Karen Chartier, BCBA, Ting Bentley, MA, BCBA, LBA, Paulie Gavoni, EdD, BCBA-D, and Amy Bukszpan, PhD, BCBA-D

World Behavior Analysis DayThe rapid growth of behavior analysis is not limited to the United States but is also evident around the world. For this reason, World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance (WBADA) was created in 2021 by passionate behavior analysts with the mission of fostering a global celebration of the science of behavior analysis. The National Day Archive has formally proclaimed this week-long celebration, commencing on March 14th and culminating on Dr. B. F. Skinner’s birthday, March 20th. WBADA envisions a future as the globally recognized hub that fosters connection, collaboration, and multiculturalism. WBADA has 28 ambassadors from several countries, as well as volunteers working tirelessly to advance the awareness, acceptance, and use of the science of behavior analysis and all its branches and applications. Together, we have celebrated four years, but there is much more work to be done. There are many ways for you to get involved. Join us for our fifth year of celebration and help us in shaping a better tomorrow.

What WBADA Offers

WBADA is committed to disseminating valuable resources through its website, podcast, YouTube channel, and social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram (@BehaviorDay). These resources aim to connect practitioners, researchers, and enthusiasts, fostering dialogue and collaboration on a global scale. If you want an easy way to access WBADA’s content, dive into dissemination, and find out about the practice of behavior analysis worldwide, then WBADA’s social media is your launching pad. This past month, WBADA’s social media platforms, Facebook, Instagram, and X were rich with content examining the interaction of behavioral science and technology as well as examining Organization Behavior Management (OBM) and its many applications in performance, feedback, and productivity. As well, each month WBADA will highlight a different ambassador and the incredible work they are doing in their home country disseminating and growing the field of behavior analysis worldwide. Even more, these pages are rich with video content from the ambassadors, also shared on the WBADA Youtube channel, on how they celebrate World Behavior Analysis Day in their own country and how they work each day to disseminate the science of behavior in their own communities.

How You Can Get Involved

As we mark the sixth year of celebration, we recognize that there is still much work to be done. WBADA’s efforts are aimed at strengthening the global community of behavior analysts and creating pathways for even greater impact in shaping a better tomorrow. If you want to get involved in WBADA’s mission, come join us today! We have opportunities for behavior analysts and non-behavior analysts alike. You can join a committee that works for you, from promotions, social media and marketing to our international affairs, to student affairs, and even celebrations and special projects. Just head to our website and select “Get Involved”.

WBADA’s website is your all access pass to getting involved with the alliance. Whether you want to join as a volunteer, international ambassador, or even as a board member, you can do it all from the website. You can also join the mailing list to access a free quarterly newsletter highlighting events and information promoting the international dissemination of behavior analysis. In the resource center of the website, you’ll find free access to The World Behavior Day Analysis Podcast, hosted by WBADA’s own Vice President Janet Enriquez and board member, Paulie Gavoni. The podcast promotes the international celebration of behavior analysis through interviews with leaders and iconic influencers in the field of behavior analysis. Past episodes include interviews with notable guests such as David Palmer, Steven Hayes, and Pat Friman, covering topics from compassion to advancing autism advocacy. Interested in even more content on international dissemination of behavior analysis? The resource page also has videos that share the mission and focus of World Behavior Analysis Day (WBAD).

Get to Know Our Ambassadors

WBADA wouldn’t be as far-reaching or effective without the ambassadors who engage in behavior analytic activities and disseminate the science daily in their countries and communities. Here is a brief highlight of a few of WBADA’s ambassadors and the important work they do.

Javiera Solís Zuazua, Mg., Flga., BCBA, IBA, Chile

Javiera Solís Zuazua, is a Chilean behavior analyst dually certified by the Behavior Analysis Certification Board (BACB) and the International Behavior Analysis Organization (IBAO). Javiera is a founding member of ABA Chile, a non-profit organization dedicated to disseminating Behavior Analysis. Javiera is also the co-founder of Doit Capacitaciones, the first company in Chile to offer training verified by QABA and The IBAO, with the mission of strengthening and expanding the Spanish-speaking professional community. Doit Capacitaciones has promoted high-impact initiatives, including the coordination of Essentials for Living, held in 2023 for the first time in Spanish in Santiago, Chile—an unprecedented milestone in South America. Further, Javiera co-founded Espacio Centro Especializado en Autismo (CEA), a network of professionals providing behavior-analytic services in the Maule region (Talca, Chile), supporting children, adolescents, adults, and their families with a member on the autism spectrum. She also volunteers with the parent organization Trastorno del Espectro Autista (TEA) Talca, strengthening ties with the local community, serves as a university lecturer and recently developed LATINABAs, a training program designed to strengthen supervision practices in Latin America, along with a leadership program for women in the field.

As an ambassador for WBAD Javiera has collaborated with colleagues from several countries: participating in an international conference in Buenos Aires with the Argentine Network and its ambassador Elizabeth López, and she currently supports colleagues in Colombia with the organization of a dissemination summit. Finally, Javiera contributes internationally as a member of the Qualified Behavior Analyst (QABA) exam item writing and translation committee, helping expand access to certification for the Spanish-speaking community.

