ƽÌØһФÂÛ̳

Email: vknapp@daemen.edu
Office: TRC 204
Phone: 716-839-7290

Vicki Madaus Knapp, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA (NY) is the Chairperson of the Behavioral Science Department at ƽÌØһФÂÛ̳ and an Associate Professor and Executive Director in the Department. Dr. Knapp holds a Doctorate in Developmental and Child Psychology from the University of Kansas, specializing in ABA. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Clinical Behavioral Psychology from Eastern Michigan University and her Bachelor’s in Psychology from Western Michigan University. She is an NYS Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst at the doctoral level (BCBA-D). She has been practicing in ABA to help people with intellectual and developmental disabilities achieve their goals for over 30 years. Dr. Knapp is a member of the NYS Board for Applied Behavior Analysis. She recently served as the Secretary for the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA) and has held other positions in the past, including Representative-at-Large, Education Chairperson, Conference Chairperson, and President. She has multiple scholarly publications and has provided several invited presentations at regional conferences and events.

Email: abrehm@daemen.edu
Office: TRC 207
Phone: 716-839-7285

Ashley Brehm joined ƽÌØһФÂÛ̳  in February of 2019 as an assistant professor in the Department of Behavioral Science after serving as an adjunct faculty member since the fall of 2018. After graduating from Gannon University with a Bachelors of Arts in Elementary and Special Education she served as a preschool autism teacher for 3 years in Fairfax, Virginia. Ashley has her Masters in Special Education from Canisius College. Upon moving back to Buffalo she served a variety of roles, including leadership roles, at a school for children with developmental disabilities in the area. Ashley also has experience working as a clinical supervisor providing insurance based services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder.

Her primary professional and research interests include early intervention for children with developmental disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. Additionally, increasing functional communication skills of individuals with disabilities and training special education staff to use evidence based practices within the public school system. She is a member of the Association of Professional Behavior Analysts and New York State Association for Behavior Analysis.

Ashley resides in Collins with her husband and 3 daughters. They enjoy camping and spending time with family and friends.

Email: mhickman@daemen.edu
Office: TRC 202
Phone: 716-839-8339

Dr. Michelle Hickman joined ƽÌØһФÂÛ̳ as an assistant professor of Behavioral Science, having most recently served as an adjunct faculty member and as director of curriculum, instruction and training at The Summit Center.

Hickman, who has more than 20 years of experience in the field of applied behavior analysis and special education, previously worked as an assistant professor of exceptional education at SUNY Buffalo State and as a clinical supervisor at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Hickman’s research interests include programming for generalized learning in individuals with developmental disabilities and training special education teachers to use evidence-based practices. She also has an interest and experience in curriculum development and providing engaging and effective instruction to nontraditional college learners.

Hickman earned a doctorate in special education and applied behavior analysis and a master’s degree in special education, both from The Ohio State University, and a bachelor’s degree in biology and secondary science education from SUNY Cortland.

Outside ƽÌØһФÂÛ̳, Hickman enjoys spending time with her husband and four sons. She also enjoys the outdoors and traveling to competitions for her sons, who are competitive gymnasts.

Email: ajenning@daemen.edu
Office: TRC 104
Phone: 716-839-7346

Dr. Adrienne Jennings is an assistant professor and a doctoral-level Board Certified Behavior Analyst. Dr. Jennings received her B.S. in psychology from Texas Christian University, M.A. in psychology (with an emphasis in applied behavior analysis) from California State University Sacramento (CSUS), and her Ph.D. in applied behavior analysis from Caldwell University. As a doctoral student, Dr. Jennings completed an externship at Kennedy Krieger Institute in the neurobehavioral unit. Additionally, she has over 10 years of experience in clinical settings working with individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. She serves as a Subject Matter Expert for the Behavior Analyst Certification Board and the Research Competition Coordinator for the Verbal Behavior Special Interest Group. She has published peer-reviewed articles and presented at state, regional, and international conferences. Her research interests include the acquisition and development of verbal behavior, the role of verbal behavior in learning, emergent behavior, and strategies to increase teaching efficiency. Dr. Jennings is also interested in incorporating data science to research in behavior analysis.

Email: kkotwick@daemen.edu
Office: TRC 101B
Phone: 716-839-7225

Kellie Kotwicki is a full time faculty member of the ƽÌØһФÂÛ̳ Behavioral Science Department, Assistant Professor and the ƽÌØһФÂÛ̳ Behavioral Science Practicum Director.

Kellie completed her Masters of Science Degree in School Counseling from Canisius College in Buffalo, NY. She then went on to obtain her Advanced Coursework in Applied Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology.  She has been working in the field delivering insurance based and consultative services for over 9 years and is licensed and practicing in both Arizona (AZ) and New York State (NYS) via telehealth.

Her passion for this field is providing ABA in the home and school setting, delivering quality and evidence based services remotely in rural areas, working with schools to coordinate program consistency, teaching adaptive and communication skills, and reducing severe problem behavior. She also enjoys monitoring quality supervision programs for students pursuing coursework in ABA.  As the practicum director, it is her hope to help guide students in learning the laws, rules and regulations set forth by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) for NYS Licensure and ensure that they have a quality supervision experience.

Email: dnapolit@daemen.edu
Office: TRC 201
Phone: 716-839-8545

Dr. Deborah Napolitano joined the Behavioral Science faculty at ƽÌØһФÂÛ̳ as an Assistant Professor in October of 2018. Debbi previously was on faculty as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine where she still retains a Courtesy Clinical Associate Professor appointment. Debbi also consults to the Golisano Institute for Developmental Disability Nursing. Debbi obtained her Ph.D. in Developmental and Child Psychology/Behavior Analysis from the University of Kansas in 2000.

Debbi is widely published in the field of intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and behavior analysis, with peer reviewed research publications in some of the field’s premier journals such as the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. Debbi also serves as an Associate Editor for the Journal of Mental Health Research in Developmental Disabilities. Debbi’s research interests are in the areas of rigid and repetitive behavior in individuals with autism, drug and behavior interactions, applications of behavior analysis in child welfare, and the assessment and treatment of severe challenging behavior of persons with IDD. Her clinical interests are also in these areas, with a