Faculty Affiliates

Dr. Akers teaches several courses, including Teaching Individuals with Autism and Other Developmental Disabilities and Advanced Concepts in Applied Behavior Analysis. Her primary research interests are related to enhancing relationships between children with developmental disabilities and their siblings and peers. She is also interested in using visual cues to enhance the effectiveness of behavioral interventions.

Her current projects at the BCDF include (1) Sibling SUCCESS: Supporting Unique Collaborative Care to Encourage Shared Success, is a program designed to enhance relationships between autistic children and their siblings, and (2) an evaluation of a practical guide to ensure behavioral interventions are effective in decreasing challenging behavior.

Dr. Akers directs the Behavior Analysis Research Lab (BeAR Lab) along with Dr. Tonya Davis.

Dr. Benson teaches courses related to cognitive and academic assessments, measurement and evaluation, and program evaluation. Dr. Benson’s research interests focus broadly on psychological and educational assessment. Specific areas of interest include examining the validity of interpretations and uses of test scores; how professionals use assessment information when making diagnostic and treatment decisions; and the extent to which practitioners’ practices and decisions align with research findings.

Dr. Burke is the director of the BEAR Lab (Behavioral Education & Assessment Research), a collaborative that focuses on applied research in school-based settings. His current research focuses on behavioral, learning, and emotional disorders, positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS), special and inclusive education, and evidence-based practices for special populations. Dr. Burke is also the principal investigator for two federally funded projects focused on emergent bilinguals with and without disabilities: Project DIVERSE and Project LEER!

Dr. Cremer is a Clinical Associate Professor and Director of Doctoral Capstone in the Department of Occupational Therapy at Baylor University. An occupational therapist with AOTA specialty certification in low vision, she is also a certified aging in place and onsite-prevention specialist. Dr. Cremer has diverse experience in geriatrics, pediatrics, low vision rehab, and community-based practice for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD). Her research focuses on interprofessional education and enhancing environments for inclusivity and well-being. She actively volunteers with various health and education organizations.

Dr. Davis is a Professor of Educational Psychology specializing in Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis. She currently teaches courses in the special education undergraduate teacher education program as well as courses in the master’s and doctoral applied behavior analysis specialization. Dr. Davis’s research interests involve applied behavior analysis and developmental disabilities, such as autism. The primary focus of her research involves the treatment of severe challenging behavior among individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Dr. Davis directs the Behavior Analysis Research Lab (BeAR Lab) along with Dr. Jessica Akers.

Kristen Davis is a nationally board-certified specialist in child language and a clinical assistant professor at Baylor University in the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders where she teaches an undergraduate course and is a clinical educator for graduate students within the residential program. She earned her bachelor's degree at University of Houston where she double majored in Communication Disorders and Psychology before earning her master's degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Baylor University. She is currently pursuing her PhD with a focus in cultural responsivity and pedagogical practices.

Guilherme Feitosa de Almeida is a senior lecturer in music theatre at Baylor University. Drawing on his background in community engagement, his teaching and research explore narrative forms – especially mythologies – and investigate how symbolic interaction, governance, and coloniality affect creative relationships within the visual and performing arts. His performance piece “durezieh und…” (co-created with Eva Marlin) won the 2021 FrauMünsterhof21 composition award. Dr. Feitosa de Almeida holds an MM in performance/collaborative piano from Baylor University and a PhD in Interdisciplinary Arts (Musicology and Theatre History, Theory, and Criticism) from Texas Tech University.

Dr. Flores is an APTA Board Certified Clinical Specialist in Pediatric Physical Therapy and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at Baylor University, where she teaches pediatric and neuromuscular content. Her research focuses on physical therapy assessment and interventions for children and adults with neuromotor conditions. Dr. Flores’s current projects include a comparison of activities-based locomotor training (AB-LT) intervention to traditional physical therapy in collaboration with faculty from the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation and comparing communication and motor skills of individuals with and without Down Syndrome with faculty from the Steve Hicks School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. 

