Association for Behavior Analysis International

According to the U. S. Department of Education, in 41 years, from 1976 to 2017, college enrollment of Black students increased only 4%, from 10% to 14% of the total student population. Furthermore, 58% of Black students who enter higher education do not graduate. In Black colleges graduation rates are even lower. A recent study of 24 Black colleges found that two thirds or more of the students who enter do not graduate.

In a university where 12% of the students are Black and only 35.4% graduate within six years, some remarkable things have happened. In the last 38 years, a White professor, committed to increasing diversity in behavior analysis, has graduated 16 Black students with MAs in behavior analysis. Four went on to earn their doctorates with him and 6 with other advisors. Many of these graduates are now using their behavior-systems-analysis skills helping the Black community build a better world.

Although this panel is focused on Black graduates from higher education, it is worth noting that the same faculty member, employing the same graduate-training system also graduated 24 international students (12 PhDs & 12 MAs) from Latin America, Asia, Europe and the Middle East, most of whom are now using their behavior-systems-analysis skills in helping their international communities.

What does it take to attain such accomplishments in higher education? In this panel, three of this professor’s Black graduates will share key features of the program’s success. In addition, they will speak of how those features influenced their own efforts to advance minority success in higher education throughout their careers and current university positions.

Board certified behavior analysts; graduate students; licensed psychologists.

After completing her undergraduate work at Universidad Católica Andrés Bello in Venezuela, Maria E. Malott began her career in large-scale performance management. After 2 years as a performance systems analyst for the Venezuela government, she entered the graduate program in Behavior Analysis at Western Michigan University, obtaining her Ph.D. in 1987. In 1989 she was hired as the production manager at a Midwest manufacturing company and after 2 years became the vice-president of manufacturing. In 1993, she began a consulting career. She served as consultant for a variety of businesses in service, retail, manufacturing, education, government, and others. Her clients have included General Motors Corporation; Meijer, Inc.; Kellogg's; and Pharmacia & Upjohn. In all of this work, she has combined systems analysis with the analysis of individual behavior within the systems. 

Since 1993, Dr. Malott has served as Executive Director/CEO of the Association for Behavior Analysis. She has used organizational behavior management to improve every aspect of the operation of ABAI, which now serves more than 9,000 members and is the parent organization for nearly 100 affiliated chapters. 

Dr. Malott has served as an affiliate faculty member at five universities. She has served on five editorial boards and is the author of a book on organizational change, published in Spanish and English, and co-author of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th editions of Elementary Principles of Behavior. She published over 35 peer review publications and over 100 newsletter articles. She has made over 300 presentations in 22 countries, including lectures and seminars in 37 universities around the world.   

Dr. Malott is a fellow of ABAI, was the recipient of the 2003 Award for International Dissemination of Behavior Analysis, the 2012 Award for Distinguished Service to Behavior Analysis, the 2004 Award for Outstanding Achievement in Organizational Behavior at Management, and the 2002 Outstanding Alumni Award from the Department of Psychology at Western Michigan University.

Angela M. Campbell, Ph.D., LPC, is a three-time graduate of Western Michigan University’s Psychology department.  She began her post graduate work at St. Philip’s College in San Antonio, TX where she implemented a behavioral contracting system with students having difficulties passing the mandatory State exam to graduate from college.  Later she spent 9 years as a Faculty Counselor and five years as the Chair of the Counseling department.  She has taught undergraduate psychology courses at colleges in Texas, Michigan and Pennsylvania. She has been an international speaker and has helped train teachers and bring applied psychology to undergraduate students in Malawi, Philippines and Romania.  She recently accepted the position of Executive Director of Assessment and Strategy for the Office of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management at HACC Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, a five campus College serving over 18,000 students. 

In this role she is responsible for planning, managing strategic initiatives, minor process improvements and quality assurance projects that improve Student Affairs and Enrollment Management program performance. Also she works closely with SAEM executives, and external partners to establish objectives and develop and implement short & long-term strategies, overseeing SAEM assessment, and HACC's C.A.R.E Center which addresses student’s non-academic barriers such as but not limited to, food insecurity, housing deficits, health inequities through consultancy, advocacy, referrals and empowerment. 

In her spare time, she has published an anthology of true stories called God Did It: Answered Prayers for Love and Marriage and has been the host of a podcast called Hope and Encouragement for your Journey since 2018.  She and her husband Rodson reside in Pennsylvania and they are the proud parents of three adult daughters. Twin daughters who have graduated from Cornell and UNC Chapel Hill and most importantly are employed and their youngest daughter who recently started medical school.   

