The Department of Psychology will present a talk titled “Research on mastery criterion with children with disabilities: What does it mean to master a skill?” with Daniel Fienup, Ph.D. ’08, at 2:30 p.m. Friday, October 12, in 551 DeGarmo Hall. Fienup is the recipient of the Department of Psychology’s 2018 Alumnus of the Year Award.

Fienup is an associate professor of applied behavior analysis in the Department of Health and Behavior Studies at Teachers College, Columbia University. He received his master’s in applied behavior analysis from Southern Illinois University and his Ph.D. in school psychology from Illinois State University.

Fienup and his students conduct research on instructional design and educational performance.  With college students, the lab investigates the translation of basic learning principles to instructional design. With individuals with disabilities, the lab investigates skill acquisition programming and how to tailor instructional methods to learner needs. Fienup serves as an associate editor for the Journal of Behavioral Education and Analysis of Verbal Behavior. He also serves on the editorial board for Behavior Analysis in Practice, Perspectives on Behavioral Science, Psychological Record, and Behavior Development. He serves on the Licensed Behavior Analyst New York state board and is a past board member of the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis.

Alumni Day events

Fienup will be recognized at the Department of Psychology annual awards ceremony in DEG 551 and at the department’s Alumni Day Dinner, which will take place October 12 at Biaggi’s Ristorante Italiano.

This event is sponsored by the Department of Psychology. To support the department and help enhance its educational mission with advanced teaching methods, guest speakers, and more opportunities for students to learn through research experiences, please consider making a gift to the department through the Illinois State University Foundation.

If you need special accommodations to participate in this program, call the Department of Psychology at (309) 439-8651. Please allow sufficient time to arrange the accommodation.