ABAI 2025 Outstanding Mentor- Maria Valdovinos

Maria Valdovinos is the Ellis and Nelle Levitt Distinguished Professor of Psychology. She received her doctorate in Developmental and Child Psychology from the University of Kansas and completed post-doctoral work at Vanderbilt University’s Kennedy Center for Research on Human Development. Prior to beginning her studies in Kansas, Dr. Valdovinos worked in residential and day treatment settings with adults diagnosed with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her experiences in these settings led to her interest in evaluating the pharmacological treatment of challenging behavior. During her time at Drake University, she has had the opportunity to mentor nearly 100 students in her lab and research. Dr. Valdovinos is a Fellow of the American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and of the American Psychological Association’s Division 33 Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities/Autism Spectrum Disorder. She is also a standing member of the Child Psychopathology and Developmental Disabilities (CPDD), National Institutes of Health study section. Dr. Valdovinos also serves on the editorial boards of the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Behavior Analysis: Research and Practice.