introduces leaders to practical applications of behavioral science that improve safety, trust, and performance. Participants will learn how to create psychologically safe environments, strengthen feedback and recognition practices, and clarify expectations in ways that drive measurable results. Drawing on recent research in organizational behavior management and case studies from manufacturing, health care, and service industries, the presentation highlights strategies leaders can use to increase productivity, reduce errors, and build strong, safe, and sustainable teams.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Explain how behavioral science principles (feedback, reinforcement, task clarification) can be applied to strengthen leadership and safety.
• Identify and practice three leadership behaviors that create psychological safety and build trust in teams.
• Apply evidence-based strategies to measure and improve leadership effectiveness in their own organizational context.

Biography:

Dr. John Austin is an internationally recognized expert in human performance and author of #1 Amazon bestselling book, “Results: The science approach to better productivity, profitability, and safety.”

He is CEO of Reaching Results, where he teaches leaders to create more effective work environments. Dr. Austin was also a professor of psychology at Western Michigan University. He has consulted with organizations for thirty years to improve productivity and safety.

John and his teams have been instrumental in delivering over 10,000 work improvement, quality, and safety projects that have generated millions of dollars in improvements to businesses.  They have coached over 350 senior leaders from many companies and nineteen countries to help them improve business performance.

In the area of improving work performance John is the most published author between 1977-2019 in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management. Overall, he has published nearly 100 articles and chapters, delivered hundreds of presentations at regional, national, and international conferences and business meetings.

John coaches leaders, teaches courses on behavioral leadership, difficult conversations, and safety leadership, and is an event speaker on these topics.

Affiliation:

Professor and Director
Severe Behavior Program
University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Munroe Meyer Institute

The Supervision of Staff Who May Get Hurt on the Job: Lessons from a Severe Behavior Clinic

Abstract:

Supervising staff who work with individuals who engage in unsafe behavior presents unique challenges that extend beyond typical clinical oversight. In these contexts, leaders must ensure not only treatment fidelity and professional growth, but also physical safety, emotional well-being, and organizational resilience. This talk will draw from research and experiences within a severe behavior clinic to highlight strategies for supporting staff in high-risk environments. Topics will include developing and implementing effective safety and crisis response plans, fostering staff wellness and resilience, structuring incident reporting systems that inform future practice, and applying trauma-informed care principles to supervision. Attendees will gain practical tools and leadership insights to enhance staff support, mitigate risk, and build a culture of safety and care in settings where staff may be at risk of harm.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe key components of safety and crisis plans that protect both clients and staff in high-risk clinical environments.
• Identify administrative practices that promote staff wellness and resilience following incidents of client aggression or injury.
• Apply trauma-informed care principles to supervision to support staff and sustain effective clinical practice.

Biography:

Dr. Tara Fahmie is a Professor and Director of the Severe Behavior Program at the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Munroe Meyer Institute. She previously held an appointment as associate professor at California State University, Northridge (CSUN). She earned her master’s degree from the University of Kansas and her PhD from the University of Florida. Dr. Fahmie is a BCBA-D and has over 20 years of experience implementing behavior analysis with various populations in clinics, schools, and residential settings. Her main area of expertise is in the assessment and treatment of severe problem behavior; she has conducted research, authored chapters, and received grants for her global work in this area.

Affiliation:

Executive Director
Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies™

Saying the Quiet Things Out Loud: Leadership in Challenging Times

Abstract:

We are living through a challenging time for leaders in academia and business. There are significant pressures being applied that have the potential to undermine the validity of what we believe we understand about science. Nonscientists often struggle with issues such as cause and effect versus correlation. There are also tremendous social media pressures to be dealt with when addressing fundamental misinformation campaigns. We understand the idiosyncratic language of our field, because it was drilled into us during college. However, it is often hard to translate to the public. In this talk, Dr. Holdsambeck will shed light on some of the most significant misunderstandings driving the public discourse and how the Cambridge Center may be positioned to help.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• List two things that are driving the myth of an Autism epidemic.

• List one advantage and one disadvantage of the reliance on binary data for complex decision making in organizations.

• Write a paragraph discussing the pros and potential cons of reacting publicly to misinformation in our field. 

Biography:

Dr. Holdsambeck is a licensed psychologist and BCBA-D with over 40 years of clinical experience delivering services to people with developmental disabilities, including those on the autism spectrum. He was one of the first people to become certified in behavior analysis (#0007). The company he founded at one point employed over 120 clinicians serving 1000+ individuals annually in California and Hawaii.  Previously he served his country as a Captain in the Air Force and his community as a tenured professor of behavior analysis and human sexuality. He was selected as the 2010 distinguished colleague by the Chicago School of Professional Psychology’s Department of Applied Behavior Analysis. In 2011, he received the outstanding service award from the Cambridge Center for his work in bringing evidence-based practices to California. Dr. Holdsambeck is an author and frequent keynote speaker at national and state conferences.  His most recent publications are the highly acclaimed books, Behavior Science: Tales of Inspiration, Discovery, and Service (Holdsambeck and Pennypacker Eds., 2017, Volumes I -3 and Omnibus).  In addition to the activities mentioned above, Dr. Holdsambeck has served for over a decade as the Executive Director of the prestigious Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies™.

