I study how organisms learn.

I study how organisms learn across species, from honey bees to horses, and even humans. My research combines animal behavior, computational modeling, comparative psychology and behavior analysis to explore how behavior is altered by experience.

I am an Assistant Professor of Behavior Analysis at the University of North Texas (UNT), home to one of the first behavior analysis programs. I am also associated with UNT’s Advanced Environmental Research Institute (AERI) and the interdisciplinary Environmental Science graduate program.

I earned my PhD in Experimental Psychology at Oklahoma State University under the mentorship of Charles Abramson. Before that, I completed a master's degree in Behavior Analysis at UNT with Jesús Rosales-Ruiz and bachelor's degrees in Biology and Psychology at Jacksonville State University where I worked with George Cline and William Palya. Prior to joining UNT, I served as Assistant Professor of Psychology at Converse University.

Animal Learning

I study behavior and learning across a range of species, from honey bees to horses, in homes, farms, zoos, and the wild. I am especially interested in studying underrepresented species, with an emphasis on practical invertebrate laboratory models like cockroaches and crayfish. This line of research primarily focuses on learning but also makes connections to behavioral neuroscience and behavioral ecology.

Computational Behavior

I build quantitative models and computational simulations of behavior, which allows us to understand current behavior and predict future behavior. I am especially interested in machine reinforcement learning, a computational framework where artificial agents learn through experience in ways that resemble real organisms. I am interested in both animal and human work in this area.

Learning Science

Education is fundamentally a problem of learning. I study how principles derived from behavior analysis and learning research can improve teaching, curriculum design, and student engagement. My work emphasizes active learning approaches, including the use of live animals and computational simulations as tools for teaching biological and behavioral science.

Research Technology

Many behavioral research questions require tools that do not yet exist or are prohibitively expensive. I develop low-cost hardware and software for behavioral research, including automated operant chambers, animal tracking systems. These technologies are designed to be accessible, adaptable, and practical for researchers and educators.