Kristen Merrill (Doctoral Candidate, Special Education)

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Kristen Merrill, M. Ed.

I am a doctoral candidate in Special Education at the University of Florida. Previously, I taught kindergarten in an inclusive setting for students with a variety of special needs, specifically many students with significant emotional and behavioral problems. As the recipient of a UF Graduate School Fellowship, I have served as a graduate research assistant on I Control since 2012. My research interests include cognitive-behavioral interventions for students with emotional and behavioral challenges, with a focus on social problem-solving interventions. I also have a passion for teaching pre-service special educators, specifically preparing them for supporting students’ behavioral needs.

 

Michelle Cumming (Doctoral Candidate, Special Education)

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Michelle Cumming Michelle Cumming

I am a doctoral candidate in Special Education at the University of Florida.  Previously, I was a learning specialist, working with students from kindergarten through eighth grade with mild to moderate learning disabilities.  Since 2013, I have been a graduate research assistant on I Control.  My research interests include the identification and treatment of neurocognitive deficits underlying emotional and behavioral problems, with a focus on toxic stress and executive function development and mindfulness.

 

Tia Barnes, Ph.D. (Postdoctoral Research Associate, Yale)

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Tia N. Barnes, Ph.D.

Tia Navelene Barnes, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research associate at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. She is a member of Yale’s Recognizing Excellence in Learning and Teaching (RELATE) Project, which studies classrooms that serve students with diverse learning needs. Tia’s primary research focuses on prevention of and intervention in emotional and behavioral disorders in school-aged children. In addition, she is interested in creating and modifying culturally appropriate social and emotional interventions for diverse student populations.

 

Gregory Taylor, Ph.D. (Teaching Faculty, Florida State University)

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Gregory Taylor Gregory Taylor, Ph.D.
Gregory possess a unique combination of education and experience across a spectrum of settings lending insight into the practical application of evidence based approaches for students with high incidence disabilities. The blend of over a decade of work experience in urban settings as a group home teaching parent, high school teacher, and district teacher coach, as well as academic experiences as a graduate fellow, research assistant, and instructor equips him to help prepare the next generation of teachers and scholars. Since graduation from UF in 2012, Greg served as a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign for two and a half years then moved back to Florida where he currently serves as the Program Leader for Special Education as a member of the Teaching Faculty at Florida State University. Greg’s research interests include developing approaches that assist students with EBD to improve academic and social outcomes with an emphasis on intra and interpersonal communication, emotional regulation, and social problem solving. Greg explores emerging technologies that may assist with the innovation of new approaches in emotional regulation, self-monitoring, and independent functioning (e.g., Apple Watch, biofeedback) as well as teacher education research focusing on innovative and promising instructional strategies (e.g., blended instruction, competency based instruction, electronic badges, team-based learning) to prepare pre-service general and special educators to serve the needs of a diverse student population.

 

Brian Barber, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor, Kent State University)

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Brian-Barber Brian Barber is an doctoral student in the Department of Special Education, School, Psychology, & Early Childhood Studies at the University of Florida, Gainesville. His work on federally funded projects has addressed the cognitive characteristics of children at risk for academic and behavioral problems. The recipient of a pre-doctoral fellowship and a leadership grant award, he teaches courses in behavior management and instruction for diverse students, and regularly consults with schools and centers including the U.S. Department of Justice to improve the provision of educational services for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. His previous experiences include working as a special educator in a number of general and alternative education settings, and as an assistant principal of an alternative school for youth with behavioral disorders. Brian’s current research projects focus on the identification, prevention, and treatment of neurocognitive deficits underlying EBD, related symptoms of aggression/conduct problems, and outcomes for youth in exclusionary settings. His research has been presented at state, national, and international professional conferences. Currently, he serves as a Graduate Assistant for I-Control.

Examining the Contribution of “Hot” vs. “Cool” Executive Functions for Predicting Reactive and Proactive Aggression in Elementary StudentsThe purpose of this study was to explore whether EF skills related to behavior regulation (hot) versus metacognition (cool) differentially predicted reactive versus proactive aggression in elementary aged children. Using a recent conceptualization of EF distinguishing behavior-regulative (hot) and metacognitive (cool) aspects, teacher ratings of students’ EF skills are used to predict risk for proactive and reactive aggression.Results indicate that deficiencies in hot EF skills increase level of risk for both reactive and proactive aggression, and that deficiencies in cool EF skills decrease level of risk for proactive aggression. Further, specific combinations of hot and cool EFs predict proactive versus reactive types.