Affiliation:

Assistant Professor
School of Behavior Analysis
Florida Institute of Technology

Why Won’t They Listen? Enhancing Performance and Staff Satisfaction Through Effective Communication

Abstract:

My supervisee never listens, they either don’t do what they must or do it incorrectly! Supervisors often relate to this statement and might not understand why their supervisees don’t “listen” to them and “won’t do what they are supposed to”. This presentation will explore this topic to understand from a behavioral perspective the barriers to communication as well as the strategies to build a good working relationship to ultimately increase comprehension, performance, satisfaction, and client outcomes. Specifically, this presentation will discuss a) bad management practices that can hinder performance, b) the impact that rapport has on increasing and maintaining performance, and c) communication strategies to increase rapport in the workplace.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Describe some bad management practices that can hinder performance and rapport.
• Define rapport and its impact on performance.
• Describe the value and strategies of using teach-back and delivering feedback.

Biography:

Andressa earned her Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Florida. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Florida International University and her M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) and Organizational Behavior Management (OBM) from the Florida Institute of Technology. Andressa specializes in Organizational Behavior Management (OBM), which applies the science of behavior to organizations to increase productivity, safety, and staff satisfaction. Andressa has published over 20 articles and book chapters in scientific journals. Her primary research interests include behavioral safety, healthcare procedural adherence and related outcomes, and conditions that promote feedback effectiveness. In addition to research, she is passionate about teaching undergraduates and graduate students about organizational behavior management and behavior analysis.

Affiliation:

Professor of Practice and the Director of Online Programs in Behavior Analysis
Department of Applied Behavioral Science
University of Kansas
and
H.S. Pennypacker Chair of the Board
Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies™

Leading with Purpose: Your Questions, Panel Insights

Abstract:

This panel brings together all five conference speakers for an interactive discussion on supervision and leadership from a radical-behavioral perspective. Building on their individual presentations, the panelists will address common themes such as evidence-based strategies for training supervisors, functional leadership practices, ethical and cultural considerations in supervisory relationships, and methods for shaping organizational performance through behavioral principles. Audience members will have the opportunity to pose questions, explore practical applications, and engage directly with experts whose work spans research, applied practice, and organizational systems. The discussion will highlight both the current state of knowledge and emerging directions for behavior analytic approaches to leadership and supervision.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:

• Explain leadership “behavior” from a behavioral perspective.
• Explain supervisor “behavior’ from a behavioral perspective.
• Describe at least 3 specific skills of effective supervision.
• Propose at least 2 behavioral solutions to improve the situation when given a supervision scenario that demonstrates poor supervision.

Panel Moderator Bio:

Dr. Thomas Zane is Professor of Practice and the Director of Online Programs in Behavioral Science in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science at the University of Kansas. He earned his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in psychology from Western Michigan University and his doctorate in Applied Behavior Analysis from West Virginia University. Dr. Zane was a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Massachusetts and a Research Scientist at the Johns Hopkins University Department of Psychiatry. He currently serves as the HS Pennypacker Chair of the Board at the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies, an international organization dedicated to advancing behavioral science. Previously, Dr. Zane was President of the Ethics Special Interest Group of the International Association for Behavior Analysis. He is actively involved in human rights committees for organizations serving individuals with autism and other intellectual disabilities. His research interests focus on online learning, evidence-based practices in autism treatment, and the philosophy of science, particularly radical behaviorism. He is especially interested in understanding why some behavior analysts deviate from ethical codes and emphasizes the importance of using scientifically supported treatments across all areas of behavior analysis.

Continuing Education opportunities:

BACB® Learning CEs and Psychology CE Credits (Includes Licensed psychologists, school psychologists, and EdDs/educational psychologists)

This is a hybrid in-person and virtual conference. Recordings will be available for 14 days. (For those seeking Psychology CE Credits, there is an additional testing process to be completed for asynchronous/home-study completion.)

BACB®  SUPERVISION Learning CEUs (6.0): The Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies is an approved Type 2 CE Provider by the Behavior Analyst Certification Board® (BACB®) and is authorized to offer 6.0 CE units for this conference. Continuing Education Provider No.: OP-04-0058

Attendees must complete all six presentations in-person, virtually or through recordings available for 14 days post-conference for asynchronous home-study to earn CEs. (Partial credit will not be issued.) An evaluation and code quiz with a 100% score needs to be completed for issuance of continuing education.

APA Approved Sponsor

Psychology CE Credits (6.0)*: Amego Prepare is a co-sponsor of this conference for Continuing Education Credits for Psychologists. Amego Prepare is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Amego Prepare maintains responsibility for this program and its content.

In case of a complaint, about Psychology CE Credits, contact Amergo Prepare directly through Dr. Michael Weinberg at MWeinberg@amegoinc.org.

Attendees must complete all six presentations in-person, virtually or through home-study* to earn Psychology CE Credits. (Partial credit will not be issued.) An evaluation and code quiz with a 100% score needs to be completed for issuance of continuing education. *If you are completing the conference through recordings for home-study, there is a DIFFERENT process through Amego Prepare for those seeking a certificate for Psychology CE Credits. Contact Michael Weinberg at MWeinberg@amegoinc.org.

It is attendee’s responsibility to check with their State and Professional organization to confirm all CE offerings.

This is a hybrid event with a smaller in-person gathering or a virtual attendance offering.

IN-PERSON:

University of Kansas – Lawrence campus

VIRTUAL:

Instructions with Zoom link & password to be emailed to registered attendees the week of the conference.