Tim Knoster, Ed.D., is a professor at the McDowell Institute for Teacher Excellence in Positive Behavior Support in the College of Education at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania. The McDowell Institute emphasizes the translation of research on multi-tiered systems of support--most specifically, positive behavior intervention and support--into practice in schools. Dr. Knoster has also served as Executive Director of the International Association for Positive Behavior Support since its inception in 2003. Dr. Knoster (or Tim, as he prefers) has been involved with preservice and in-service teacher training for more than 30 years. He has worn many hats throughout his career, including the role of an instructor of undergraduate and graduate courses, a classroom teacher in the public schools, Director of Student Support Services and Special Education, and Principal Investigator as well as Program Evaluator on federal projects focused on classroom and student-centered behavior intervention and support. Specifically relevant to this book, Dr. Knoster has extensive experience in providing professional development for classroom teachers and has been the recipient of numerous awards for his endeavors in this regard. He has extensively published and provided training for educators and staff from various child-serving systems in the application of positive behavior support in schools and community-based settings. Dr. Knoster has an uncanny ability to help teachers interpret the research literature on behavioral matters in a way that enables them to translate that same research into practical strategies and approaches in their classrooms. Stephanie Gardner, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the College of Education and Human Studies at Commonwealth University of Pennsylvania (Bloomsburg Campus), where she serves as a faculty member in the Department of Exceptionality Programs' Special Education Program. She is also a certified QPR Institute instructor providing suicide prevention training through the McDowell Institute and serves as undergraduate program coordinator for the Social, Emotional, and Behavioral Wellness PDE Endorsement at Commonwealth University. Dr. Gardner currently teaches courses focused on positive behavior supports and supervises dual-certification student teachers. She has a rich research background including evidence-based practices for individuals with autism spectrum disorder, socio-sexuality education for individuals with intellectual disabilities, and in recent years, has worked on several projects and publications focused on training preservice teachers in trauma-informed practices as well as using multimedia technology to improve classroom management practices and self-reflection skills. Prior to transitioning into higher education, Dr. Gardner worked with some wonderful students in her roles as an elementary learning support teacher and middle school life skills teacher. In addition to impacting her field through teaching and scholarship, Dr. Gardner values her active role in PAC-TE, currently serving her second term as an At-Large Board Member. Through her involvement in PAC-TE, she was appointed to serve on the Pennsylvania Department of Education's Committee on Education Talent Recruitment to address the teaching shortage and develop a new Career & Technical Education Pathway for Pennsylvania schools to help strengthen the future pipeline of secondary students pursuing careers in the education field. She has been awarded several McDowell Institute Faculty Fellowships and the Provost's Award for Excellence in Research/Scholarly Activity on her campus, as well as honored with a statewide recognition by PAC-TE for Teacher Educator of the Year in 2021.
