If You’re Going to San Fransisco…
The Association for Behavior Analysis International (ABAI)’s 52nd Annual Convention is quickly approaching! We hope you will join us this year in San Francisco, California for a very exciting event. Te convention will be held at the Moscone Center West from May 21–25, 2026.
San Francisco is a world-renowned destination, celebrated for its iconic landmarks, diverse culture, and stunning natural beauty. From the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz Island to Fisherman’s Wharf and Golden Gate Park, San Francisco
ofers unforgettable experiences that blend history, innovation, and charm.
Highlights
The Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA) presents prestigious awards every year to individuals and programs making a difference in the field of behavior analysis. The award ceremony is part of the opening of the convention at 8:00 a.m. PDT on Saturday, May 23 – all are welcome and invited to attend!
The 2026 SABA awards will highlight the significant contributions of Edward Morris (Distinguished Service to Behavior Analysis), Christopher Podlesnik (Scientific Translation), Smita Awasthi (International Dissemination of Behavior Analysis), Edward Wasserman (Effective Presentation of Behavior Analysis in Mass Media), and the MS Program in Applied Behavior Analysis at the University of South Florida (Enduring Programmatic Contributions in Behavior Analysis
Additionally, we are very happy to feature presentations from many of the 2025 SABA grant recipients. Their projects can be viewed on www.saba.abainternational.org. SABA is proud to fund research to advance the field of behavior analysis.
The ABAI President will address convention attendees at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 23. Dr. Ramona Houmanfar, from the University of Nevada, Reno, will present “Science of Behavior to Meet Societal Challenges.” Dr. Houmanfar will discuss the need for the science of behavior to understand and shape societal change towards more humane practices.
The Program
Invited presentations will highlight some of the field’s most important and interesting leaders and trends. This year, the convention will feature presentations on interdisciplinary collaboration, substance use, scope of practice, reflexes, effort discounting, and more.
The B. F. Skinner Lecture Series – presentations curated by the Program Board and delivered by non-behavior analysts who work in complimentary fields— will provide convention attendees with a sense of how behavior analytic findings and methods contribute to broader scientific topics including language development, pain behavior, animal enrichment, gambling, human-technology relationships, and more.
The program includes 318 panels, paper sessions, skill building sessions, and symposia, 43 workshops, 51 invited presentations—including 15 B. F. Skinner Lectures—and over 420 posters. Opportunities to collaborate and learn about other programs and organizations will be found during 32 business meetings, 22 reunions and receptions, and the expo poster session, which features over 90 posters.
The annual convention will be full of opportunities to meet, reconnect, and build relationships with colleagues and friends. Be sure to review the program for business meetings hosted by ABAI-affiliated chapters and special interest groups (SIGs). Expand your professional network by stopping by the ABAI Career Fair and exploring the exhibit hall! Sunday evening will be the perfect time to mingle and reconnect at reunions and receptions hosted by a variety of organizations. The convention will wrap up with the ABAI Social on Monday evening – stay and enjoy drinks, music, and lots of laughs with the behavior analysis community!
For Students
ABAI strives to create a welcoming environment for students at our events! We encourage our Student members to start off the convention by attending the Student Welcome and Trivia event on Friday night. The event begins at 6:00 p.m. – make sure to join your fellow students to network, pick up helpful convention tips, and win prizes!
We also encourage Student members to attend talks that are part of the Professional Development Series (PDS). The PDS is an initiative of the ABAI Student Committee, which invites panels to address topics of special interest to Student members. Topics at this year’s convention include preparing for academic positions, preventing burnout, sustainability, building a career in neurorehabilitation, and maintaining scientific rigor in publications.
Thank You!
The 52nd Annual Convention would not be possible without the work of ABAI’s Program Board. Coordinator Mitch Frying and Committee Chair Linda Hayes have overseen the completion of an impressive program with the assistance of 29 area coordinators in 15 program areas. This year’s coordinators are Alec Bernstein, Denys Brand, Adam Briggs, Jennifer Bruzek, Andrew Bulla, Alison Cox, Darlene Crone-Todd, Genevieve DeBernardis, Andresa De Souza, Claudia Drossel, Jovonnie Esquierdo-Leal, Andres Garcia-Penagos, Brett Gelino, Mary Halbur, Kate Kellum, Elizabeth Meshes, Amanda Muñoz-Martinez, Jonathan Pinkston, Elizabeth Preas, Sharlet Rafacz, Jesús Rosales-Ruiz, Samantha Riggleman, Alice Shillingsburg, Eric Thrailkill, Janet Twyman, Maria Valdovinos, Marco Vasconcelos, Mindy Waite, and Kimberley Zonneveld.
Finally, thank you to the extraordinary ABAI staff for their work in the planning, preparation, and execution of the convention. We are looking forward to all of this and more at ABAI’s 52nd Annual Convention on May 21-25, 2026, in San Francisco, CA!
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