Meet some of our Students

Andrea Nikkole Campos

Andrea, a bilingual school psychologist, brings five years of experience as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology (LSSP) and holds a Master's degree in School Psychology from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Currently enrolled in School Psychology PhD program with a specialization in bilingual school psychology, Andrea is deeply committed to cultivating culturally responsive environments in education to create learning spaces and practices that recognize, respect, and integrate the diverse cultural backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of students and their communities. As a graduate research assistant under the supervision of Dr. John Davis, she actively contributes to his research on effective intervention practices for children in schools.

Katie Holloway

Katie is a first year doctoral student in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Texas at San Antonio. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas A&M University in Interdisciplinary Education with a focus in Special Education, and a Master of Education from the University of Texas at San Antonio in Educational Psychology with a focus in behavior assessment and intervention. Her research focuses on the use of applied behavior analysis (ABA) as treatment for young children at-risk for autism.

Cha Yong Patterson

Cha Yong is currently a doctoral student in the School Psychology PhD program. She obtained her Master of Arts in Educational Psychology with a concentration in behavior assessment and intervention from the University of Texas at San Antonio. She holds licensure as a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA) and her professional background encompasses delivering evidence-based clinical services to autistic children and adolescents. Her research pursuits center on utilizing ABA-based interventions to address intellectual and developmental disabilities in young children and school-age individuals. More specifically her interests extend to exploring cultural humility and mental health challenges within minority groups, roles/impact of culture in learning, and autistic masking.

Laura Peña

Laura is a School Psychology doctoral student and a board-certified behavior analyst (BCBA). She is a proud two-time Roadrunner, as she received both her bachelor's and master’s degrees from UTSA. Laura previously worked as a clinical director in a local ABA clinic where she was able to support families of autistic children and supervise behavioral staff. Her experience within the field of behavior analysis encompasses a variety of settings (e.g., clinic, school, in-home, etc.), as well as experience working with children, adolescents, and adults. As a first-generation immigrant and English Learner (EL), Laura understands the importance of incorporating client’s culture and language into life changing services to best provide for them and their families. Laura’s research interests are related to bilingual language acquisition for neurotypical and neurodivergent children and culturally responsive and comprehensive behavior analytic services.

Representative Student Publications & Presentations

Cantrell, K., Castro-Villarreal, F., Patton, S., Cormier, M., (2024, May 23-27) Measuring the feeling of inclusion with adults with disabilities; a mixed-methods approach. 50th Annual Applied Behavior Analysis International Conference, Philadelphia, PA.

Cantrell, K., Sullivan, J., Neely, L., Kirkpatrick, M., (2023, February 14-17) Psychometric Properties of the Autism Parenting Stress Index (APSI). [poster presentation] National Association of School Psychologist Annual Convention, New Orleans, LA.

Peña, L.M., Patterson, C.Y., Neely, L., Carnett, A., Cantrell, K. (2020, April). Results from infant/toddler pre-emptive intervention on reduction of interfering behavior and increased communication. Presented at Texas Association of Behavior Analysis (TxABA), San Antonio, TX.

Neely, L., Carnett, A., Cantrell, K., Stegemann, S., & Svoboda, M. (2022). Functional communication training for toddlers at-risk for autism with early problem behavior. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 6(4), 537-548. https://doi.org/10.1007/s41252-022-00306-1