John Umbreit is Professor of Special Education Program in the College of Education and Professor of Family and Community Medicine in the College of Medicine. Dr. Umbreit specializes in the areas of severe disabilities, behavior analysis, and positive behavioral support. His research focuses on functional assessment-based intervention and PBIS in natural environments. Dr. Umbreit earned his Ph.D. in special education at the University of Southern California and did post-doctorate study in behavior analysis at Harvard University. He has been a visiting professor in special education at the University of Washington, an editorial board member or manuscript reviewer for 17 professional journals, and a frequent reviewer of grant proposals for the U. S. Department of Education. Dr. Umbreit is the lead author of the widely used text, Functional Behavioral Assessment and Function-Based Intervention: An Effective, Practical Approach (2007, Prentice-Hall). He co-directs (with Rebecca Hartzell, PhD, BCBA-D) the Behavioral Support Specialist and BACB training programs that offer web-based formal training for behavioral specialists in schools. Dr. Umbreit has been Principal Investigator for 18 research and personnel preparation grants, with total funding of more than $8.5 million. In 2010, he received the Most Outstanding Teaching/Mentoring Award from the UA College of Education.
