Association for Behavior Analysis International

For decades earth scientists have issued fact-filled warnings about our planet’s declining health and its diminishing ability to sustain human activity. Human behavior is responsible for both of these problems, and changing our behavior is the only solution. While behavior analysis has made important contributions to other spheres—improving education, helping people adopt healthier life styles, making highways and factories safer, caring for people exhibiting challenging and life-threatening disorders—it has paid far too little attention to the impact of human behavior on the only home we have. But this is changing. I will identify and offer examples of why behavior analysts are uniquely poised to contribute to a broad range of interventions to promote the husbandry of our planet's resources, restore damaged eco-systems, and help prepare us to cope with the inevitable challenges to come.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

In the 1970s, applied behavior analysts demonstrated a number of practical and effective ways to increase environmentally friendly behavior (EFB). Despite their success, these interventions have not been implemented on a large scale. Why not? Dr. E. Scott Geller will address this critical question by reviewing early applications of behavioral science aimed at increasing EFB and by sharing lessons learned from his 40 years of behavior-based intervention in organizations and communities. These lessons indicate hurdles to overcome to achieve large-scale impact on sustainability. The need for self-motivated "actively caring" will be addressed, as well as how a paradigm shift to humanistic behaviorism can increase actively caring for the environment throughout families, organizations, and communities worldwide.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

1. Describe published application of behavior analysis to protect the environment, beginning in the 1970’s.
2. Explain the limitations of published applications of behavior analysis to protect the environment.
3. Suggest ways to increase the large-scale impact of applications of behavior analysis to protect the environment.
4. Explain how to determine if an individual feels empowered and self-motivated to apply an intervention for sustainability.
5. List practical ways to address the dissemination challenge of applying behavior analysis for sustainability. 

The closest thing we have to a law of behavior, as gravity is a law of physics, is that behavior is a function of its consequences. Many attempts to get the public to "go green" have not applied behavioral consequences in a way that is consistent with what behavior analysis, the science of behavior, knows about how to change behavior to the point that it becomes "the new norm." In other words, how to make it last and become a habit. Whether at the individual level or the corporate level, long-term commitment to environmental concerns requires a sophisticated application of effective consequences. In this session, Dr. Lattalwill present a tool for analyzing the effectiveness of consequences in current green initiatives and a simple framework for recycling ineffective initiatives into successful ones.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

Whatever its successes in developing better behavioral "mousetraps", behavior analysis has struggled to achieve broad-scale adoption of its scientific and practical solutions by the public and by policy makers. Significant challenges exist for linking the science of behavior to other specialized scholarly areas of relevance to sustainability, and linking behavioral sustainability solutions to mainstream values and concerns. Panelists will draw on personal experience of being a behavior analyst in a mainstream community in order to define some of the hurdles and opportunities that behavior analysts will confront when entering a multidisciplinary, mainstream arena such as sustainability. Note: The panelists will further explore topics introduced in this session, and invite audience questions and contributions, in the Sunday breakout session called, Spurring people to action: Some translational insights.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

This talk will describe the work of BEHAVE, an international network of scientists and land managers from five continents. Behavioral Education for Human, Animal, Vegetation and Ecosystem Management (BEHAVE, www.behave.net) integrates behavioral principles and processes with local knowledge to enhance ecological, economic, and social values of rural and urban communities. By providing understanding of the behavior of soil, plants, animals and humans in ever-changing environments, BEHAVE helps people apply new and more efficient practices that benefit all facets of the environment and the businesses that manage land. In the process, everyone involved is a student attempting to better understand behavior and to apply basic principles of behavior change to help one another appreciate our differences and build upon our collective strengths to sustain communities and landscapes in ways that integrate diverse ecological, economic, and social values and services.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

People from all sorts of backgrounds--business and industry, government, biology, environmental science, community leaders, behavior analysis--share a common goal: a world made progressively healthier by humanity's collective actions. To achieve that goal we cannot go our own separate ways; we must collaborate. Our different backgrounds mean that we each can contribute important perspectives and expertise to a collaborative effort, but our different backgrounds also can create stumbling blocks. This presentation will highlight the benefits and challenges of multidisciplinary collaboration and offer suggestions on how to make it work. Dr. Stratton will provide examples of successful collaborations on sustainability projects and offer suggestions for future efforts.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

1. Understand the necessary multidisciplinary focus inherent to sustainability.
2. Review key challenges of collaboration across disciplines, specifically with behavior analysis, and how to manage those challenges.
3. Identify key areas for collaboration in which behavior analysis can have impact.

