Valerie M. Volkert, PhD

Valerie M. Volkert, PhD
Pediatric Feeding Disorders
Munroe-Meyer Institute
985450 Nebraska Medical Center
Omaha, NE 68198-5450

Phone: (402) 559-7368
E-mail: vvolkert@unmc.edu

Professional Summary:

Valerie Volkert is an Assistant Professor at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. She received a Bachelor’s of Science from the University of Florida, and a Ph.D. in School Psychology from Louisiana State University in 2007. Dr. Volkert completed her post-doctoral fellowship at the Munroe-Meyer Institute with Dr. Cathleen Piazza as her mentor. Currently, she specializes in the treatment of pediatric feeding disorders. She has authored two book chapters and published 16 peer-reviewed research studies in 3 different journals, including the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, the Journal of Disability and Rehabilitation and Research in Developmental Disabilities. Dr. Volkert served as the Editorial Assistant of the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis from 2008 to 2010. She also serves on the board of editors and as a guest associate editor for the Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. She has taught courses in Learning and Verbal Behavior. Finally, Dr. Volkert was the President of the Heartland Association for Behavior Analysis from October 2009 to March 2011 and is currently serving as the Past President.

Education:

PhD, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 2007
MA, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, 2004
BS, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 1999
Board Certified Behavior Analyst, August 2007 to present
Licensed Psychologist, July 2009 to present

Courses Taught:

Co-Instructor, Verbal Behavior, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Spring 2011
Instructor, Learning, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Fall 2009
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Introduction to Psychology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Fall 2005
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Research and Methodology, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Spring 2004
Graduate Teaching Assistant, Intermediate Statistics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Fall 2003

Research Interests and Projects:

  • Pediatric feeding disorders
  • Intestinal Rehabilitation and pediatric feeding disorders
  • Undesirable effects of extinction (resurgence)

Publications: (within the last 5 years)

  • Volkert, V. M., Vaz, P., Piazza, C. C., Frese, J., & Barnett, L. (in press). Using a flipped spoon to decrease packing in children with feeding disorders. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
  • Vaz, P., Volkert, V. M., & Piazza, C. C. (in press). Using negative reinforcement to increase self-feeding in a child with food selectivity. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
  • Rivas, K. D., Piazza, C. C., Kadey, H. J, Volkert, V. M., & Stewart, V. (in press). Sequential treatment of a feeding problem using a pacifier and flipped spoon. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis.
  • Volkert, V. M., & Piazza, C. C. (in press). Empirically supported treatments for pediatric feeding disorders. In Sturmey. P (Ed.), The Handbook of Evidence Based Practice in Clinical Psychology.
  • Volkert, V. M., & Vaz, P. (2010). Recent studies on feeding problems in children with autism, Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 43, 155-159.
  • Volkert, V. M., Lerman, D. C., Call, N. A., & Trosclair-Lasserre, N. (2009). An evaluation of resurgence during treatment with functional communication training. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 42, 145-160.
  • Volkert, V. M., Lerman, D. C., Trosclair, N., Addison, L., & Kodak, T. (2008). An explanatory analysis of task interspersal procedures. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis,41, 335-350.
  • Kodak, T., Lerman D. C., Volkert, V. M., & Trosclair, N. (2007). Further examination of factors that influence preference for positive and negative reinforcement. Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis, 40, 25-44.
  • Lerman, D. C., Volkert, V. M, & LeBlanc, L. (2007). Social behavior. In Sturmey, P., & Fitzer, A. (Eds.), Autism Spectrum Disorders: Applied Behavior Analysis, Evidence, and Practice. Austin, TX: Pro-ed.

Professional Affiliations:

  • Association for Behavior Analysis
  • Heartland Association for Behavior Analysis
  • Interdisciplinary Education Committee (IDE), Munroe-Meyer Institute, UNMC

Awards:

  • President’s Honor Role (five semesters): Honor role for undergraduates with 4.0 grade point averages in a semester, University of Florida, Dec 1996-June 1999
  • Recipient of the Irene B. Kirbo Scholarship: Scholarship for undergraduates with 3.5 or greater grade point averages, University of Florida 1998