Meet the Team

Rhonda Nese, PhD

Dr. Rhonda Nese is an Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences at the University of Oregon and the Director of the Nese Lab. She is also a Principal Investigator (PI) within the Prevention Science Institute, a multidisciplinary research institute at the University of Oregon. Her research involves equitable intervention delivery within a multi-tiered behavior support framework focused on preventative practices, including addressing implicit bias in school discipline, effective classroom behavior management strategies, bullying prevention, and alternatives to exclusionary discipline practices. Dr. Nese serves as the PI on projects to develop and test the effectiveness of the Inclusive Skill-building Learning Approach (ISLA), an instructional and restorative alternative to exclusionary discipline, funded by the Institute of Education Sciences (R305A180006) and the National Institutes of Health (1R01DA059401-01). She is also Co-PI on additional federally-funded projects to identify factors that predict implementation and sustainability of evidence-based practices, to develop technology to improve online learning for educators, and to develop and validate an automated scoring system for oral reading fluency. Dr. Nese is the recipient of the 2022 Presidential Equity Award from the NorthWest PBIS Network and the 2022 Outstanding Early Career Award from the University of Oregon, the UO’s highest award for early career faculty to recognize and celebrate an emerging and significant record of scholarship and research.

Joe Nese, PhD

Dr. Joe Nese is a Research Associate Professor at Behavioral Research and Teaching at the University of Oregon. He received his Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Maryland, and his B.A in Psychology from the University of California at Santa Barbara. His goal is to bridge assessment and intervention in a meaningful way; to provide access to reliable and relevant data, interpret student responsiveness to intervention, and offer instructional recommendations to teachers to increase student achievement. In addition to Co-PI of the ISLA Project, Dr. Nese is the PI of CORE and CORE + Prosody, projects to develop and validate a computerized assessment system of oral reading fluency.

María Reina Santiago-Rosario, PhD, NCSP

Dr. Santiago-Rosario is a Research Associate at Educational and Community Supports, a research unit at the University of Oregon. She conducts research on equity in school discipline practices, culturally responsive classroom management, and helping special education students transition to high school. Having worked as a district and school coach across states, she brings expertise in PBIS and system-level change. In her role as an implementation partner for the Center on PBIS, she supports teams and educators with effective classroom behavior management and strategic planning for school discipline equity. Previously, she worked directly with school- and college-age students with learning and mental health disabilities and trained teachers and administrators on behavior supports. Dr. Santiago-Rosario earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras. She later earned a master’s in education and a doctor of philosophy degree in School Psychology from the University of Massachusetts Amherst.

Sean Austin, PhD

Dr. Sean Austin is a Research Associate working at the University of Oregon with expertise in positive behavioral supports, professional development, and implementation science. Dr. Austin is a project coordinator for NIH-funded randomized controlled trial of the Nese Lab’s ISLA, a junior methodologist for NCER-funded Project ReACT, and as evaluation coordinator for the OSEP-funded National TA Center on PBIS. He is also conducting research on substance misuse and works on the Oregon Department of Education’s Strengthening Mental Health in Education Initiative 2.0 to assess local school districts’ connection with behavioral health supports. Dr. Austin has five years of experience as school psychologist in K-12 settings supporting primarily students with emotional and behavioral disorders receiving special education services. In this role, he regularly conducted functional behavior assessments, co-developed behavior intervention plans with IEP teams, and coached teachers, classroom support personnel, and parents on implementation of those plans. Additionally, Dr. Austin has served as a school-level coach and regional trainer on universal positive behavioral support practices.

Hannah Cothran, M.A.

Hannah Cothran, M.A. (she/her) is a former special education teacher and current interventionist dedicated to supporting individuals with diverse learning needs. She has taught in life skills programs across PreK-8 in Title I schools, supporting students with a wide range of abilities and support needs. She holds an M.A. in Teaching with a specialization in Special Education from Western New Mexico University. In addition to her work as an educator, Hannah has developed and managed a scholarship program for under-resourced students and facilitated educator trainings focused on the implementation of specialized curricula. She currently serves as an interventionist with the University of Oregon’s Prevention Science Institute, specializing in personalized intervention programs that support schools and students with a range of learning and developmental needs. Her focus is on helping educators and families implement research-based strategies that promote meaningful, adaptive learning experiences for all learners, and she remains deeply committed to continuing this work.

Sophie Hatford, M.A., BCBA

Sophie Hartford, BCBA, is a behavioral analyst dedicated to working with students with developmental disabilities, aiming to make socially significant impacts on their lives. Currently an interventionist at the University of Oregon, she specializes in Applied Behavioral Analysis. Sophie holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Teachers College and is actively involved in federally funded research projects at the University’s Prevention Science Institute. Her passion for enhancing behavioral understanding fuels her advocacy for personalized and supportive education, ensuring each student achieves positive and lasting outcomes.