The purpose of this session is twofold: a) to analyze how the if-then contingencies spawned by environmental legislation and policies affect the behavior of energy producers and consumers; and b) to identify creative, pragmatic applications of behavior principles to make future legislation and existing policies more effective. The primary case example will be Ohio’s Alternative Energy Portfolio Standard (SB 221). Enacted in 2008, this law created one of the strongest renewable energy and energy efficiency standards in the country. The bill requires utilities to generate an increasing percentage of their energy from renewable and advanced energy sources. Each of Ohio’s four investor owned utilities (AEP, Duke, Dayton Power and Light, and FirstEnergy) has approached this requirement differently, but all have begun making the transition to a clean energy future. As an outcome, wind farms and solar arrays have sprung up across the state. In 2011, Ohio saw the largest increase in installed wind capacity in the country (928%), and the state currently ranks sixth in the nation in green jobs (105,306).

While clean energy sources like wind and solar have gotten much of the attention, energy efficiency requirements in SB 221 have also driven job growth, saved customers money, and reduced pollution. In just four years, these energy efficiency investments have saved customers over $100 million. Energy efficiency programs implemented in 2009-2010 by three of Ohio’s four utilities saved enough energy to power 181,000 homes for a year.

Despite the overwhelmingly positive benefits that energy efficiency measures have for consumers, many hurdles remain before widespread adoption is seen. Among these challenges:

• Upfront costs: Consumers may not have the funds necessary to invest in efficiency or may be unable to access funds through traditional mechanisms due to bad or lack of credit, or reluctance to take on more debt.
• Opportunity costs: Even when energy savings from an efficiency project are clearly greater than the up-front cost, efficiency project investments compete with other investments.
• Lack of knowledge: Many householders are simply not aware of the opportunities or benefits of energy efficiency. If they are, they often have incorrect perceptions of what measures are most effective in increasing the efficiency of their home and lack understanding of the payback time of various measures.
• Split incentives: Landlords have little incentive to improve their properties’ energy performance if tenants pay the energy bills. Aside from reductions in their utility bills, there is little incentive on behalf of the renter to fund improvements to the property that ultimately benefits the landlord.

Audience members will be invited to join the panelists and presenter in brainstorming how the application of behavior change principles can result in more effective utility efficiency programs by producers and a higher rate of adoption by consumers.

Conference attendees who plan to participate in this breakout session are asked to add this event to their personal schedules (below) to help with discussion planning.

Participants

João Claudio Todorov, Ph.D., is professor of psychology at the Universidade de Brasília. His publications include a book of readings, 10 chapters in books, and 80 articles. He was editor of Psicologia: Ciência e Profissão and of the Brazilian Journal of Behavior Analysis and served on the editorial board of the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Mexican Journal of Behavior Analysis, Behavior and Philosophy, and Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa.

Sigrid Glenn is Regents Professor of Behavior Analysis, emeritus, at the University of North Texas. Her research interests encompass behavior theory and philosophy, behavioral and cultural evolution, verbal behavior, and instructional design and technology. She is co-author of four books and dozens of articles and book chapters. Although her early research was mainly in applied areas, she is widely recognized among behavior analysts for her later conceptual work on selection at behavioral and cultural levels. Dr. Glenn has served as editor of The Behavior Analyst and on the editorial board of several other journals. She is a former president of the Association for Behavior Analysis International (1993-1994) and one of its founding fellows as well as a fellow of the American Psychological Association and its Division 25.

Brian Kaiser is director of green jobs & innovation at the Ohio Environmental Council. Brian brings to the OEC a background in government and non-profit innovation, clean energy workforce development, and grant administration. Prior to joining the OEC, Brian served as a community development analyst with the Ohio Department of Development where he was responsible for administering a $16.8 million federal grant portfolio. Brian also served as the green jobs coordinator for Lucas County where he led efforts to develop and implement several innovative programs, including the Toledo-Lucas County Green Jobs Partnership, Live Green Save Green Lucas County, and the Toledo-Lucas County Sustainability Commission. Brian holds a B.S. in interdisciplinary studies from the University of Toledo. Brian is the former vice president of the Lake Erie Western Alliance for Sustainability and an advisor to the Renewable Energy Technology program at the Ohio Hi-Point Career Center.

Richard F. Rakos received his BA (1972) in psychology from SUNY Stony Brook and his MA (1975) and PhD (1978) in psychology from Kent State University. He is professor of psychology and associate dean for faculty in the College of Sciences and Health Professions at Cleveland State University. He has published extensively on assertive behavior and social skills, behavioral self-management, cultural-behavioral analyses related to societal change, and belief in free will. Dr. Rakos edited Behavior and Social Issues for 11 years and currently serves as consulting editor for BSI. He recently rotated off the editorial board of Law and Human Behavior after 10 years of service, twice served on the editorial board of The Behavior Analyst, and for many years served as co-chair of Behaviorists for Social Responsibility and as area coordinator for the Community Interventions, Social and Ethical Issues track on the ABAI Program Committee. He is a fellow in APA and on the Advisory Board of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.