Dr. Deidre Gilley is an Assistant Professor of Special Education in the Educational Psychology Department (EDP). Dr. Gilley's research targets in-school predictors of post-secondary outcomes for individuals with IDD through the teaching of transition skills, providing access to the general education curriculum, and developing self-determination skills. Her work uses mixed methods and single-case design to develop and validate effective curriculum, instructional practices, and interventions that support successful post-secondary transitions. 

Dr. Gundersen's research concentrates on the causes and consequences of food insecurity and on the evaluation of food assistance programs, with an emphasis on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program).

Dr. Hodges teaches courses in evidence-based psychotherapy, clinical supervision, and psychological assessments. She teaches an advanced practicum class focused on supervision and serves as one of the program’s practicum supervisors for the delivery of evidence-based psychotherapy at the clinic. She also facilitates parent-support groups with school psychology doctoral students at the Center to help families address children with challenging behavior at home. Dr. Hodges also supervises school psychology students, conducting psychological assessments, counseling sessions, and supervision of first—and second-year school psychology doctoral students at the Center.

Dr. Jimenez’s research focuses on general curriculum access and assessment for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Currently the primary focus of her work is on STEM instruction for students with moderate to severe intellectual disability and autism. Dr. Jimenez is also serving in the presidential line of Division for Autism and Developmental Disabilities of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC; 2023-2026).  Dr. Jimenez is also a principle investigator for two federally funded NSF projects focused on STEM instruction for students with developmental disabilities: PROJECT BEES and The Numbers Project!

Dr. Kelly Johnston is an Associate Professor in the Department of Curriculum & Instruction and serves as the Co-Director of Baylor Interns in England global engagement experience. Her research focuses on literacy development, equity, and well-being. She investigates how cognitive, sociocultural, and affective perspectives intersect to support literacy engagement for neurodivergent students and historically marginalized learners. As a Faculty Affiliate with the Center, she collaborates on interdisciplinary initiatives that promote inclusive literacy practices and educational access. Dr. Johnston’s work informs teacher education, curriculum development, and policy, bridging research and practice to create meaningful educational experiences for all learners.

Dr. Jones currently teaches courses related to bilingual language acquisition and education. She is interested in Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL) theory and practice, heritage speakers of Spanish and heritage language maintenance, family engagement, and dual language and bilingual education contexts in Central Texas. Dr. Jones assists with developing and delivering Spanish caregiver training for parents of children with disabilities through the Center. 

Gospel is an assistant professor in the Department of Educational Psychology, specializing in special education. Her research focuses on disseminating and implementing evidence-based interventions in community settings to support young autistic children and their families. She is particularly interested in collaborating with community partners and families to support social, communication, and emotional development for infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities or delays. Her work is grounded in community-based participatory research (CBPR) and implementation science frameworks.

Dr. Jinyu Liu is a social gerontologist, who has dedicated her career to the study of aging and health. Her research has focused on mental health of older adults and family caregivers. Her current projects aim to improve mental health of Chinese American caregivers of people living with dementia and to support families in future life planning for people living with autism. Dr. Liu is teaching quantitative research method, clinical evaluation, and introduction to gerontology.

The focus of my lab is to improve the quality of life in children with epilepsy, autism, and other neurodevelopmental disorders. We are investigating therapies that could reduce behavioral comorbidities in children with epilepsy. We also use a mouse model of Fragile X Syndrome to understand the neural alterations associated with autism.

Patrick’s primary research interests include 1) implementing evidence-based practices with students with disabilities, 2) supporting students with disabilities enrolled in online education, and 3) promoting student involvement in the development of their own behavioral interventions.

Dr. McKinnon-Crowley is an interdisciplinary scholar of higher education informed by student affairs practice. Her research addresses how institutions send messages of belonging and non-belonging to their members, including individuals with disabilities. 

