Each year, the BACB honors an individual with the Michael Hemingway Behavior Analysis Award to commemorate the life and contributions of Michael Hemingway, who played a central role in the development of behavior analyst certification in Florida before serving as a founding member of the BACB Board of Directors. Michael’s commitments to the profession of applied behavior analysis (ABA) and to increasing access to services are reflected in the behavior of the individual who receives this award.
We are pleased to announce that the 2023 recipient of the Michael Hemingway Behavior Analysis Award is Jane S. Howard, PhD, BCBA-D. Dr. Howard is the chief executive officer and cofounder of Therapeutic Pathways, an organization that provides ABA services to individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Dr. Howard was a member of the psychology faculty at California State University, Stanislaus from 1987 through 2014, where she trained graduate students in psychology and special education. In addition to her contributions to service delivery and university training, Dr. Howard has served the profession in numerous important leadership positions. She served on the BACB Board of Directors from 2008 to 2015 and served as its president from 2012 to 2015. During this time, she was the chief architect of the first set of nationally influential practice guidelines for ABA treatment of ASD. Dr. Howard later served on the Board of Directors of The Council of Autism Service Providers from 2016 to 2022 and was one of the organization’s founders. Dr. Howard also published important research demonstrating that the critical feature of effective behavioral treatment for young children with ASD is its behavioral characteristics and not its intensity (Howard et al., 2005; 2014). We are grateful to Dr. Howard for her many important contributions, which have greatly benefitted our science, our profession, and the clients we serve.