Dr. Ingunn Sandaker is professor and director of the research program “Learning in Complex Systems” at Oslo and Akershus University College, Norway. She is director of the Ph.D. program in behavior analysis and the master's program in the Department of Behavioral Science. She received her Ph.D. in 1997 at the University of Oslo. Her thesis evaluated a systemic approach to major changes in two large companies: one pharmaceutical company and one petroleum company. During the Norwegian Olympic Committee’s preparations for the Sydney and Nagano games, she was head of evaluation of a program aimed at extending female participation in management and coaching. Serving as a consultant on top level management programs in Norwegian energy companies, she has interests focused on management performance and se

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

The youth of our world will be relied upon for behavior change for a sustainable world to a much greater extent than many of us are now. They will most likely inherit a much greater climate crisis, and hopefully, will have grown up with a much greater awareness of what to do about it.The K-12 education system is a pervasive cultural establishment that could have considerable impact on how the next generation(s) view climate change, and more importantly what to do about it.In this panel discussion students, educators, and curriculum developers will describe their own efforts in both increasing their own and other’s “green behavior” and how school communities and environmentally aware curriculum can help spread awareness and most importantly, behavior change.The panelists and the audience will be encouraged to discuss ways in which curriculum can go from knowing “about” to knowing “how”, and what behavior analysis has to offer to help make effective K-12 green behavior change a reality.

Conference attendees who plan to participate in this breakout session are asked to add this event to their personal schedules (below) to help with discussion planning.

Janet S. Twyman, Ph.D., BCBA. A career educator, Dr. Twyman has been a preschool and elementary school teacher, a principal, administrator, and university professor. She has worked directly with typically developing students, preschoolers with intellectual disabilities, adolescents with emotional and behavioral problems, and learners with autism spectrum disorders, and for more than a decade has worked at the forefront of merging evidence-based educational methods with new and emerging technologies. As a vice president at Headsprout, she led the design, development, and dissemination of the company’s Internet-based reading programs and oversaw their implementation in more than 1,500 public and private schools. Dr. Twyman is invited to present nationally and internationally on effective instructional practices, including a 2011 presentation on technology and education for learners in developing countries at the United Nations. She is active on the boards of numerous organizations including the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (as Education Group Chair) and PEER International (assisting township schools in Port Elizabeth, South Africa).In 2007-2008 she served as president of the Association for Behavior Analysis International. Currently an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Dr. Twyman’s research interests involve understanding basic learning processes to build meaningful instructional technology programs with for use with all learners.

Brian Cooper is a math teacher at Stanley Middle School and one of the teachers who lead its environmental club. He has a graduate degree in mathematics education from San Francisco State University. He was nominated as Earth Team's Teacher of the Month in May, 2012, for the new environmental practices at his school.

Emily Carr will be an eighth-grader at Stanley Middle School in the 2012-2013 academic year and helped to implement its new food waste management system. Next year, she will be in her school's Leadership Class and continue Sustainable Stanley's efforts to be more environmentally responsible.

Annie Page recently graduated from eighth grade at Stanley Middle School in Lafayette, CA. Annie has been involved in Sustainable Stanley, her school's environmental club, which endeavors to minimize waste. She helped plan, design, and implement the new food waste-management system at her school.

Kimberly Lightle, Ph.D., is director of Digital Libraries, College of Education and Human Ecology, The Ohio State University. As the principal investigator on three active National Science Foundation-funded teacher education projects, Dr. Lightle investigates how digital tools can be used to support the creation and sharing of knowledge as well as build communities around exemplary STEM content and pedagogy.

Julia H. Fiebig, M.S., BCBA, is a behavior analyst and clinical director at the Center for the Early Intervention of Autism in the San Ramon Valley Unified School District in the San Francisco Bay Area and teaches in The Chicago School for Professional Psychology’s BCBA certification program. Dr. Fiebig’s interests include generalizing applications of behavior analysis to promote human behavior that positively contributes to environmental conservation, effective organizational leadership, and quality programming and effective consultation systems in public school districts. Since 1998, she has participated in facilitating international summer camps intended to teach children skills of leadership, social responsibility, and tolerance through international understanding. This collaborative work has included developing on-site systems for water conservation in rural areas and teaching young children to live simply and engage in conservation and environmentally friendly behaviors in day-to-day tasks while establishing a functioning international community over the course of six weeks. She is currently involved in projects that address the development of effective staff training and consultation systems in public school district programs, as well as, evaluating elementary science curriculum and how it relates to targeting student behavior change related to environmental issues. She is a founding member of Bay Area School District Behavior Analysts, a working group of BCBAs in the San Francisco Bay Area interested in planning quality teaching programs in public school district classrooms, and also has been actively involved in the development of the Behavior Analysis for Sustainable Societies Special Interest Group, serving as co-chair for its inaugural year. An avid musician and lover of all things outdoors, she has lived in the San Francisco Bay Area since 2005, where she spends much of her free time composing and performing music and staying involved in community initiatives that address environmental conservation and sustainability practices.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

