Education
Postdoctoral Fellowship at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Ph.D. in Applied Behavior Analysis at University of South Florida
M.S. in Behavioral Psychology at Pepperdine University
M.A. in Education at University of California, Riverside
B.A. in Psychology at University of California, San Diego
Research Interests
Training change agents (e.g., behavior analysts, caregivers, teachers) to implement behavior analytic assessments/treatments with a focus on adopting emerging practices (e.g., culturally responsive care, trauma-informed care, compassionate care).
Improving treatment generalization of intervention effects—ensuring that improvements in behavioral outcomes are not restricted to specified environments but are generalized across complex but relevant environments.
Refining assessment and treatment of challenging behaviors with a focus on a wide range of outcome variables (e.g., choice, autonomy, social validity, quality of life, affect) aside from just behavior reduction.
Courses Taught
PSY 807/808 Behavior Analysis Practicum (Ph.D. Course)
PSY 323 Applied Behavior Analysis (Undergraduate Course)
Selected Publications
Kwak, D., Blair, K. C., & Russo, D. (2024). Development of the Values-Centered Assessment Tool (VCAT) to inform culturally responsive behavioral services. Behavior Analysis in Practice. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40617-024-00945-x
Beaulieu, L., Kwak, D., Jimenez-Gomez, C., & Morgan, G. (2024). Implementing culturally responsive and trauma-informed practices with checklists and goal setting. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. https://doi.org/10.1002/jaba.1095
Kwak, D., Bell, M. C., Blair, K. C., & Bloom, S. E. (2024). Cultural responsiveness in assessment, implementer training, and intervention in school, home, and community settings: A systematic review. Journal of Behavioral Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10864-024-09547-7
Livingston, C. P., DeBrine, J. E., Melanson, I. J., Kwak, D., & Tomasi, B. (2024). Comparison of caregivers’ and children’s preference for mand topography during functional communication training. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-024-09959-3
Ford, S., Blair, K. C., Iovannone, R., & Kwak, D. (2024). Implementation of the Prevent-Teach-Reinforce model for elementary school students needing intensive behavior intervention. Behavioral Sciences, 14(2), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs14020093
