Featured Presenters & Sponsors

Keynote Speaker

Tai A. Collins, PhD, BCBA-D

Tai Collins serves as associate dean for curriculum and policy in the Graduate College at the University of Cincinnati, as well as professor of school psychology. Collins earned his bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in Africana studies from Loyola University New Orleans and his PhD in school psychology from Louisiana State University. In his administrative role, Collins leads graduate curriculum strategy at the university, implements student-centered policies and supports graduate students' degree certification. His research focuses on time- and resource-efficient behavioral interventions to support Black students in urban schools.

Featured Presenters

Prerna Arora, PhD

Prerna Arora is an associate professor of psychology and education at Teachers College, Columbia University. Arora’s research focuses on issues of access and quality of care for historically marginalized youth and adolescents. In particular, Arora’s research focuses on identifying risk and protective factors in the development of depressive disorders among racial and ethnic minoritized and immigrant-origin youth; barriers to help-seeking among racial and ethnic minoritized and immigrant-origin youth and families; and developing and implementing culturally-tailored school and community-based prevention and intervention programming for internalizing disorders. Arora’s work is grounded in a participatory action research approach and incorporates the use of mixed methodology. Arora's research has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the Spencer Foundation, among others. Arora serves as the consulting editor of School Psychology Review and the associate editor of School Mental Health.

Tiffany N. Brown, PhD

Tiffany N. Brown is a licensed clinical psychologist and adjunct professor in Temple University’s College of Education and Human Development. She earned her doctorate degree from Howard University and completed her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania Health System. Licensed in Pennsylvania and California, Brown maintains a private practice and serves as a mental health consultant to various organization. Brown is dedicated to serving and advancing the profession of psychology. She has held various leadership roles, including chair of the Board of Directors for the National Register of Health Service Psychologists, and she currently serves on APA’s Board of Professional Affairs.

Beth Garrison, PhD, BCBA (she/her)

Beth Garrison holds a PhD in artificial intelligence, along with a master's degree in behavior analysis. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst with 15 years of clinical and leadership (OBM) experience. Her technical expertise spans human-computer interaction (HCI), user experience (UX) and data science, positioning her uniquely at the intersection of technology and behavior analysis. As the founder of Shaping Development, LLC, Beth partners with clients to develop data-driven goals enhanced by cutting-edge technology. She is also the co-founder and CEO of AACtive Gaming, LLC, an innovative company that transforms speech generating devices and applications into game controllers for AI-powered games, expanding access and engagement for individuals using augmentative and alternative communication. Drawing on her extensive background in both AI and behavior analysis, Beth brings a rare combination of technical expertise and clinical insight to her work, helping professionals and organizations harness technology to improve outcomes while maintaining ethical practice standards.

Brigid Garvin, PhD, BCBA, NCSP

Brigid Garvin is a bilingual licensed psychologist, Board Certified Behavior Analyst, and certified School psychologist. She is an assistant professor of psychiatry with Drexel University College of Medicine and the clinical director of psychological services at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children. She has practiced in hospital, research and school/community settings providing consultation, therapy and psychological/developmental evaluations for children and young adults. In her current position, she focuses on innovative program development as the clinical leader of the psychology section and supports the provision and ongoing development of the Behavioral Health Department. Her clinical and research interests include the differential diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders; the dissemination of evidenced based behavioral interventions; student, resident and fellow education in behavioral health; and the integration of psychological services within health care settings.

Gail Karafin, EdD

Gail R. Karafin is a licensed and school certified psychologist. Currently she is honored to serve as president of the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (2025-2026). She has a doctorate of education in school psychology and a master of education in counseling psychology, both from Temple University. She has been a school psychologist with the Bensalem Township School District for over 25 years (now retired), and she continues to maintain an independent practice in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Following her undergraduate graduation, she was offered a position assisting a previous professor, Anita Simon, at the newly formed federally funded research lab, Research for Better Schools, Inc. This became a dream job where she participated in research projects and professional writing. During this position, Gail earned her master’s in counseling psychology and a doctorate in school psychology with an emphasis in clinical treatment.

Karafin participates on a number of professional boards. She served as chair of the School Psychology Board (2007-2011) and as secretary of the Board of Directors’ and the Executive Committee (2012-2016) for the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA). Additionally, she served as president (2016-2018) of the Philadelphia Society of Clinical Psychologists, now named PSCP: The Psychology Network. She is the Pennsylvania State Leader for Start School Later, a national, nonprofit organization (2014 to present). Karafin was appointed to the Pennsylvania Joint State Government Commission Advisory Committee on “Sleep Deprivation in Adolescents: A Case for Delaying Secondary School Start Times” (October 2019). She participated on the planning and program committee for the Start School Later Workshops (November 2019). She has a strong interest in pediatric sleep issues and has published articles and conducted workshops on the topic. Recently, Karafin received the Pennsylvania Psychological Association 2021 Public Service Award.

Karafin believes psychologists have a responsibility translate science into practice and to advocate for the health and welfare of the community. She continues to advocate for healthy sleep and later school start times for secondary school students.

Jenn Pollit, PhD

Jenn Pollitt, PhD, is the assistant director of gender, sexuality and women’s studies and an assistant professor in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. She holds a PhD in human sexuality and masters in education from Widener University. Pollitt currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Woodhull Freedom Foundation, a national organization dedicated to advancing sexual freedom as a fundamental human right through policy, law and education. With over 15 years of experience as a sexuality educator, Pollitt has developed and taught a wide range of undergraduate and graduate courses on topics including Men & Masculinities, Sexuality and Disability, Porn Literacy, Sexuality Education and Pleasure. She has also created and facilitated trainings and curricula for professionals in nonprofit organizations, corporations and labor unions—working with groups such as Lambda Legal, the American Medical Student Association and Philadelphia’s Men’s Center for Growth and Change. She developed the first comprehensive sexuality education course for law students, which launched at Temple University’s Beasley School of Law last fall. Her work focuses on sexual and erotic agency, LGBTQIA+ rights, reproductive justice, and the intersections of sex, law and policy. She also examines the influence of popular culture as one of the most powerful—and under-acknowledged—sources of informal sex education in the U.S. Pollitt’s work and commentary have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Slate, Psychology Today, HuffPost, Business Insider, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The 19th News, NPR, WHYY and Doctor Radio.

Matt Tincani, PhD, BCBA-D (he/him)

Matt Tincani received his PhD from The Ohio State University and is a professor of psychological studies in education at Temple University. His interdisciplinary research contributions span the fields of applied behavior analysis, special education, and computer and information sciences, with more than 100 scholarly publications. He has advocated for research-supported practices in special education and autism services with his work impacting state and national reform efforts. His highly influential scholarship examines challenges with replication and questionable research practices in applied behavior analysis, open sciences practices in single-case experimental design and contemporary challenges to the practice of ABA. His contributions have been recognized by numerous invited presentations and editorial appointments to the boards of prominent journals including ABAI’s Perspectives on Behavior Science and with funding from the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health and U.S. Department of Education.