Corporate might, in its supply of goods and services to countless consumers, exert powerful influence on the sustainability of communities. Huge potential for large-scale behavior change resides within the marketing efforts, manufacturing sites, supply chains and distribution efforts of businesses and industries. Some corporations adopt eco-friendly practices and technologies, reduce their negative externalities, educate consumers about environmental concerns and demonstrate responsible leadership in regard to stewardship of environmental resources. Others engage in "greenwashing" and purport to protect the environment, but this may be a marketing ploy with little real impact. This session considers best practices toward sustainability within corporate settings and explores methods to identify and celebrate leading corporate citizens who protect or restore our environments. Sustainability programs within Supervalu Inc. and the Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe (Hilton Corp.) are used as examples of behavior change supported by corporate leadership with demonstrated positive impact. Methods to verify eco-friendly outcomes are considered in the context of accreditation of ‘green’ practices by independent, third-party advocate organizations.

Conference attendees who plan to participate in this breakout session are asked to add this event to their personal schedules (below) to help with discussion planning.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

Energy fuels every aspect of economic activity, from production to transportation to consumption. Currently, the global transportation sector is the second largest overall consumer of energy—and nearly all of that energy consumption is in the form of fossil petroleum fuels (EIA, International Energy Outlook 2011). During the past few years, the global market has seen fluctuating oil prices reaching as high as $147/barrel (July, 2008), driving home the transportation sector’s vulnerability to the supply and price of oil. Beyond volatility, the transportation sector’s dependence on fossil petroleum results in nearly a quarter of global carbon emissions (IEA, CO2 Emissions from Fuel Combustion, 2011).

The convergence of factors such as rising petroleum fuel prices, increased emphasis on environmental health and sustainability, and growing capacity for renewable energy production, has raised interest in alternative fuels and cleaner, more efficient vehicle technologies to an all-time high.These options, however, are only part of the solution. No matter the fuel or technology deployed, a fleet’s business is in its drivers’ hands. Fleet vehicles, public safety, and an organization’s bottom line are all significantly impacted by driver behavior. In fact, as much as 80% of accidents and up to 33% of fleet fuel use is impacted by equipment operator behavior (Green Road, 2012). This session will focus on what fleets and private citizens are doing—and can do better—to ensure driver behavior optimizes the efficiency and environmental performance of vehicles. During this session, Clean Fuels Ohio (CFO) will present on its green fleet management services, which are designed to help organizations craft long-term policies, programs, and best practices for managing high performing, efficient, and cost-effective vehicle fleets. An expanding part of CFO’s work involves Green Driver training programs that focus on how driver behavior can significantly impact vehicle fuel efficiency. This session also will feature presentations from the City of Columbus and Frito-Lay to addressing behavioral opportunities and challenges from the perspective of fleet management.

The session chair and discussants will share their perspectives on the contributions, demonstrated and potential, of behavior analysis to driver efficiency. Audience members will then be invited to contribute their ideas to a discussion exploring ways fleet managers and private citizens can use principles of behavior change to increase green driving. A goal of this session is a systematic collection of ideas that CFO can incorporate into its green driving R&D program.

Conference attendees who plan to participate in this breakout session are asked to add this event to their personal schedules (below) to help with discussion planning.

Ron Van Houten, Ph.D., is a professor of psychology and a member of the behavior analysis faculty at Western Michigan University. He has published research in areas of traffic safety, energy conservation, clinical applications, developmental disabilities and autism, and educational applications of behavior analysis. His recent research has focused on the development of technology to directly change the safety related behavior of drivers. Dr. Van Houten also holds several patents related to his research efforts. His research in the area of pedestrian safety and mobility has resulted in his appointment as chairman of the pedestrian committee of the Transportation Research Board of the National Academy of Sciences. Funding for Dr. Van Houten’s work has come from grants from the Federal Highway Administration, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Transport Canada, individual Cities, and the Florida Department of Transportation.

William D. Newsome recently completed his Ph.D. in behavior analysis at the University of Nevada, Reno. His dissertation examined the influence of feedback and self-generated rules on efficiency of fleet and civilian drivers. William is a founding member of The Patch, a community gardening cooperative that helps students adopt healthier and more sustainable consumer behavior. His recent publications include commentaries on the application of cooperative principles to promote changes in consumer behavior and theoretical frameworks for studying environmentally friendly behavior.

Joshua K. Pritchard, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is an assistant professor in the Applied Behavior Analysis Program at Florida Institute of Technology. Dr. Pritchard’s research interests include transferring behavioral principles into marketable goods to better quality of life and environmental behavior and the global dissemination of behavior analysis. His paper, Virtual Rewards for Driving Green, was published in The Behavior Analyst (2010).

