Northcentral University

4 Natalie Williams Awodeha, PhD Part-time Faculty, Department of Psychology Originally from Oklahoma City, Dr. Williams Awodeha holds a BA in Psychology from The University of Oklahoma, MS in Rehabilitation Counseling from Langston University, and PhD in Counselor Education from Ohio University. She completed the Behavior Analyst Certification Board (BACB)-approved course sequence at Florida Institute of Technology. She is a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst, licensed to practice in Washington and Nevada. Her research and scholarship centers on improving workplace environments in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) to improve client outcomes, reducing employment disparities for African Americans with cognitive disabilities, and peer-to-peer support groups for women of color with mental health concerns. Dr. Williams Awodeha currently serves as a Research Associate for South Carolina State University's 1890 Research and Extension Grant: The Effects of Horticultural Therapy with At-Risk Youth Living in a Rural Community (SCX208-02-19) USDA/NIFA, and she served as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in the Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) Program housed with the Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities at Langston University in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. During her doctoral studies, Dr. Williams Awodeha served as Graduate Research Assistant to the Dean of The Patton College of Education & Human Services at Ohio University in Athens. This position included a role as Project Coordinator for the Southeast Ohio Teacher Development Collaborative and the Martha Holden Jennings Foundation Grant. Dr. Williams Awodeha started working in the field of ABA in 2006, and has provided services to children and families across the country (i.e., Oklahoma, Texas, Virginia, Washington, Nevada) and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Academically, Dr. Williams Awodeha enjoys teaching research methods, multicultural counseling and therapy, ethics, and assessment and measurement. She has conducted peer-reviewed presentations in Kenya, Puerto Rico, and across the United States on topics ranging from employment for people with disabilities, assistive technology use among diverse populations, comprehensive human sexuality education for people with intellectual disabilities, and integrated social skills groups for young children with autism spectrum disorder. Dr. Williams Awodeha currently words remotely in Seattle, Washington and serves as a faculty member in ABA programs at two universities. She is co-founder of two web- based platforms (Humans Helping Humans, LLC and Left of Center Think Tank, LLC), focused on research, advocacy, and dissemination of best practices in ABA. She is also advocating for cultural and linguistic inclusion in ABA, along with development of culturally responsive standards within practitioner preparation programs and licensing and credentialing bodies.

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