Varsovia Hernández-Eslava, PhD, BCBA, México

Varsovia Hernández-Eslava is a BCBA, holds a PhD in Psychology in the field of Experimental Analysis of Behavior (EAB) from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Behavior Analysis Research Clinic at the University of Florida, USA. Varsovia currently serves as a full-time researcher at the Biomedical Research Center of Universidad Veracruzana, where she leads the Applied Behavior Analysis and Development Laboratory. Her research spans both basic and applied areas of behavior analysis. In applied work, Varsovia focuses specifically on pediatric feeding disorders, and in basic research, her work examines the experimental analyses of behavior and spatiotemporal dynamics.

Varsovia’s contributions have been recognized with the National Researcher Level I distinction by CONACyT (Mexico’s National Council of Science and Technology). Additionally, she has authored more than 30 publications, including peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and she is a co-developer of two innovative digital tools: Countee, for behavioral data collection, and Motus, for spatial data analysis. Varsovia has been an invited speaker at numerous ABA conferences in the Unites States and she is the founding president of the Mexican Organization of Practitioners of Applied Behavior Analysis (OMPAC). In August 2025, OMPAC held its 2nd International Conference in Oaxaca, Mexico (August 27–29), featuring leading national and international speakers and a vibrant community of practitioners and researchers. Finally, but certainly not least, Varsovia was awarded the Public Awareness Grant (2021) and, together with colleagues Dr. Alejandro León and Dr. Corina Jiménez-Gómez, the International Development Grant (2025) by the Society for the Advancement of Behavior Analysis (SABA).

Varsovia has proudly served as the WBADA Ambassador for Mexico since 2022. To her this role is deeply meaningful because it allows Varsovia to contribute to the recognition of behavior analysis as a profession in her country, advocate for the development of ethical standards, and promote the dissemination of behavior analysis across Latin America.

Binyamin Birkan, PhD, BCBA-D, Turkey

Binyamin received his undergraduate and graduate degrees in Special Education from Gazi University in Turkey. He completed his postdoctoral training in autism and applied behavior analysis at the Princeton Child Development Institute (PCDI) in the United States, where he received advanced education and conducted fieldwork in autism spectrum disorders. Binyamin is the first Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral (BCBA-D) in Turkey and the founder of the country’s first ABA-based school for individuals with autism.

Binyamin possesses research and practical experience in the development of effective, evidence-based educational services for individuals with autism, the establishment of excellence standards, and the supervision and evaluation of educational institutions in accordance with those standards. He has been an invited speaker at numerous national and international conferences and has significantly contributed to the dissemination of behavioral intervention programs beyond Turkey—specifically in countries such as Iran, Azerbaijan, Kosovo, and North Macedonia. Over the past 30 years, Dr. Birkan developed the “Autism ABA Comprehensive Educational Program – Practitioner Certification Program” which brings together knowledge and evidence-based research in autism services. Binyamin serves as a Professor of Special Education at Istanbul Biruni University and holds the position of Educational Director at BBA Autism Center, which he co-founded. In recognition of his contributions to the field of autism, he was granted membership in the Alliance for Scientific Autism Intervention (ASAI) on April 1, 2020.

WBADA is important to Binyamin, as he believes it will provide an opportunity to meet and collaborate with more dedicated professionals committed to improving the lives of individuals affected by autism, and to promote the recognition and dissemination of evidence-based interventions.

Lucrecia Arroyo-Macias, MS, BCBA-IBA, Spain

Lucrecia Arroyo-Macias is a General Health Psychologist, EMDR Therapist, and Behaviour Analyst (BCBA® – IBA®). Originally from Santander (Spain), Lucrecia lived in London for 10 years, where she started her ABA career, before moving back to Spain (Málaga), in 2022 where she is currently based. Lucrecia founded ABAilar – Psicologia y Conducta, where she provides international online ABA supervision to students, families and other professionals, as well as (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy for adults and children. She is a professor of a master’s degree in ABA by Abascool and the Universidad Complutense of Madrid, and the manager of the ABA department at Reach Aut in Spain. Lucrecia has been providing trainings related to what ABA is, understanding and addressing challenging behaviors, cultural responsiveness, and burn-out from an ABA perspective. Being an ambassador in WBADA inspires and motivates Lucrecia to spread what the science of behavior analysis is, what it is not, and how its application could fit into the lives of professionals and families, to create a better future.

Join us in March 2026 as we celebrate not only B. F. Skinner’s birthday, but the global dissemination of behavior analysis as well! Whether by participating in WBADA events, sharing resources, or connecting with the community, your involvement can help amplify the reach of behavior analysis worldwide. Together, we can build a brighter future by connecting and collaborating for a world shaped by the power of behavior analysis!

Reference for this article:

Chartier, K., Bentley, T., Gavoni, P., & Bukszpan, A (2025). World Behavior Analysis Day Alliance: Celebrating much more than just B. F. Skinner’s birthday. Science in Autism Treatment, 22(10).

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