Andrew Conley, Clean Fuels Ohio program director, has worked with hundreds of fleets across the state to develop vehicle and station projects, conduct fleet emissions and efficiency analyses, draft proposals for competitive funding, and create educational programs and materials including workshops, trainings, and printed informational resources. Conley also has led CFO’s Ohio Green Fleets program since its launch in August 2008, resulting in the active enrollment of more than 200 public and private organizations—all of whom have provided fleet data and begun the process of earning Ohio Green Fleet certification for environmental leadership. To date, 45 fleets have been certified as Ohio Green Fleets. These fleets have displaced a combined total of 5,943,080 gallons of petroleum and eliminated more than 414 tons of nitrogen oxide (NOx), 34 tons of particulate matter (PM 2.5), 14.9 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and 81,713 tons of CO2.

Sam Spofforth, Clean Fuels Ohio executive director, has 10 years of direct fleet experience helping fleets adopt technologies, implement projects, and create green fleet-management plans. Spofforth was named the US DOE Clean Cities regional coordinator of the year in 2004, national coordinator of the year in 2007, and adopted into the US DOE Clean Cities Program “Hall of Fame” in 2011. Spofforth also has worked directly with the City of Columbus, the Mayor’s Environmental Steward, and City of Columbus Fleet Management to develop a “Green Fleet Action Plan” adopted by the City in 2008. This plan, which the city continues to implement, has earned Columbus numerous awards and recognition as the 2011 No. 1 Government Green Fleet in America by the 100 Best Fleets Program.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

There are two noteworthy challenges in the quest to address problems of sustainability. The first, developing relevant scientific insights and related technologies, will be addressed in many other sessions at this conference. The second concerns persuading policy makers and the public to embrace and act upon these new ideas. The history of technology transfer suggests that this is no mean feat: The better mousetrap may be no more likely to gain favor than a lousy one, and behavior analysts have not proven to be specially adept in gaining public acceptance for their work. This panel discussion examines "being heard" as a problem in behavior. After panelists introduce concepts from a variety of disciplines that may contribute to a functional analysis of this problem, a moderated discussion will allow panelists and audience members to plot general strategies for exporting the fruits of behavior science to nonexperts.

Conference attendees who plan to participate in this breakout session are asked to add this event to their personal schedules (below) to help with discussion planning.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

Ohio Interfaith Power and Light (OhIPL) promotes energy conservation, energy efficiency, and renewable energy by challenging religious communities to:

• Communicate with members about the morality of climate change
• Conduct an energy audit of their church, synagogue, temple, mosque, or other physical facilities and reduce energy consumption by at least 10%
• Install or purchase renewable or ‘green’ power from utilities
• Sponsor ecological footprint education programs
• Advocate for stronger environmental protection policies
• Promote public mass transportation, bicycling, and walk-able communities

Mr. Foster and Ms. Ward will present a brief history of OhIPL, provide examples of successful initiatives, and describe barriers they have encountered that block fuller participation by laity and clergy. They will discuss what motivates volunteers within organizations to change their behavior, linking the philosophies of faith-based communities with the realities of organizational operations (e.g., the dichotomy between the desire to affect climate change and limited investment funds to achieve energy savings).

Following the presentation, the chair and discussant will offer their perspectives on how faith-based communities can apply behavior analysis principles and procedures to enhance the effectiveness of their green energy programs. Audience members will then be invited to join a discussion of how behavior analysis can help faith-based communities respond to climate change.

Conference attendees who plan to participate in this breakout session are asked to add this event to their personal schedules (below) to help with discussion planning.

Craig Foster, technical consultant for Ohio Interfaith Power and Light, is founder and president of Foster Energy Management. He received a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Iowa in 1977 and is a registered professional engineer in the State of Ohio. Craig has over 33 years experience as an engineer and manager. His experience spans many areas of facility design, optimization, and management, including energy management auditing and implementation, utility management, building design and operation, water treatment and waste water treatment plant design and operation, and solar thermal installations. Craig has worked as an engineering consultant for a gas and electric utility and in facilities management and engineering for a major manufacturer. He also has 15 years experience managing environmental, health, and safety programs in an industrial setting. Craig is also a deacon in the Episcopal Church. Ordained in 2007, he serves St. John’s Episcopal Church in Columbus where he is involved in ministry to the homeless and marginally housed through Street Church and His Place. He has helped lead an effort of the BREAD organization in Columbus to reduce neighborhood blight through formation of a funded Community Land Re-utilization Corporation. Craig is also deeply committed to Kairos Prison Ministry and the issues surrounding those returning to society after being incarcerated. He dreams of having the Chapel at North Central Correctional Complex become a member of OhIPL.

