I am a newcomer to the Psychology Department at UNCW.  My areas of interest and expertise are in applied behavior analysis, clinical behavior analysis, behavior genetics, and Asperger’s disorder.

I am currently teaching and will be providing practicum supervision within the newly established applied behavior analysis master’s program concentration.  This is an important new area of concentration in the psychology department’s graduate program.  The concentration was added to the department’s graduate curriculum in response to a well-documented, intense need for master’s level behavior analysts in NC and surrounding states.

In addition to my work in applied behavior analysis, I am establishing a program of research designed to phenotype the behavior of mice having genotypes associated with human psychopathology; e.g., schizophrenia and autism.  My research uses behavior analytic preparations to better understand genetic influences on behavior (an extension of my doctoral dissertation work). 

Based upon my interest in Asperger’s disorder, I also plan to continue conducting research examining the characteristics of that disorder and its associated problems. 

I look forward to collaborating with colleagues and students as I initiate these programs of research at UNCW.

Select Publications

Hurst, R.M. & Nelson-Gray, R. (2006). Single-participant (S-P) design research. In J.C. Norcross, L.E. Beutler, & R.F. Levant (Eds.), Evidence-based practices in mental health:  Debate and dialogue on the fundamental questions (pp. 64-73). Washington, DC; American Psychological Association.