David Cox, Ph.D., Associate Director of Research for the Doctoral Program in Endicott College’s Institute for Applied Behavioral Science, has been recognized with two prestigious national honors for his groundbreaking contributions to the field of behavior analysis.
Cox received the B. F. Skinner Foundation New Researcher Award for Basic Research, an award that recognizes innovative and impactful work by scholars within 10 years of earning their doctorate. The honor, given by the American Psychological Association’s Division 25, highlights Cox’s significant contributions to the experimental analysis of behavior, including advancing understanding of artificial intelligence and behavioral data science within behavior analysis.
Cox was recently also named a recipient of the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA) Science Translation Award, which will be formally presented at the 2028 ABAI Annual Convention in Chicago. The award recognizes his interdisciplinary scholarship that bridges behavior science and data science to improve clinical decision-making, with particular emphasis on the ethical development and application of AI.
The SABA Board cited Cox’s leadership in bi-directional science translation—bringing insights from practice to research and back again—and his commitment to promoting ethical AI use as the technology becomes increasingly integrated into science and practice.
“We’re at a really interesting moment in human history where new technologies are changing how behavioral data is generated and interpreted,” said Cox. “My hope with this work is to keep science and practice in active, ethically grounded conversation.”
“In turn, we can integrate AI technologies with rigorous behavior science to maximize the benefits these technologies carry, while being fully aware of, and mitigating, potential harms. It’s an incredible honor to receive these awards and be recognized for this work,” he added.