Faculty Profile

April Becker

Title
Assistant Professor
Department
Behavior Analysis
College
College of Health and Public Service

    

    

      


                          

            
Curriculum Vitae

            

              Click Here to View Faculty CV
            

          

        
                          

            
Education

            



  

  


  
PhD, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, 2017. 
Major: Biomedical Science (Neuroscience)
Dissertation Title: Targeting Cholinergic Neuromodulation in Stroke Recovery
MS, University of North Texas, 2011. 
Major: Behavior Analysis
Degree Specialization: Animal Training, Cultural Analysis
Dissertation Title: “Psychological Appetite” or Schedule-Induced Deprivation
BS, Colorado State University, 2003. 
Major: Zoology
Dissertation Title: Mobbing Calls of Black-Capped Chickadees: Effects of Urgency on Call Production





          

        
                

          
Current Scheduled Teaching*


          
BEHV 5410.001, Brain Plasticity and Behavioral Dynamics, Spring 2023 Syllabus
HLSC 6950.041, Doctoral Dissertation, Spring 2023 
BEHV 5820.709, Internship, Spring 2023 
BEHV 5950.709, Master's Thesis, Spring 2023 
BEHV 6900.709, Special Problems, Spring 2023 
BEHV 6010.001, Survey of Literature in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Spring 2023 Syllabus


          
*
  Texas Education Code 51.974 (HB 2504) requires each institution of
  higher education to make available to the public, a syllabus for
  undergraduate lecture courses offered for credit by the institution.
  

        

      

    

  


    

    

      


        


          


            
Previous Scheduled Teaching*


            
                    

                    BEHV 3440.001, Data Collection and Analysis, Fall 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 6910.709, Developing Behavior Analytic Expertise II, Fall 2022 
                    

                    HLSC 6950.041, Doctoral Dissertation, Fall 2022 
                    

                    BEHV 5820.709, Internship, Fall 2022 
                    

                    BEHV 5950.709, Master's Thesis, Fall 2022 
                    

                    BEHV 5000.001, Observation and Measurement of Behavior and Environment, Fall 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5815.709, Practicum, Fall 2022 
                    

                    BEHV 3440.001, Data Collection and Analysis, Summer 5W2 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 6140.001, Advanced Strategies and Tactics in Behavior Analytic Research, Spring 2022 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 6810.709, Developing Behavior Analytic Expertise I, Spring 2022 
                    

                    BEHV 5950.709, Master's Thesis, Spring 2022 
                    

                    BEHV 5815.709, Practicum, Spring 2022 
                    

                    BEHV 5900.709, Special Problems, Spring 2022 
                    

                    BEHV 6900.709, Special Problems, Spring 2022 
                    

                    BEHV 3440.001, Data Collection and Analysis, Fall 2021 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 6910.709, Developing Behavior Analytic Expertise II, Fall 2021 
                    

                    BEHV 5820.709, Internship, Fall 2021 
                    

                    BEHV 5950.709, Master's Thesis, Fall 2021 
                    

                    BEHV 5000.001, Observation and Measurement of Behavior and Environment, Fall 2021 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5950.712, Master's Thesis, Summer 5W2 2021 
                    

                    BEHV 6810.709, Developing Behavior Analytic Expertise I, Spring 2021 
                    

                    BEHV 5010.002, Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Spring 2021 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5950.709, Master's Thesis, Spring 2021 
                    

                    BEHV 5910.712, Special Problems, Spring 2021 Syllabus
                    

                    BEHV 6010.001, Survey of Literature in the Experimental Analysis of Behavior, Spring 2021  SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 3440.001, Data Collection and Analysis, Fall 2020 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5950.709, Master's Thesis, Fall 2020 
                    

                    BEHV 5000.001, Observation and Measurement of Behavior and Environment, Fall 2020 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5815.709, Practicum, Fall 2020  SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5900.709, Special Problems, Fall 2020 
                    

                    BEHV 3440.001, Data Collection and Analysis, Summer 5W2 2020 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5950.712, Master's Thesis, Summer 5W1 2020 
                    

                    BEHV 6140.001, Advanced Strategies and Tactics in Behavior Analytic Research, Spring 2020 Syllabus
                    

