Our Faculty

Dr. Eleazar Vasquez, Ph.D., is Co-Principal Investigator for Project ASD. He is an Associate Professor for the Department of Child, Family, and Community Sciences, Exceptional Education Program, iSTEM Fellow, and Affiliate Faculty of Lockheed Martin UCF Academy. Dr. Vasquez's current research focuses on evaluation of academic and behavioral outcomes for students with autism utilizing technology to enhance instruction. He was recipient of the inaugural Reach for the Stars Award (2014) and has been recognized as a Teaching Academy and iSTEM Fellow at the University of Central Florida. 

Dr. Jacqueline Towson, Ph.D., CCC-SLP is Co-Principal Investigator for Project ASD. She is an Assistant Professor in the School of Communication Sciences and Disorders and holds a joint appointment in the School of Teacher Education. She worked for 14 years in public schools in Texas and Georgia, serving as a speech-language pathologist and preschool special education teacher. She graduated in 2015 from Georgia State University with a doctorate in the Education of Students with Exceptionalities with an emphasis in early childhood special education. Dr. Towson's research is focused on building the capacity of individuals who work with young children with language impairments through collaboration between teachers, paraprofessionals, parents, and speech-language pathologists.

Dr. Kelly Schaffer, Ph.D. For over 29 years, Dr. Schaffer has actively provided services with teacher preparation in special education, ABA-based intervention, and Autism Spectrum Disorders.  She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology, Diversity, her Master of Science in Applied Behavior Analysis, and her Doctorate in Education. She maintains doctoral-level board certification as a supervising and practicing behavior analyst. Her experience encompasses teaching at the university level, supervision for certification in applied behavior analysis, and service delivery teaching in clinical, public, and private school special education settings. 

Dr. Matthew Marino, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor for the Department of Child, Family, and Community Sciences, Exceptional Education Program. His research has been supported by the Institute of Education Sciences, the Office of Special Education Programs, and the National Science Foundation.  Dr. Marino focuses on the design, implementation, and assessment of technology-enhanced STEM curricular materials. He was a featured STEM research scientist by the Family Center on Technology and Disability. Dr. Marino is a member of the leadership team for the Universal Design for Learning Implementation and Research Network.