University of Florida Research Team

Stephen W. Smith, Ph.D., is a Professor and University Term Professor in the Special Education program at the University of Florida (UF). Dr. Smith teaches graduate level courses in special education research, emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD), and principles of prevention science in education. His research focuses on effective behavioral prevention strategies in educational settings, executive function, and the self-regulation of behavior (goal directed effortful control of thought, action, emotion), issues related to aggression and violence in schools, and understanding verbal aggression of students with EBD. During his time at UF, Dr. Smith and colleagues have received over $17 million dollars to conduct research and development projects related to the prevention of and effective interventions for maladaptive student behavior in school settings. Dr. Smith has also obtained over $1.5 million dollars to train pre-service students to work in special education.

Dr. Smith has been Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator of 13 federally-funded research/development grants and he is currently serving as a Principal Investigator of a four-year efficacy study of a self-regulation curriculum for middle school students who exhibit emotional and behavioral disorders (I Control) and is Co-Principal Investigator of a four-year, federally-funded research grant to study the efficacy of a theoretically based curriculum to improve self-regulatory functions of students at risk for behavior problems. He is the author of 14 professional books and book chapters, and he has presented his findings and recommendations at many state, regional, national, and international professional conferences. He has been invited to speak about educational issues in Ireland, Australia, and Taiwan. While at UF, Dr. Smith has received three teaching awards, a University Research Award, and has served twice as a UF Distinguished Research Professor. For 2013-2014, he was one of 6 recipients of a university-wide Doctoral Mentoring Award for outstanding work with doctoral students. He was the Irving & Rose Fein Endowed Professor from 2012-2015. Most recently, Dr. Smith was awarded the 2018 Distinguished Researcher Award from the American Education Research Association, Special Education special interest group. Dr. Smith is a Panel Scientist for the U.S. Department of Education, Institute of Education Sciences, and is on the Editorial Board of numerous professional journals in education and special education. Prior to receiving his Ph.D. in special education from the University of Kansas, he was a teacher of special education students for eight years.

Ann P. Daunic, Ph.D., is an Emeritus Scholar in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies at UF. Her research for the past 20 years has focused on cognitive-behavioral approaches to the prevention of emotional and behavioral disorders, with a current interest in strengthening executive function and language-based self-regulation among children and adolescents. She was Principal Investigator of Project SELF, a research and development grant from the Institute of Education Sciences to develop and evaluate a social-emotional learning and literacy curriculum for primary grade students at risk for developing emotional and behavioral disorders and is currently PI on an IES funded efficacy study of that intervention.  She is also Co-PI on Project I Control, funded by IES to study a theoretically based curriculum to improve self-regulatory functions of middle school students with EBD. She has worked with colleagues on numerous other federally funded grants over the years, primarily concerned with social problem solving and conflict resolution and the relation between language and behavior in young children. Prior doctoral work in experimental psychology and more recently in special education, an abiding interest in human behavior, academic counseling experience at the high school and college levels, and a dissertation focus on culturally responsive teaching have contributed to her continued investment in research that is relevant to improving the lives of children at risk.

Joni Williams Splett, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School Psychology program at the University of Florida (UF). Dr. Splett’s research focuses on the prevention and intervention of emotional and behavioral concerns for youth in schools, including current projects examining the implementation of universal mental health screening, child and adolescent mental health service utilization trends in school and community settings, and expanding multi-tiered systems of support to be inclusive of mental health promotion, prevention and intervention (Interconnected Systems Framework), and continued development and testing of a cognitive-behavioral, self-regulatory interventions for aggression. She has worked on several federally funded projects and secured more than $1.3 million in federal grant funding as Co-Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator. Dr. Splett was previously a school psychologist in South Carolina and has been a licensed psychologist since 2013.

Megan Worth, MBA, is a fourth-year doctoral student at the University of Florida. She was a general education teacher for three years in Florida and a special education teacher for four years in Colorado. As a School Assessment Coordinator, she advocated for students at the district and state levels to ensure that all students receiving special education services had access to needed accommodations. Mrs. Worth established and maintained a Multi-Tiered System of Supports at the kindergarten through eighth-grade levels and continues to serve as an educational consultant, advising schools in intervention strategies and special education. She is currently working as a research assistant on the I Control study, an Institute of Education Sciences funded grant, investigating a cognitive-behavioral intervention for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Her research interests include social-emotional learning, self-regulation, executive function, and interventions for students with or at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders.

Joseph Graham, M.Ed., is a doctoral candidate in School Psychology at the University of Florida. Originally from Tucson, AZ, he earned his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Arizona. Joe hopes to work with at-risk youth, specifically students identified with emotional and behavioral difficulties. Using a preventative approach, Joe’s broad research interests include developing and evaluating effective school mental health assessment instruments and intervention services in educational settings. When relaxing, Joe enjoys rooting for his favorite sports teams, discovering new hiking trails, and spending quality time with his chihuahua, Samson.

Lauren Dreisch, M.Ed., is a doctoral candidate in school psychology at the University of Florida. She received her Bachelor of Science in Psychology with a minor in Disabilities in Society from the University of Florida in 2018. She is a graduate research assistant on the I Control study, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences to study a theoretically based curriculum to improve the self-regulatory functions of middle school students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Her research interests include social-emotional assessment and intervention.

Jia Ma, M.A., is a doctoral student at the University of Florida. Originally from Qinhuangdao, China, she earned her masters and credential in Special Education and taught for two years in California. As a Resource Specialist, Jia provided specialized academic instruction and coordinated special education services to meet the identified needs of students with an IEP at the middle school level. Helping students develop self-advocacy and regulation skills through self-direct IEPs was a major focus. She is currently working as a research assistant on the I Control study, an Institute of Education Sciences funded grant, examining the efficacy of a self-regulation curriculum for middle school students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Her research interests include effective behavior prevention strategies, executive functions, self-regulation, self-determination, social emotional learning, and evidence-based practices.

Daniel Poling, Ph.D., attended the University of Florida in the School of Special Education, School Psychology, and Early Childhood Studies. During his time as a doctoral student, he worked as a research assistant on two Institute of Education Science funded goal three studies. Prior to attending UF, he was a special education teacher for twelve years in Maryland and North Carolina. He provided academic instruction and behavioral programming to students with emotional and behavioral needs in residential, self-contained, and general education settings in kindergarten through twelfth grade. He has taught undergraduate classes in behavior and classroom management. He is currently completing a two-year, IES-funded postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. His research interests include verbal aggression, teacher-student relationships, and social-emotional learning.

Emma Kirk, Ed.S., is a graduate of the University of Florida School Psychology program. She graduated from Knox College in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology. The following year, she worked as a paraprofessional in a school for children with learning disabilities. She worked as a research assistant on the I Control project to evaluate the effectiveness of a self-regulation and executive function intervention for middle school students with emotional and behavioral disorders. Her research interests include social-emotional learning and early childhood.