Monica Porter is a native of Pontiac, Michigan. In 1984, she completed her undergraduate program at Southern Illinois University receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a double minor in Sociology and Administrative Justice.  Porter continued her educational achievements at Western Michigan University obtaining a Master’s of Science degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology in 1986, and a Ph.D. in Applied Behavioral Analysis in 1991.

In 1993, Dr. Porter served as the Deputy to the Special Assistant of Minority Affairs for the Governor of North Carolina. While serving in government, Monica managed several community projects such as; landfill detoxification, HBCU collaboration, government initiatives, and an African Trade Mission which focused on trade initiatives between North Carolina and several South African countries.  While working in the Governor’s Office, she remained passionate about teaching and served as an adjunct psychology professor at Wake Technical Community College.

Dr. Porter left state government in 1998 to launch Project Development Services a consultant practice. She worked with non-profit organizations on program assessments, grant writing, and project development. As a consultant, her primary focus was to assist women-owned non-prohibit businesses.

In 2001, Dr. Porter was offered the Department Chair for Social Sciences and an Assistant Psychology Professor position at Saint Augustine’s (College) University.  She served in this role for four years. In addition to teaching, her research interest focused on the HIV/AIDS pandemic regarding college women of color. She continued to serve on boards and commissions while addressing race relations, women’s empowerment, HIV/AIDS, homelessness, and domestic violence.

During the 2004-2005 academic years, Dr. Porter was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to assist with launching and teaching in the first Psychology Program at the University of Botswana in Gaborone, Botswana. When she returned to the U.S., she was hired by the University of Michigan-Dearborn as the Director of the Women's Resource Center. In 2011, the Director for the Office of International Affairs was assigned to Dr. Porter. In 2012, she was promoted to the position of Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Success.  In 2015, she was promoted to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management and Student Life. 

In the fall of 2017, Dr. Porter joined Indiana University South Bend as the Vice Chancellor for Student Engagement and Success, Dean of Students and Chief Diversity Officer. In 2019, the division was reorganized, and she currently serves as the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs & Diversity and the Dean of Students. Her goal is to assist students attending IU South Bend to be successful in their educational endeavors.

Dr. Jackson has over 30 years’ experience serving with programs that work to enhance student opportunities.  He currently serves as director of the Academic Pathways to Excellence Program (APEX Scholars) at Wayne State University; an office which hosts a Summer Bridge program, provides peer tutoring and supplemental instruction, academic success workshops, and support for students on probation.  Before that, he was Director of the Upward Bound Program and Director of the Academic Success Center at Eastern Michigan University. He has also served as the Dean of Students at Marygrove College and Assistant Dean for Student Affairs and Minority Programs in the College of Engineering at Wayne State University and Director of the Minority Engineering Program at the University of Illinois-Chicago.

As a self-proclaimed “under-performing” graduate of Detroit Public Schools, he attended Western Michigan University through a summer bridge program.  By taking full advantage of the supports, he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, a Master's Degree in Clinical Psychology and a Doctorate in Psychology with an emphasis on Educational Systems Analysis. He has spent his career designing and implementing programs that enhance the professional development, character, and academic performance of high school and college students.  He has also helped create a variety of mentoring programs that assist students in self-improvement.

As director of the APEX Scholars Program, Dr. Jackson is responsible for helping newly arrived freshmen adjust to college life and plan their academic and professional careers more strategically.  He provides academic and administrative leadership as an integral member of university administrative teams, and works closely with the University Advising Center, the Academic Success Center, Undergraduate Admissions, Orientation, Financial Aid, Federal Trio Programs, academic department chairs and members of the faculty to support the APEX Scholars program and underrepresented minority students. He is a founding member of the NETWORK leadership team that supports black men in pursuing college degrees at Wayne State.  He also currently serves as a Co-chair of the Wayne State Black Faculty and Staff Association.

He states that, "I firmly believe that students can make extraordinary gains when provided with the appropriate combination of opportunities and support.  My research and observations have convinced me that the obstacles to student success are not purely academic, nor purely motivational.  A carefully coordinated, cooperative approach, involving a commitment from not only the student, but also family, faculty, and administration is necessary to yield optimal student growth.  Certainly, this is no small challenge, but when provided with the supportive personnel and resources, the positive impact on society of the commensurate increase of gainfully employed college graduates will undoubtedly out-weigh the investment.”