 |
 |
|
National Research Institute for Child and Family Studies - Staff
|
| Ronald W. Thompson, Ph.D | |
 |
Ronald Thompson is the Director of the National Research Institute. He has held faculty positions at Creighton University School of Medicine in Omaha and the department of Human Development and Family Life at the University of Kansas. He has a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology and is also a licensed psychologist in the State of Nebraska. Dr. Thompson has over thirty years of experience as a clinician, program administrator, consultant, applied researcher, and research administrator. He has also published over 30 articles and scientific papers and presented at numerous professional conferences. Contact Ronald Thompson at:
|
| Jonathan C. Huefner, Ph.D. | |
 |
Jonathan Huefner is a Research Scientist for the National Research Institute. He has a Ph.D. in Organizational Social Psychology with 20 years experience conducting research. Experience includes four years at Boys Town, five years in the managed behavioral healthcare industry, and ten years in university lecturing. Dr. Huefner has published numerous scientific journal articles and presented at many professional and scientific conferences. Dr. Huefner’s recent work has focused primarily on outcome studies, specifically the 5- and 16-year follow-up studies of Boys Town residential youth. Contact Jonathan Huefner at:
|
| Alexandra L. Trout, Ph.D | |
 |
Alex Trout is an Assistant Research Professor in Special Education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). She has a Ph.D. in special education, has worked as a paraeducator and instructor for students with disabilities, and held a faculty position at the University of Iowa where she taught undergraduate and graduate courses on assessment, behavior management, and academic methods, and conducted research on academic interventions for students with emotional and behavioral disorders and attention deficit disorders. Alex is currently serving as the liaison between Boys Town and the Center for At-Risk Children’s Services at UNL in a newly formed research partnership. Her research will focus on evaluating characteristics and profiles of students in residential care, predictors of academic achievement, and aftercare services to improve academic outcomes. Contact Alex Trout at
|
| M. Beth Chmelka, B.S. | |
 |
Beth Chmelka is a Research Analyst for the National Research Institute. She earned her B.S. degree in psychology from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. Over the past 17 years, Beth has worked in a variety of research areas, including residential care, behavioral health, outcome follow-up studies, and the development of the Boys Town Reading is FAME® program. Contact Beth Chmelka at:
|
|
|
Jay L. Ringle, M.A. |
 |
Jay Ringle is a Research Analyst for the National Research Institute. He has a M.A. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Some of his current research interests include assisting in conducting outcome follow-up studies of former Boys Town residential youth and developing the Child Suicide Risk Assessment, a suicide screening measure for at-risk children between the ages of 6 and 13. Contact Jay Ringle at:
|
|
|
Stephanie D. Ingram, B.A. |
 |
Stephanie Ingram is a Research Analyst for the National Research Institute. Stephanie has a B.A. in psychology from the University of Northern Iowa and specializes in program evaluation, data management, and data development. Currently she is working on a 5-year outcome studies of former Boys Town youth, and evaluating Short-Term services, Common Sense Parenting®, and Ecological Family-Based programs. Contact Stephanie Ingram at:
|
| Robert G. Oats, M.A. | |
 |
Rob Oats is a Research Analyst for the National Research Institute. Rob has a M.A. in Educational Psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and his research interests include the application and evaluation of behavioral-based interventions in educational and clinical settings. Rob is involved with evaluations of the Boys Town Education Model and Common Sense Parenting® program and is the editor of the National Research Institute newsletter, Data News You Can Use! Contact Rob Oats at:
|
| Tanya R. Shaw, B.S. | |
 |
Tanya Shaw is a Research Analyst for the National Research Institute. Tanya earned a B.S. degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Tanya has experience in program evaluation tools and methodology, program fidelity, database development and data management. Currently, Tanya is involved in research and evaluation efforts with Model Fidelity, Site Certification, and Ecological Family-Based Services. Contact Tanya Shaw at:
|
| Connie Spath | |
 |
Connie Spath is an Administrative Secretary for the National Research Institute. She has been with the Research Department since 1995. Connie assists with the National Research Institute Speaker Series and is responsible for updating the Applied Research Bibliography. Contact Connie Spath at: |
