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Amanda Borosh
Amanda holds a PhD in Special Education from Purdue University (2026), is a licensed special education and general education teacher, and a Board Certified Behavior Analyst - Doctoral. She is an Assistant Professor of Special Education and Applied Behavior Analysis at Northern Illinois University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate-level courses in positive behavior supports, instructional methods for students with disabilities, and applied research methods.
Amanda began her career with a Bachelor's degree in Early Childhood Education from Oklahoma State University (2010). After working part-time as a paraeducator in an inclusive pre-school program, she decided to pursue a Master’s in Early Childhood Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin (2011). She worked for the next ten years in various roles: early childhood teacher; early intervention specialist; special education teacher for students with extensive support needs; and district-wide behavior specialist for a large (600+ schools!) urban public school district. To strengthen her expertise in understanding and supporting behavior, she completed an Graduate Certificate in Advanced Applied Behavior Analysis at Florida Institute of Technology before beginning her PhD at Purdue.
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To learn more about her professional path and peer-reviewed publications, download her curriculum vitae.
Rebecca Folkerts
Rebecca holds a PhD in Special Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2024) and has a research and professional focus on pre-service teacher training, special education law, and behavior supports in schools. She is currently an adjunct professor for special education and applied behavior analysis graduate and undergraduate programs, and contracts as an educational consultant.
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Back while completing her undergraduate degree in music performance (James Madison University, 2011), she worked as a paraprofessional and fell in love with special education. She then pursued an M.Ed. in Special Education from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (2014) and subsequently obtained her BCBA certification while working as a high school special education teacher for students with extensive support needs, transition services coordinator/teacher for students 18-22 years of age, and behavior technician at an ABA clinic. She then served alongside Amanda as a district-wide behavior analyst for a large urban district.
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For additional information on her professional background, teaching experiences, and peer-reviewed publications, download her curriculum vitae.
