Mary Hunter earned an undergraduate degree in biology from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in behavior analysis from the University of North Texas. Mary’s business, Behavior Explorer, offers educational courses and programs for individuals interested in the science of behavior. In addition, she teaches as an adjunct instructor in the behavior analysis department at the University of North Texas. In 2019, Mary and Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz published their first book, PORTL: The Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab.
Mary’s research interests include studying the process of shaping and finding better ways to teach people to train animals. Her master’s thesis, which examined the effects of a single reinforcer during shaping, was published in 2019 in the Journal of the Experimental Analysis of Behavior. She is a full member of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and has presented her research at the organization’s annual convention.
Dr. Jesús Rosales-Ruiz is a professor in the Behavior Analysis Department at the University of North Texas, where he has worked since 1994. In 1995, he received his Ph.D. in Experimental Child Psychology from the University of Kansas, where he studied under Dr. Donald M. Baer and Dr. Ogden R. Lindsley. Since 2020, he has served as the director of the Beatrice H. Barrett Behavior Analytic Neuroscience Initiative at the University of North Texas. Among his many significant contributions to behavior analysis is the behavioral development cusp, introduced in 1996 together with Dr. Baer. This groundbreaking work provides a behavior analytic account of the rapid changes that are often considered developmental and offers practitioners guidance when selecting target behaviors. Additionally, Dr. Rosales-Ruiz has been at the forefront of bringing the science of behavior to the growing field of human-animal interactions. His work on functional analysis and shaping has helped bridge the gap between academia and applied animal training. He is also the co-creator of PORTL, the Portable Operant Research and Teaching Lab, a tabletop game which allows students and practitioners to experience behavioral principles and practice their teaching skills. Dr. Rosales-Ruiz is a fellow of the Association for Behavior Analysis International and of the Eastern Psychological Association.
Maia Nahele Huff-Owen joined the Behavior Explorer team in 2024. Maia is a professional dog trainer (KPA-CTP), a university lecturer in philosophy, and an aspiring perpetual student of all things behavior. Growing up on a working cattle ranch as an avid horseback rider and competitor, animal partnerships have been a part of her life since childhood. Through dog training, Maia delved deeper into animal behavior sciences, which has led to her pursuing a master’s degree in behavior analysis at the University of North Texas.