Timothy E. Heron, professor emeritus at The Ohio State University, received his doctorate in special education from Temple University in 1976. Dr. Heron also served for 17 years as an educational consultant to Children's Hospital Learning Disability Clinic in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to his appointment at OSU, Dr. Heron was a developmental and day care supervisor and teacher for children with neurological, behavioral, and social disabilities.He has published several books, including Applied Behavior Analysis, Second Edition (with John Cooper and Bill Heward), presented numerous papers at professional conferences, and consulted with parents and practitioners on issues related to disabilities and applied behavior analysis. A certified flight instructor, Tim uses behavior principles in teaching the next generation of aviators.

Richard F. Rakos received his BA (1972) in psychology from SUNY Stony Brook and his MA (1975) and PhD (1978) in psychology from Kent State University. He is professor of psychology and associate dean for faculty in the College of Sciences and Health Professions at Cleveland State University. He has published extensively on assertive behavior and social skills, behavioral self-management, cultural-behavioral analyses related to societal change, and belief in free will. Dr. Rakos edited Behavior and Social Issues for 11 years and currently serves as consulting editor for BSI. He recently rotated off the editorial board of Law and Human Behavior after 10 years of service, twice served on the editorial board of The Behavior Analyst, and for many years served as co-chair of Behaviorists for Social Responsibility and as area coordinator for the Community Interventions, Social and Ethical Issues track on the ABAI Program Committee. He is a fellow in APA and on the Advisory Board of the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies.

Sara Ward, director of Ohio Interfaith Power and Light, is one of its original steering committee members and previously served as the advocacy chair of the board. She is presently involved in the 2012 Class of the Green Faith Fellowship program, a comprehensive education and training program to prepare lay and ordained leaders from diverse religious traditions for environmental leadership. Sara serves as the Earthkeeping Task Force Chair of the Southern Ohio Synod, ELCA and the Chair of the Green Team in her home congregation of First English Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ohio.

In 1982 Ms. Ward established (and served as the chief until 1992) the Office of Weatherization within the Ohio Department of Development. Her office administered the statewide Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program, which provided energy saving services to hundreds of thousands of low-income households. From 1992 until 2007, Ms. Ward served as director of the Energy Office in the Ohio Department of Development, responsible for oversight of the State’s energy efficiency and renewable energy programs. In 1996 Ms. Ward was appointed by the U.S. Secretary of Energy to serve as vice-chair on the State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB). From 2003 until 2005 Ms. Ward served as the chair for the National Association of State Energy Officials (NASEO), and from 2001 until 2007 was a founding board member and board secretary of the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance (MEEA). She received the 2008 Inspiring Efficiency Chairman’s Award from the Midwest Energy Efficiency Alliance, and the 2007 Public Official of the Year award from Green Energy Ohio.

BACB-behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

We live in a digital world. Recent estimates project 176.3 million smartphone users in the US by 2015 (81% of the US population; eMarketer, 2012) and 5.9 billion mobile subscribers worldwide (mobiThinking, 2011). While "going green" could involve getting off the grid and shunning our 24/7 digital access, we also could harness the power of the Internet and digital devices to help us engage in more green behaviors in our daily lives. This session will describe numerous simple, low cost tools that can be used on computers or smart devices to help people monitor, track, evaluate, and ideally change their behavior to better help the environment. A selection of particularly useful, innovative, or effective "apps" and systems will be presented. Participants will be provided a list of 101 different tools that they can use and have the opportunity to describe some of the tools they have found useful.

Conference attendees who plan to participate in this breakout session are asked to add this event to their personal schedules (below) to help with discussion planning.

Satoru Shimamune, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Psychology at Hosei University in Japan where he teaches behavior analysis and experimental psychology. He also is affiliated with the university’s Life Skills Education Institute where he supervises a wide range of research projects on sustainable programs aimed at helping teachers, institutional staff, managers, and business consultants manage their behavior. His writings, which include several introductory textbooks for Japanese readers on behavior analysis, performance management, and instructional design, have contributed to the dissemination of behavior analysis in Japan. He has served on the Executive Council of the Japanese Association for Behavior Analysis for the past 20 years, and has served as the editor of the Japanese Journal of Behavior Analysis for the past three years. He has a long-standing interest in the theoretical analysis of everyday community and cultural topics, such as promptness, recycling, and etiquette. His latest book, Why Are We Late for Appointments?, explains how to identify the likely causes of our inaction and what we can do about it. He does this in plain Japanese and without reference to hypothetical constructs such as personality traits and abilities.

