Faculty

John Umbreit, Ph.D.

John Umbreit is Professor in the Special Education Program at the University of Arizona. He specializes in the areas of positive behavioral support and behavioral analysis. His research focuses on functional assessment-based intervention and PBS in natural environments such as schools, homes, and the workplace.

Dr. Umbreit earned his Ph.D. in special education at the University of Southern California and did post-doctorate study in behavior analysis at Harvard University. He has also been a visiting professor in special education at the University of Washington, an Editorial Board member or manuscript reviewer for 13 professional journals, and a frequent reviewer of grant proposals for the U. S. Department of Education.

Dr. Umbreit serves as Principal Investigator for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports of Arizona, a school-wide discipline project, and also co-directs (with Dr. Jolenea Ferro) the Behavioral Support Specialist training program, a sequence of web-based courses that provides formal training for behavioral specialists in schools. In the past 20 years, he has been Principal Investigator for 15 research and personnel preparation grants, with total funding of nearly $6 million.

Jolenea Ferro, Ph.D.

Jolenea Ferro is Assistant Professor in the Special Education Program at the University of Arizona.  She specializes in behavior analysis, positive behavior support, and behavioral disorders. Her research focuses on functional assessment, school-wide positive behavior support, curriculum, and early intervention. 

Dr. Ferro earned her Ph.D. in special education at the University of Florida.  She conducted research on positive behavior support at the Research and Training Center for Positive Behavior Support in Tampa, Florida before arriving at the University of Arizona. 

Dr. Ferro is currently project director for the Positive Behavioral Intervention and Supports of Arizona grant, which provides training and technical assistance on positive behavior support and implementation of school-wide systems of support to elementary, middle, and high schools in the southern area of the state.  She also co-directs (with Dr. John Umbreit) the Behavioral Support Specialist training program, a sequence of web-based courses that provides formal training for behavioral specialists in schools.

Carl Liaupsin, Ed.D.

Dr. Liaupsin is Associate Professor in the Special Education Program at the University of Arizona. His research addresses the validation of simplified function-based behavior intervention procedures and the support of effective school-wide intervention practices through the use of technology. His publications include monographs, training documents, and refereed journal articles on issues related to PBS and the use of computer-based tools to train teachers of students with EBD.

Dr. Liaupsin earned his Ed.D. at the University of Kentucky where he worked on the staff of the OSEP-funded National PBIS Center. He currently directs the teacher preparation specialization in EBD, provides technical assistance to the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in Arizona grant, and is Principal Investigator for a U. S Department of Education grant designed to prepare professors in the area of emotional and behavioral disorders.