Dr. Mire teaches courses in academic interventions and psychopathology. She founded and directs the *sparc (School Psychology Autism Research Collaboration) team. Along with her team, Dr. Mire works to connect research and practice through her study and support of persons in systems surrounding children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

As an Assistant Professor in Baylor’s Department of Communication, Kayla applies narrative analysis to examine health advocacy and address health disparities. Her research centers on amplifying the stories of individuals living with stigmatized diagnoses that are typically marginalized in public discourse. Through community-engaged research, she works with affected populations to collect, compile, and analyze accounts of health-related stigma, discursive exclusion, and marginalization. This work naturally spans disciplines, connecting with colleagues across humanities and STEM fields to develop innovative approaches to understanding and addressing health inequities. Kayla currently works in collaboration with the Baylor Center for Disability and Flourishing on two grant-funded projects: Raising Texas Voices and The Whole Body Project. She looks forward to continuing interdisciplinary collaborations to better serve communities through engaged research. 

Dr. Sanchez teaches courses in applied behavior analysis within the Department of Educational Psychology. Dr. Sanchez is a part of the Behavior Education and Assessment Research (BEAR) Lab research team at Baylor University, which provides and supports the implementation of social-behavioral interventions for students with disabilities.  She is also a coordinator for Project LEER, a grant-funded project that provides professional development and technical assistance to general, special, bilingual, and ESL teachers on evidence-based practices focused on improving the reading, social-emotional, and behavioral outcomes of English Learners with disabilities.

Dr. Saxon teaches courses within the Department of Educational Psychology, including history and systems in educational psychology, statistics, and human growth and development. His research interests include how parenting behaviors and practices are correlated with various child development outcomes (e.g., language development). Dr. Saxon is also interested in cultural differences and influences on child development and learning variables. 

Dr. Scott is a Senior Academic Writing Consultant and Associate Graduate Faculty with the School of Education’s Ed.D. in Learning and Organizational Change program. Having received his Ph.D. from Baylor University's Department of Religion, he also teaches Christian Scriptures in the Department of Religion and Bible and Ethics in the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core. Dr. Scott’s current research focuses on the presence of disability imagery within the prophetic literature of the Hebrew Bible and its theological function for the communities that produced, shared, and reflected on these texts.

Research in the Shaw laboratory is a mix of bio-inorganic chemistry and protein biophysics with a focus on protein misfolding and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, as well as a dash of medicinal chemistry and proteomics. The Shaw research group is engaged in two different types of outreach activities for children and young adults who are visually impaired. The first project is utilizing rapid prototyping (3D printing) to generate atomically accurate models of proteins from the X-ray crystal structures that are deposited in the Protein Data Bank. A second outreach project is more technical and is developing tools to improve a parent's ability to detect retinoblastoma with consumer-based digital photography.

Devan Stahl is an Associate Professor of Bioethics and Religion at Baylor University and Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Education, Innovation, and Technology at the Baylor College of Medicine.

Dr. Sulak currently teaches courses focused on doctoral student preparation, teaching in higher education, and educating students with twice-exceptionalities. Her primary research interest is broadening participation in STEM.

Dr. Wu teaches courses in human resource management, which includes the topic of neurodiversity in the workplace. Dr. Wu’s research interests include employee well-being and leadership. Specifically, her research has focused on employee recovery from work stress, work, non-work interface, and leadership influences on employee wellbeing. Currently, she and her collaborators are exploring neurodiverse employees' work experiences in hopes of offering theory-grounded and evidence-based suggestions for enhancing neurodiverse employees' flourishing and work well-being. 

Dr. Yancey served as assistant professor of social work for five years at Eastern University in St. Davids, Penn., before coming to Baylor in 1999. Previous to the congregational community ministries project, she served as the associate director of the research component of the Faith and Service Technical Education Network- a $6 million initiative. It is funded by the Pew Charitable Trusts which gathered data on effective practices in faith-based service delivery. Her area of expertise is social welfare policy, congregational and community-based organization and development, poverty, and congregation-based delivery of social services to those populations who are marginalized and at-risk. In 2016, Dr. Yancey was named a Baylor Master Teacher, and in 2017, she was appointed as a Faculty Regent on Baylor's Board of Regents.