Claudia L. Dozier - Undergraduate Research Mentor

Bio:

Name:  Claudia L. Dozier

Department: Applied Behavioral Science

Years at KU:  17

Describe your research in just two sentences that we can all understand:

My research involves the application of behavioral principles to promote quality of life for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities in community-based service environments. Specifically, my research focuses on (a) increasing appropriate behavior (e.g., communication, leisure skills, social skills, independence in activities of daily living) and (b) decreasing challenging behavior (e.g., self-injury, aggression, teasing, feeding disorders) in this population, as well as (c) training staff to implement best-practice procedures that are simple and efficient for supporting this population. 

Questions:

Q: How did you first get interested in doing research?

A:  When I was an undergraduate student in the psychology department, I took an introduction to behavior analysis course that outlined the application of behavioral principles for important behavior change. This was a light bulb moment for me in why people do what they do and how we might change behavior for the better. I knew I needed to learn more, so I got involved in a research lab and practicum experiences working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. At that point, I was hooked! 

Q: Is there someone who has been a great mentor to you?  What about that person made him/her an effective mentor? 

A:  I have had several excellent mentors throughout graduate school and my professional career.  Dr. Jim Carr was my master’s thesis advisor at the University of Nevada-Reno who encouraged me to get my Ph.D. in psychology and behavior analysis.  I learned so many valuable things from him not only as a scientist but how to be a good teacher, mentor, and colleague. Dr. Brian Iwata was my advisor during my Ph.D.  I owe him much for what I learned and for what I have been able to accomplish as a researcher and scholar.  I didn’t know it at the time, but everything he did was set up for us to learn some important aspect of being a good methodologist, writer, scientist, reviewer, and teacher.  I have had several other mentors that have taught be different but important things about being a good colleague, teacher, and scholar including the amazing faculty in my department.

Q: What advice do you have for undergraduates interested in doing research in your field?

A:  My advice is to get as much hands-on experience as possible (and as early as possible).  Students in our department who are interested in going to graduate school need both clinical practicum as well as research experience to be competitive when they go on the graduate school market.  We offer both of these in various concentrations in our department (including the adults with disabilities concentration that I oversee). 

Q: What is your favorite part about mentoring undergraduates?

A:  I love it when you see that something really clicks for a student in learning about behavior analysis and behavior change. The moment it clicks might have to do with a methodological problem that they have figured out how to solve, the mastery of difficult concepts in a research article or protocol, or when they figure out how their behavior affects the behavior of the individuals with whom we conduct clinical research.  

Q: What do you find to be the most challenging part of mentoring undergraduates?  Do you have any strategies that have helped you address this challenge?

A:  Not enough time and resources.  The way my graduate students and I run my clinical research lab is that the undergraduate research assistants work with me and my graduate students on ongoing projects on various topics. In this capacity, new undergraduate research assistants learn the everyday running of research projects (e.g., data collection, reliability, graphing, data-based decisions, literature reviews, and presentation of findings).  If the undergraduate student continues to be in my lab after a semester or two, then they gain more independence and might take the lead on a study or be the lead therapist with a particular participant in a particular study. 

Q: How do you spend your time when you aren’t teaching or researching?

A:  I love hiking and traveling almost anywhere—it’s a bonus if I can take a trip that includes hiking in cool places. I also love to read and spend most of my free time with my husband and two adorable dogs!