Gabriela Salazar, a student in the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) online master's program, was honored with the Jose Martinez-Diaz Memorial Award at the 44th Annual Florida Association for Behavior Analysis (FABA) Conference. This award celebrates individuals with a deep passion for behavior analysis, following in the footsteps of Martinez-Diaz, whose influence continues to inspire many in the field.
Salazar works closely with her clinical supervisors, University of South Florida (USF) alum Janelle Bacotti, PhD, BCBA-D, and Yanerys León, PhD, BCBA-D, from the University of Miami.
"I want to thank Dr. Bacotti and Dr. León for their unwavering mentorship and my experience at the Learning and Behavior, Research and Training Lab for being pivotal in my learning and professional development in behavior analysis," Salazar said. "I also want to thank USF for providing an enriching learning experience which I can draw from to enhance my overall professional repertoire."
Nominations for the award come from employers or supervisors, and the award provides funding to begin or continue a student's behavior analytic coursework required forBehavior Analyst Certification Board certification.
"The prestigious award is a testament to her dedication to the field of behavior analysis, and a reflection of the incredible work she has accomplished alongside her clinical supervisors," said Anthony Concepcion, PhD, BCBA-D, program chair of the online ABA master's program. "We are immensely proud of Gabriela and are especially grateful to the mentorship she recieves by Drs. Bacotti and León."