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Dr. Mandy Rispoli, associate professor of special education in the department of Educational Psychology was awarded the Dr. Deanna and Thomas Yates Faculty Fellowship in Educational Psychology.

Dr. Mandy Rispoli, associate professor of special education in the Department of Educational Psychology was awarded the Dr. Deanna and Thomas Yates Faculty Fellowship in Educational Psychology. The fellowship includes a three-year term with $4500 available for professional use each year for tenure track or tenured associate professors within three years of tenure.

“I am honored to receive the Yate Faculty Fellowship,” said Dr. Rispoli. “I plan to utilize the fellowship funds to further my professional development in behavioral intervention research for children with autism and developmental disabilities.”

The Yates Faculty Fellowship was awarded to Dr. Rispoli for excellence in her early career performance.  Dr. Rispoli has published over 80 peer-reviewed manuscripts on behavioral interventions for children with developmental disabilities. Her commitment to excellence in teaching is evidenced by her high teaching evaluations at the undergraduate and graduate level, as well as her receipt of the Montague Scholar Award for undergraduate teaching.

Dr. Rispoli, a board-certified behavior analyst and a chair of the department’s special education doctoral program, is an affiliated faculty member of the Center on Disability and Development. She is also a co-founder of the Autism Clinic at the Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center, where she mentors graduate students and conducts research on behavioral interventions with children with autism spectrum disorder in the Brazos Valley.

Her research focuses on the use of applied behavior analysis in the assessment and treatment of challenging behavior. Her research in this area includes functional behavior assessment, function-based interventions, and professional development for teachers. Dr. Rispoli’s work supports young students with autism or other developmental disabilities as well as early intervention for children at risk of behavior difficulties.