MO SW-PBS Summer Institute 2026 Invited Speakers
For more than 25 years, DR. TIM CROWLEY has engaged, motivated, entertained and educated audiences to change their actions and attitudes in ways proven to empower people and organizations. As a college professor, trained psychologist, and leadership expert, his passion is to share transformative messages to awaken audiences to the amazing possibilities that exist in every workplace, every home, and every life. Impacting more than a million people, Dr. Tim is trusted by Fortune 500 corporations, U.S. Government agencies, small and mid-sized businesses and organizations, universities, schools, and non-profit agencies worldwide to deliver inspiring keynote speeches and presentations.
DR. SARA ESTRAPALA is an assistant research professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Missouri. Her research focuses on developing and studying school-based behavioral interventions for high school students with challenging behaviors and targeted Tier 2 self-regulation interventions. She is particularly interested in equipping teachers with simple, effective behavioral interventions that will enable students to experience emotional, behavioral, and social success in school.
DR. ANGUS KITTELMAN is an assistant professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Missouri. His research areas include positive behavioral interventions and supports with an emphasis in high schools, implementation science and systems change, and implementing and evaluating school-based interventions for students with emotional and behavioral problems. In 2023, he received the Initial Research Award from the Association for Positive Behavior Support.
DR. LISA POWERS is a senior research associate with the MU Center for SW-PBS. She has been involved in special education for the past 30 years and has taught students with emotional and behavioral disorders in elementary and middle school. She also has been an SW-PBS facilitator and an administrator. Her areas of focus include building district leadership for implementation efforts, best practices in professional learning, and connecting culturally proficient practices to a tiered-systems framework.
DR. AARON CAMPBELL is an assistant professor of special education in the College of Education and Human Development at the University of Missouri. Her research involves equitable intervention delivery within a multi-tiered behavioral support framework focused on preventative strategies for improving student academic, social, emotional, and behavioral outcomes particularly in culturally and linguistically diverse learners and those students being educated in underserved communities
DR. ELIZABETH MCCOLLOM is a Research Assistant Professor within the Department of Special Education. She earned her Ph.D. in School Psychology from the University of Missouri and completed her post-doctoral fellowship at Southern Methodist University. Her research interests include academic and behavioral interventions, multi-tiered systems of supports (MTSS), data-based individualization (DBI), and implementation science.
DR. DANIEL RECTOR has over 15 years of experience in education, having served as a teacher, building administrator, school improvement consultant, and PBIS Statewide Coach/District Facilitator. Dr. Rector serves as the Executive Director of Student Services for Fulton Public Schools, providing programmatic oversight and support to the student experience from enrollment to graduation, including the district’s efforts to implement PBIS.
DR. JOHN AUGUSTINE is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Special Education at the University of Missouri and a member of the MU Center for Schoolwide Positive Behavior Support. John’s research focuses on utilizing the principles of implementation of feasible and sustainable interventions for individuals with disabilities. Additionally, John’s research are includes positive behavioral interventions and supports to implement and evaluate class- and school-wide interventions.
DR. KATHERINE A. GRAVES is an Assistant Professor of Special Education at Utah State University with research centered on promoting the safety, well-being, and rights of children and adolescents with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders (EBD). Dr. Graves’ research interests include evaluating processes and practices to support students with EBD and other challenging behaviors, interventions within the juvenile justice system, and school safety with an emphasis on restraint and seclusion. Her experiences as a special education teacher, where she taught in alternative schools and supported students who have a history of engaging in aggressive and/or violent behaviors, influenced her research interests. She aspires to improve the education and treatment of all students, especially those who have complex or significant undesired behaviors coupled with negative school experiences (i.e., trauma, exclusionary discipline, police violence).
ANN THOMAS is in her tenth year as the President/CEO of The Children’s Place, Inc., which is Kansas City’s specialized trauma treatment organization serving the mental health needs of children 8 years old and younger. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and a Registered Play Therapist Supervisor (RPT-S), she has dedicated nearly 30 years to helping young children and their families heal from traumatic experiences. Ann has shared her passion and knowledge with others, presenting workshops nationally and internationally and serving as an adjunct professor for 18 years, teaching other clinicians the skills of play therapy. She has also served as an advisor to Sesame Workshop, helping develop and review content for the television and digital platforms.