Applied Behavior Analysis (MA and Graduate Certificates)

Dani Pizzella, PhD, is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D)-level practitioner. She received her PhD in Education with an Emphasis in Teaching and Learning Processes from the University of Missouri-St. Louis. Her master's degree is in Special Education with a certificate in Behavior Analysis. She completed her undergraduate education at Webster University in Media Communications.

Aside from teaching at the university level, she has worked in the public school system as a Special Education Coordinator, coordinating behavior analytic services. She also worked at the director level in a private agency managing system-wide behavior change. She currently works at a local private company in St. Louis providing clinical services to adults with disabilities.

Pizzella's areas of interests include behavior analysis in schools, multidisciplinary collaboration, acceptance and commitment therapy and remote training and supervision, including international dissemination. She is currently conducting research on collaboration between school professionals, as well as training school professionals on behavioral principles in developing nations. She is passionate about culturally responsive behavior analysis and special education, and conducts training and research in the area of making behavior analysis more accessible to all populations.

Bryant Antoine is a social worker and Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) from Massachusetts. Raised in a Haitian Household, Antoine grew up in Waltham before attending Sullfolk University in Boston, and graduated in 2013 with a Bachelor's in Psychology. In 2019, he graduated from Saint Louis University, with a master's in Social Work with an Emphasis in Behavior Analysis. His specialties include his work with Autistic Adults, grief, Alzheimer's and Dementia, trauma and addiction.

While in the Saint Louis University Social Work program, Antoine met Jermar Perry. After graduating, they created The Village PATH, which works to provide Black men with free mental health services. This includes The Village Therapy Access Program (TAP), offering them five free sessions with a Black therapist, and The Village Healing and Writing Circle (HAWC), where Black men can participate in a group where they can be vulnerable and support one another.

Madeline Burke is a licensed and Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and organizational development leader with extensive experience advancing patient experience, employee engagement and service quality across health care and behavioral health systems. With a background that spans clinical service delivery, organizational behavior management and large-scale operational improvement, she is known for creating data-driven, people-centered solutions that elevate both client outcomes and workplace culture.

Most recently, Burke served as the Director of Patient Experience at Mercy Hospital Southeast, where she oversaw patient experience initiatives across two hospitals and 48 outpatient clinics. In this role, she led systemwide culture-improvement efforts, strengthened communication and service-delivery practices, and implemented analytics-driven strategies that increased satisfaction metrics across multiple domains, including emergency department performance, teamwork and provider communication.

Prior to her work in hospital administration, she held several leadership roles in applied behavior analysis, including Clinical Director at ABA Squad and Organizational Behavior Coordinator at Applied Behavior Services. She has directed multi-site behavioral health programs, expanded services across counties and school districts, developed supervision and training infrastructures, and enhanced organizational performance through OBM-based systems. Her initiatives have repeatedly improved employee retention, operational efficiency and treatment fidelity.

Burke is currently completing her Master of Business Administration degree while holding a Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis, a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Science in Communication Disorders. She also holds a Certificate in Organizational Behavior Management from the Florida Institute of Technology. Her professional involvement includes service on the Cape County Mental Health Board, membership in the Missouri Association for Behavior Analysis and participation in community mental health and suicide prevention initiatives.

Dedicated to values-based leadership, skill development and service excellence, Burke integrates behavioral science and organizational strategy to create high-impact, sustainable improvements in clinical and operational environments.

Dr. LaQuita Montgomery began her career at Auburn University after switching majors from industrial engineering to psychology. As she pursued further study in Applied Behavior Analysis, it became evident that behavior principles, particularly organizational behavior management, were applicable to the concepts she had learned in engineering.

In 2001, she became a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) upon receiving a master's degree with a specialty in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida State University. During this time, she had the opportunity to work in a variety of settings including intermediate care facilities, group homes, adult day programs, schools, private residences and communities.

In 2004, she relocated to California and started a behavior support consulting agency continuing her work with people with disabilities, as well as those with traumatic brain injuries. She later enrolled in the Special Education, Disabilities and Risk Studies doctoral program at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her research focused on culturally and linguistically diverse families with children with disabilities, social issues in special education and parent-to-parent support. Her interests also include the application of the science of behavior analysis to organizational contexts, as well as health, sport and fitness.

In addition to her work as an adjunct instructor with Webster University, she has served as a board member for TASH and the ABAI Health, Sports and Fitness Special Interest Group. She is also active in the APBS Home and Community Network and Research and Dissemination Committee.

Maddison Thrasher is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) with extensive experience working with individuals with disabilities, ranging from 24 months through adulthood. She holds a bachelor’s in Communication Sciences and Disorders with an Emphasis in Child Development, as well as a master’s in Behavior Analysis. In addition to being board-certified, Thrasher is a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) in the state of Missouri. Previously, she served as the Clinic Director at a private ABA company, where she led the delivery of ABA services to children on the autism spectrum and their families.

Thrasher's areas of interest include naturalistic teaching methods, early intervention services and the development of individualized interventions for young children with autism and other developmental disabilities. She is dedicated to providing professional development and consultation to educators and families, ensuring the effective implementation of early intervention strategies that promote positive outcomes. She is committed to a collaborative approach that focuses on meeting the unique needs of each learner while creating an engaging, supportive environment for growth.

Sierra Weber is a Board-Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and certified special education teacher with over 14 years of experience working with individuals with disabilities ages 18 months through adulthood. Sierra holds a Bachelor of Arts in Special Education, a Master of Arts in Special Education with an Emphasis in Severe Developmental Disabilities and Autism, and an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Applied Behavior Analysis. In addition to holding board certification as a Behavior Analyst, Sierra is a Licensed Behavior Analyst (LBA) in the state of Missouri and holds Missouri teaching certifications in Mild/Moderate Cross Categorical Special Education K-12 and Severe Developmental Disabilities K-12. She currently works as a BCBA and assistant clinical director at a private ABA company, providing behavior analytic services to children on the autism spectrum and their families.

Weber’s areas of interest include providing professional development and consultation to schools, the intervention of severe problem behavior and the inclusion of individuals with significant support needs in general education classrooms and settings. Sierra is passionate about implementing evidence-based practices and taking a collaborative approach to meeting the needs of all learners.