Summer Institute David Mandell, Melanie Pellachia, Jill Locke & Michelle Nutini Session
Community-Academic Partnerships in Implementation Research
Jill Locke, PhD Research Assistant Professor, Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences - University of Washington
Dr. Locke received her PhD in Education from UCLA and completed her postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. Her research focuses on the: 1) social functioning of children with autism; 2) identification and implementation of evidence-based practices for individuals with autism in real-world settings; and 3) factors that predict successful implementation of evidence-based practices in schools.
David Mandell, ScD Associate Director, Center for Autism Research - The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Dr. Mandell directs the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research. Dr. Mandell is also Associate Director of the Center for Autism Research at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. The goal of his research is to improve the quality of care individuals with autism receive in their communities.
Michelle Nutini, M.Ed School District of Philadelphia
Michelle Nutini recently transitioned into the role of Autistic Support Coordinator for the School District of Philadelphia, where she spent over a decade as a K-5 Autistic Support teacher. Focused on building capacity, she is working with educational partners to strengthen the implementation of evidence-based practices in over 300 specialized classrooms spread across nearly 200 of the city’s public schools.
Melanie Pellecchia, PhD, BCBA, NCSP Assistant Professor of Psychology in Psychiatry at the Center for Mental Health Policy and Services Research,
University of Pennsylvania.
Dr. Pellecchia is a licensed clinical psychologist, nationally certified
school psychologist (NCSP), and board certified behavior analyst
(BCBA). Dr. Pellecchia holds a Master’s
degree in applied behavior analysis from Temple University and a
doctorate in School Psychology also from Temple University.
