Our Team

Ph.D. Students

Doctoral students in the SAFE Behavior Lab, under the mentorship of Dr. Simmons, are pursuing a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. at Rowan University, with an integrated care/health psychology focus.

Maya is a fourth year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program. She received her B.A. in Psychology from Rutgers University. She is interested in creating digital health tools and technology-based supports to increase healthcare access for autistic individuals, especially those with multiple diverse identities. She is also interested in integrated care systems that improve coordination among families, healthcare providers, and support professionals serving neurodivergent populations. Maya’s clinical interests center on providing care to neurodivergent youth and their families through evidence-based, neurodiversity-affirming interventions. She aims to deliver culturally responsive practice within multidisciplinary team settings, with a focus on treating co-occurring conditions and addressing the needs of underserved and marginalized populations.

Bronte is a third year student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program. She received her B.S. in Biomedical Sciences from the University of the Sciences. Prior to joining the program, she worked as a Research Coordinator at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Her research focuses on characterizing healthcare interactions involving autistic individuals and developing strategies to improve healthcare experiences and outcomes within this population. She is committed to engaging with the autistic community and interdisciplinary collaborators to enhance existing, and develop novel interventions and resources that align with stakeholder priorities and promote meaningful improvements in quality of life for autistic individuals and their families. My research is grounded in a neurodiversity-affirming framework and emphasizes participatory approaches that center the voices and perspectives of the populations she works with. Clinically, she is broadly interested in neurodivergence across the lifespan, particularly its co-occurrence with physical and mental health conditions. More specifically, she is committed to the provision of evidence-based, neurodiversity-affirming care for autistic individuals and their families. Her clinical interests also include the delivery of psychological interventions within integrated healthcare settings, with an emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration and person-centered care.

Amelia is a second year student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program. She received her B.S. in Special Education from Winthrop University, her M.Ed. in Special Education: Applied Behavior Analysis from Penn State University, and her M.A. in Psychological Sciences from Montclair State University. Prior to joining the program, Amelia worked as a Research Associate at WestEd on the Early Childhood Learning and Development Team. Her research centers on the development of parent and caregiver training and caregiver-mediated intervention for families of children with neurodevelopmental disorders who present with co-occurring severe behaviors. Additionally, she has an interest in psychometrics and the development of measurement tools to support the evaluation, implementation, and dissemination of evidence-based interventions. Amelia’s clinical interests are in the early assessment and diagnosis of neurodevelopmental disorders in young children. She is also interested in improving integrated healthcare models for children with multiple disabilities and complex support needs to increase access to holistic, neurodiversity-affirming healthcare.

Giovanna is an alumna of the SAFE Behavior Lab. She graduated from the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program in 2024. Giovanna is currently a Licensed Psychologist at NeurAbilities Healthcare. She completed her doctoral Internship at Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in the Behavioral Feeding Program and Pediatric Developmental Disabilities Clinic and her postdoctoral fellowship at SPIN Autism Center of Excellence. She received her undergraduate psychology degree at Temple University. Her primary research interest concerns physician knowledge of autism and behavioral function in working with patients with ASD and challenging behavior.

Abigail is an alumna of the SAFE Behavior Lab. She graduated from the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program in 2025. Abigail is currently completing her postdoctoral fellowship at Lifestance Behavioral Health in Rhode Island. She completed her Clinical internship at Devereaux Advanced Behavioral Health Massachusetts. Abbigail received her undergraduate degree from Stonehill College. Her research interests include addressing and improving the well-being of parents of children with autism using acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) groups. Her clinical interests include working with children and adolescents with complex needs who require a higher level of support.

Master’s
Students

Master’s students in the Applied Behavior Analysis Program at Rowan University have the opportunity to serve in leadership roles in the lab and receive supervision from a board certified behavior analyst.