Janet S. Twyman, Ph.D., BCBA. A career educator, Dr. Twyman has been a preschool and elementary school teacher, a principal and administrator, and university professor. She has worked directly with typically developing students, preschoolers with intellectual disabilities, adolescents with emotional and behavioral problems, and learners with autism spectrum disorders, and for more than a decade has worked at the forefront of merging evidence-based educational methods with new and emerging technologies. As a vice president at Headsprout, she led the design, development, and dissemination of the company’s Internet-based reading programs and oversaw their implementation in more than 1,500 public and private schools. Dr. Twyman is invited to present nationally and internationally on effective instructional practices, including a 2011 presentation on technology and education for learners in developing countries at the United Nations. She is active on the boards of numerous organizations including the Cambridge Center for Behavioral Studies (as Education Group Chair) and PEER International (assisting township schools in Port Elizabeth, South Africa).In 2007-2008, she served as president of the Association for Behavior Analysis International. Currently an associate professor of Pediatrics at the University of Massachusetts Medical School, Dr. Twyman’s research interests involve understanding basic learning processes so that we may build meaningful instructional technology programs with for use with all learners.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

Higher education institutions are venues for critical thinking and offer prime opportunities for inter-disciplinary learning. As sustainability science curricula programs are on the rise, institutions of higher education are well suited to assume leadership roles in providing critical knowledge, understanding, appreciation, and awareness for in the advancement of our societal, economic, and environmental responsibilities. Participants will learn and brainstorm ways of integrating sustainability, specifically, behavior change principles, into University curricula. Presenters include leaders of sustainability curricula at their home institutions, each sharing key variables of success and common barriers experienced in program development and growth, including how specific barriers can be managed. Ideas of coursework, readings, practica, funding, research, and community engagement to support necessary inter-disciplinary cooperation will be explored. Resources, including sample syllabi, campus examples, curriculum models, course ideas, etc., will be shared. Participants are asked to bring a syllabus (or curriculum ideas) and will work in small groups to brainstorm specific ideas relevant to their institutions. Presenters will facilitate specific curricula plan development, barriers, and ways of facilitating progress and results of the brainstorming session will be discussed. Outcomes of the session include: 1) exploration of key factors of success stories and benefits of blended course content, 2) discussion of common or anticipated barriers and ways to effectively manage those barriers, and 3) fostering a collaborative network of interested parties for future discussion, information sharing, and ongoing support.

Conference attendees who plan to participate in this breakout session are asked to add this event to their personal schedules (below) to help with discussion planning.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

During the past 26 years The Nature Conservancy’s Campaign team has helped pass state ballot initiatives that have raised some $47 billion for land and water protection, often through tax increases. Such efforts were successful partly because as a prelude to many of the campaigns, focus groups and surveys were used to understand what aspects of nature and conservation people most valued and found resonance with.In the first 30 minutes, we will share the results of the surveys and trends in the attitudes found from 2000 to 2012. And then with input from the audience we will spend the remaining 50 minutes discussing how future surveys might be modified to obtain new information or test ideas about changing environmental attitudes.We will be conducting additional surveys, so there is the opportunity to translate these ideas into action and modified surveys.

Conference attendees who plan to participate in this breakout session are asked to add this event to their personal schedules (below) to help with discussion planning.

Susan G. Friedman, Ph.D., is a psychology professor at Utah State University who has pioneered the application of Applied Behavior Analysis to captive and companion animals. ABA, with its roots in human learning, offers a scientifically sound teaching technology and ethical standard that can improve the lives of all learners. Students from 22 different countries have participated in Dr. Friedman’s online courses, Living and Learning with Animals for Professionals and Living and Learning with Parrots for Caregivers. She has written chapters on learning and behavior for three veterinary texts (Behavior of Exotic Pets, Clinical Avian Medicine, and Manual of Parrot Behavior), and is a frequent contributor to popular magazines. Her articles appear around the world in 11 languages. She has presented seminars for a wide variety of professional organizations around the world such as the Association of Avian Veterinarians, the European Association of Zoos and Aquaria, Moorpark College Exotic Animal Training and Management program, and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. She has been nominated for the Media Award given by Association of Behavior Analysis International for her efforts to disseminate to pet owners, veterinarians, animal trainers and zookeepers the essential tools they need to empower and enrich the lives of the animals in their care.

Samantha Attwood, is a research assistant at The Nature Conservancy.

