Excelling in the science of behavior

Like many first-year students, when Megan Ellsworth ’23, ’24 (M) entered Salve Regina University as a first-year psychology major in 2019, she was ambivalent about her career goals. She knew that psychology was right for her, but its broad base overwhelmed her. However, a particular class with Dr. Emma Grauerholz-Fisher, assistant professor of psychology, illuminated Ellsworth’s path and she found her niche: behavior analysis.

Fast forward to fall 2024, and Ellsworth has not only earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology, but she continued at Salve to secure a master’s degree in behavior analysis and is currently on track for her doctorate, as well. In October 2024 at the esteemed BABAT conference (an annual symposium of New England’s regional association for behavior analysis), Ellsworth’s research received awards, alongside that of Jesse Perrin ’17 (M) and several other Salve graduate students, all of whom work under the guidance of Dr. Cody Morris, graduate program director and assistant professor of behavior analysis.

“My niche is data collection integrity,” Ellsworth explained, “but it’s so much more than numbers.”

Ellsworth’s symposium and poster, which she presented at BABAT, demonstrate the applicability of her data-based work. She conducted her clinical research at Pathways Strategic Teaching Center at J. Arthur Trudeau Memorial Center in Coventry, Rhode Island. There she used her scientifically driven research to help children and teens with autism and related disabilities to help them become more independent and higher functioning in school, at home and in the community.

“I worked one-on-one with a 13-year-old client who took a long time to transition from one room to another at Pathways,” said Ellsworth. “So we asked, what stimuli can we put in the client’s environment to speed up the transition?”

In another case, Ellsworth studied how data integrity could be affected by a specific software program. “I like the use of data and evidence-based information upon which to make my decisions. I appreciate the scientific lens,” she said.

This applicability is also part of what attracted Perrin to the field of behavior analysis, although his career route followed a different direction. Perrin came to Salve from UMass Dartmouth – he was impressed by the research and soon finished his master’s degree. He is now juggling the doctoral program with a full-time job coordinating practicum programs at Pathways while teaching psychology courses at Salve.

“I get the most enjoyment out of life by helping other people,” said Perrin, who has set his sights on a career as an educator but is open to the many options behavior analysis offers. “I have multiple focuses,” he added, but has zoomed in on “identifying idiosyncratic variables and precise treatments to reduce the recurrence of challenging behavior.” Perrin’s symposium at BABAT reflected this in his collaborative work titled “Assessment and Treatment of Escape and Avoidance Behaviors.”

Despite the time and effort BABAT required, both Perrin and Ellsworth raved about the conference. “It’s a terrific opportunity. The experience is amazing,” said Perrin, noting that the local aspect of the conference, which was held in Worcester, Massachusetts, makes it very realistic for participants to collaborate.

“It was a perfect balance of networking, getting new ideas for research and finding potential collaborators,” said Ellsworth. “Attending also underscores the broad applications of the field: not only in the classroom, but in sports, corporations and even with animals.”

Morris, who runs the behavior analysis research lab where Ellsworth and Perrin study, noted the prestige BABAT holds. “It’s the oldest and largest conference for behavior analysis in New England – 45 years – with a rich history,” said Morris. “I’m from Michigan and it’s the number one regional conference I had wanted to check out before coming to this area. BABAT is an amazing opportunity for our Salve students to see cutting-edge research and meet researchers from around the world.”

He noted that both Ellsworth and Perrin bring vast talent to the program. “We wouldn’t have what we have in our program without the practicum infrastructure Jesse helped build. And I’ve seen Megan develop from an undergraduate to a high-quality researcher. I’m honored to be part of their journey,” said Morris.

Salve students have won the poster competition at BABAT for the past two out of three years because, Morris said, “they are conducting very rigorous and meaningful research.” Aside from the accolades, Morris, Ellsworth and Perrin all agree that they are driven by the effect their research has on the lives they touch.

“I love the values of Salve and its mercy mission,” said Ellsworth. “This has influenced my career goals 100 percent.”