                    BEHV 3440.001, Data Collection and Analysis, Spring 2020 Syllabus
                    

                    BEHV 5820.709, Internship, Spring 2020 
                    

                    BEHV 5950.709, Master's Thesis, Spring 2020 
                    

                    BEHV 5815.709, Practicum, Spring 2020 
                    

                    BEHV 5950.709, Master's Thesis, Fall 2019 
                    

                    BEHV 5000.001, Observation and Measurement of Behavior and Environment, Fall 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5815.709, Practicum, Fall 2019 
                    

                    BEHV 4900.712, Special Problems, Fall 2019 
                    

                    BEHV 5900.710, Special Problems, Fall 8W2 2019 
                    

                    BEHV 5250.011, Topics in Behavior Analysis, Fall 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 3440.001, Data Collection and Analysis, Summer 5W2 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 6140.001, Advanced Strategies and Tactics in Behavior Analytic Research, Spring 2019  SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 3440.001, Data Collection and Analysis, Spring 2019 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5815.709, Practicum, Spring 2019 
                    

                    BEHV 5815.710, Practicum, Spring 2019 
                    

                    BEHV 3440.001, Data Collection and Analysis, Fall 2018 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5000.001, Observation and Measurement of Behavior and Environment, Fall 2018  SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5815.712, Practicum, Fall 2018 
                    

                    BEHV 3440.001, Data Collection and Analysis, Summer 5W2 2018 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 3440.001, Data Collection and Analysis, Spring 2018 Syllabus SPOT
                    

                    BEHV 5815.709, Practicum, Spring 2018 
                    

                    BEHV 5000.001, Observation and Measurement of Behavior and Environment, Fall 2017  SPOT

          


          
*
  Texas Education Code 51.974 (HB 2504) requires each institution of
  higher education to make available to the public, a syllabus for
  undergraduate lecture courses offered for credit by the institution.
  

        

      

    

  

  
  	

	

	  

		

		   
Published Publications



  

  
Published Intellectual Contributions


  
Book Chapter
Becker, A. M., Betz, D. M., Cotter, K. M., Sloan, A. M., Stowe, A. M., Goldberg, M. P. (2023). Using operant reach chambers to assess mouse skilled forelimb use after stroke. Methods in Molecular Biology: Neural Repair.. 
Cihon, T. M., Becker, A. M., Ortu, D., Glenn, S.  (2020). Establishing a research lab for cultural science. Behavior science perspectives on culture and community. 
Journal Article
Lopez, C., Cihon, T. M., de Borba Vasconcelos Neto, A., Becker, A. M. (2022). An Exploration of Cooperation During an Asymmetric Iterated Prisoner’s Dilemma Game. Behavior and Social Issues. 
Butcher, G., Davidson, A., Sloan, A., Schneider, L., Lund, A., Becker, A. M. (2022). An apparatus for automatically training and collecting individualized behavioral data with socially housed rodents. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 
Becker, A., Baltazar, M.  (2021). Behavior analysis and aphasia: A current appraisal and suggestions for the future. Behavioral Interventions.  Denton:. https://doi.org/10.1002/bin.1848
Becker, A., Betz, D., Goldberg, M.  (2020). Forelimb Cortical Stroke Reduces Precision of Motor Control in Mice. Neurorehabilitation and Neural Repair. https://doi.org/10.1177/1545968320921825
Ganzer, P. D., Darrow, M. J., Meyers, E. C., Solórzano, B. R., Ruiz, A. D., Robertson, N. M., Adcock, K. S., James, J. T., Jeong, H. S., Becker, A. M., Goldberg, M. P., Pruitt, D. T., Kilgard, M. P., Rennaker, R. L. (2018). Closed-loop Neuromodulation Restores Network Connectivity and Motor Control after Spinal Cord Injury. eLife. https://elifesciences.org/articles/32058
Becker, A. M., Meyers, E., Sloan, A., Rennaker, R., Kilgard, M., Goldberg, M. P. (2016). An automated task for the training and assessment of distal forelimb function in a mouse model of ischemic stroke.. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 258, 16-23. 
Ortu, D., Becker, A. M., Woelz, T. A., Glenn, S. S. (2012). An iterated four-player prisoner’s dilemma game with an external selecting agent: A metacontingency experiment. Other. 44(1), 111–120. Fundación Universitaria Konrad Lorenz. 
BAKER, M. C., Becker, A. M. (2002). MOBBING CALLS OF BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES: EFFECTS OF URGENCY ON CALL PRODUCTION. Other. 114(4), 510-516. Wilson Ornithological Society. http://dx.doi.org/10.1676/0043-5643(2002)114[0510:mcobcc]2.0.co;2