Peter Kareiva, Ph.D., is the chief scientist for The Nature Conservancy, where he is responsible for developing and helping to implement science-based conservation throughout the organization and for forging new links with partners. Dr. Kareiva received a master's of science degree in environmental biology from the University of California, Irvine, and his Ph.D. in ecology and evolutionary biology from Cornell University. He joined The Nature Conservancy's staff in 2002 after more than 20 years in academics and work at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, where he directed the Northwest Fisheries Science Center Conservation Biology Division. In addition to his duties as the Conservancy’s chief scientist, his current projects emphasize the interplay of human land-use and biodiversity, resilience in the face of global change, and marine conservation. He has authored more than 100 scientific articles in such diverse fields as mathematical biology, fisheries science, insect ecology, risk analysis, genetically engineered organisms, agricultural ecology, population viability analysis, behavioral ecology, landscape ecology, and global climate change. In 2007, he was elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and in 2011, he was named a member of the National Academy of Sciences for his excellence in original scientific research. He also has received a Guggenheim Fellowship and is a member of the Ecological Society of America and the Society for Conservation Biology. In addition to conducting research, Dr. Kareiva believes that general communications and writing are essential in science, and has written (with Dr. Michelle Marvier, of Santa Clara University) the conservation textbook, Conservation Science: Balancing the Needs of People and Nature (Roberts & Co. 2010). Dr. Kareiva is co-founder (with Gretchen Daily and Taylor Ricketts) of the Natural Capital Project, a pioneering partnership among The Nature Conservancy, Stanford University and World Wildlife Fund to develop credible tools that allow routine consideration of nature's assets (or ecosystem services) in a way that informs the choices we make every day at the scale of local communities and regions, all the way up to nations and global agreements.

Hazel Wong is director of Conservation Campaigns at The Nature Conservancy.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.

College campuses provide living laboratories for addressing environmental concerns through research collaboration, as well as opportunities to educate large groups of individuals in promoting sustainable practices through service learning and applied research experiences. The session will provide an overview of several campus sustainability initiatives at The Ohio State University and the University of Kansas. A panel of behavior analysts and campus sustainability experts will discuss resources, strategies, and challenges in extending behavior change efforts through cross-disciplinary collaborations. A central theme of this discussion will be the reduction of electric energy consumption. The goals of the session are to (a) plan a multi-site collaborative green behavior change research project on reducing electric energy consumption on college campuses beginning in the 2012-2013 academic year, and (b) form a consortium/network of university personnel and students to collaborate on this and future research initiatives.

Conference attendees who plan to participate in this breakout session are asked to add this event to their personal schedules (below) to help with discussion planning.

Nancy Neef, Ph.D., is a professor at The Ohio State University. She has focused on translational research in behavior analysis that illustrates both key principles of behavior and a wide array of applications. Her work, typically co-authored with her graduate students, has resulted in more than 70 publications and has been cited more than 11,000 times. Dr. Neef has secured almost 4 million dollars in grants supporting her research and students. She has also helped to support the research of others in her former role as editor of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, associate wditor for 4 journals, and on the editorial board of 11 journals. A fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, Nancy has received the American Psychological Association, Division 25's Outstanding Applied Research Award and the Western Michigan University Alumni Achievement Award.

Aparna Dial is the director of Energy Services and Sustainability at The Ohio State University, where she is responsible for all strategic and operational aspects of energy purchasing, energy conservation, recycling and waste reduction. She has an undergraduate degree in civil engineering from Osmania University, India, an M.S. in civil and environmental engineering from Utah State University and an MBA from The Fisher College of Business at OSU. Aparna has worked for the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality in the Division of Surface Water (Enforcement Unit) and the Ohio EPA (Division of Air Pollution Control). Prior to working in her current capacity she was the director of environmental affairs at OSU and dealt with Engineering Review of Construction Projects, Air, Water, Hazardous Waste, and Asbestos issues and compliance with environmental regulations. Aparna has over 18 years of experience in the area of sustainability with direct experience in strategic planning, project management, environmental compliance and enforcement. Aparna serves on Ohio State’s President’s and Provost’s Council on Sustainability, chairs the Mayor's Green Team for the City of Columbus, and is a board member of the Solid Waste Authority of Central Ohio, Net Impact Advisory Board, and the Central Ohio Sustainability Alliance Advisory Board.

Derek Reed, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is a use-inspired translational researcher who applies principles of behavioral economics to promote socially meaningful behaviors. His interest in this area began as an undergraduate psychology major at Illinois State University and continued at Syracuse University, where he earned his master’s and doctoral degrees in school psychology. After a clinical internship at the May Institute, he was employed as an assistant director of clinical services, research, and training at Melmark New England. Throughout Dr. Reed’s career, his professional responsibilities have challenged him to work collaboratively across numerous disciplines, while maintaining a rigorous approach to translational science. His interests led him to the University of Kansas, where he is presently an assistant professor in Applied Behavioral Science, a courtesy faculty member in Environmental Studies, and a research and teaching affiliate for the KU Center for Sustainability. His Laboratory in Applied Behavioral Economics is currently investigating ways to understand sustainable behaviors through economic principles, as well as applying these principles in campus and community based research related to recycling and energy conservation. Dr. Reed has published over 40 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, has co-edited two books, is the co-editor of the Division 25 Recorder Newsletter, and serves on the editorial boards of Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Analysis in Practice.

BACB-certified behavior analysts and licensed psychologists.