	
		
		
	  

	

	

  
    
	

	

	  

		

		   
Awarded Grants



  
  
  	  
          
Contracts, Grants and Sponsored Research  

 	 
	 	 
  
Grant - Research   
Mahbub, I. (Principal), Becker, A. (Supporting), "CAREER: Next-generation of Wirelessly Powered Implantable Neuromodulation and Electrophysiological Recording System for Long-term Behavior Study of Freely-Moving Animals," Sponsored by NSF, University of North Texas, $500000 Funded. (February 1, 2020 – January 31, 2026).
Becker, A. M. (Principal), "Incentive Program for Grant Writing: The effects of circuit interactions on reinforcement," Sponsored by College of Health and Public Service, University of North Texas, $4000 Funded. (January 2022 – July 2022).
Becker, A. (Principal), "Summer Faculty Success Grant: Augmenting post-stroke behavioral rehabilitation through cholinergic neuromodulation," Sponsored by Office of the Provost, University of North Texas, University of North Texas, $3000 Funded. (June 2021 – September 2021).
Becker, A. M. (Principal), "Increasing the throughput and sensitivity of the cylinder test for behavioral assessment of post-stroke recovery," Sponsored by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, Federal, $10000 Funded. (June 1, 2019 – May 31, 2020).
Becker, A. (Principal), "Research Seed Grant (RSG), UNT Office of Research & Innovation," University of North Texas, $9000 Funded. (May 2019 – April 2020).
Becker, A. M. (Supporting), Goldberg, M. P. (Principal), "Beatrice Menne Haggerty Center for Research on Brain Injury and Repair in Stroke," Other, $2000000 Funded. (2015 – 2018).
Becker, A. (Principal), "Successful application to apply for a UNT Internal Limited Submission," Sponsored by Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, Federal,  Funded. (November 26, 2018 – November 26, 2018).
Grant - Teaching   
Becker, A. M. (Other), "NIH T32 Cellular Biophysics of the Neuron Training Grant Trainee 5T32NS069562-05," Sponsored by NIH, Federal,  Funded. (2013 – 2015).
Sponsored Research   
Becker, A. (Co-Principal), Ortu, D. (Co-Principal), "The Beatrice H. Barrett Endowment for Research in Neuro-Operant Relations," Sponsored by The Beatrice H. Barrett Endowment for Research in Neuro-Operant Relations, Private, $3500000 Funded. (2003 – Present).



	
		
		
	  

	

	

	
	

  
  
  

  	

		

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					Overall
Summative Rating		
					Challenge and
Engagement Index		
					Response Rate
					
				

			
			
				

					
					
out of 5		
					
out of 7		
					%
 of 
students responded		
					
					
				

			
		


		
    
			
  • Overall Summative Rating (median):
    
			This rating represents the combined responses of students to the four global summative items and is presented to provide an overall index of the class’s quality. Overall summative statements include the following (response options include a Likert scale ranging from 5 = Excellent, 3 = Good, and 1= Very poor):
				
      
					
    • The course as a whole was
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    • The course content was
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    • The instructor’s contribution to the course was
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    • The instructor’s effectiveness in teaching the subject matter was
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  • Challenge and Engagement Index:
    
			This rating combines student responses to several SPOT items relating to how academically challenging students found the course to be and how engaged they were. Challenge and Engagement Index items include the following (response options include a Likert scale ranging from 7 = Much higher, 4 = Average, and 1 = Much lower):
				
      
					
    • Do you expect your grade in this course to be
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    • The intellectual challenge presented was
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    • The amount of effort you put into this course was
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    • The amount of effort to succeed in this course was
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    • Your involvement in course (doing assignments, attending classes, etc.) was
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