Meet The CAARES Team

Noor Y. Syed, PhD, BCBA-D, LBA/LBS (NY, PA, CT)

Assistant Professor & Program Coordinator, Applied Behavior Analysis Founding Director & Susan H. Turben Director for Autism Advocacy, CAARES

Noor.Syed@sunyempire.edu
LinkedIn

Dr. Noor Syed (she/her) is an Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Applied Behavior Analysis, as well as the founding Director of the Center for Autism Advocacy: Research, Education, and Supports (CAARES) with SUNY Empire State University. She has also been named the Turben Director of Autism Advocacy. CAARES’ primary initiative is to help SUNY Empire become a fully inclusive and supportive college for those who identify as neurodiverse through a multi-tiered system of support framework; the university was recently designated an Autistic Supportive institution. In addition, Dr. Syed is director of Anderson Center International, an organization dedicated to providing training in evidenced-based strategies for scholars from under-resourced areas globally, an Adjunct Doctoral Advisor in ABA with Endicott College, and a certified general and special education teacher. She serves on the ABA Ethics Hotline, is President-elect of the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis, serves on the Scientific Council with the Organization for Autism Research, and co-facilitates the Association of University Centers on Disabilities (AUCD) ABA Workgroup.

Lauren Lestremau Allen, Ph.D., BCBA-D, NCSP, LBA, LP (MD, NY)

Assistant Professor & Assistant Program Coordinator, Applied Behavior Analysis 

Lauren.Allen@sunyempire.edu
LinkedIn

Dr. Lauren Lestremau Allen (she/her) is an Assistant Professor at SUNY Empire State University in the Applied Behavior Analysis Master of Science program and the Assistant Director of the SUNY Empire Center for Autism Advocacy: Research, Education, and Supports (CAARES), both of which prioritize compassionate, value-driven care, and client self-advocacy and autonomy. Dr. Allen is a Licensed Psychologist (NY, MD), Licensed Behavior Analyst (NY), Board Certified Behavior Analyst-Doctoral, and a Nationally Certified School Psychologist. Dr. Allen is a former Program Director at the Ivymount School in Maryland, which is a K-12 special education and behavior analytic school. Dr. Allen has previously served as adjunct faculty in applied behavior analysis at Johns Hopkins University and Ball State University.

Dr. Allen currently serves on the New York State Association for Behavior Analysis (NYSABA) Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility and Education committees, is the Chair for the Student Activity Committee and a member of the NYSABA Board. Dr. Allen is a Hub Team member of the Anderson Center for Autism’s Autism Echo: Education, a member of the Association of University Centers of Disabilities – Workgroup on Applied Behavior Analysis, and a member of the College Autism Network’s Research Symposium Committee. Dr. Allen completed her doctoral schooling in school psychology at the University of Southern Mississippi and her predoctoral internship and postdoctoral fellowship in Behavioral Psychology at the Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, MD. Dr. Allen is committed to promoting equitable and inclusive systems and affirming, client-centered approaches for Autistic individuals and individuals with developmental disabilities. Dr. Allen is eager to connect with SUNY Empire students and would welcome opportunities to collaborate on student-driven projects in these areas.

Aley O'Mara, Ph.D.

Program Assistant and Training Coordinator, CAARES

Aley.OMara@sunyempire.edu
LinkedIn

Dr. Aley O'Mara (they/them) is the Training Coordinator for the Center for Autism Advocacy: Research, Education, and Supports (CAARES) with SUNY Empire State University. They are a neurodivergent educator whose work prioritizes disability justice. With CAARES, O’Mara supports the work of training institutions to better serve neurodivergent communities and leads the Peer2Peer mentorship program for SUNY Empire students.

They have been invited to speak on supporting neurodivergent students at the SUNY University at Buffalo, Syracuse University, and BIMM University (UK). O’Mara holds a PhD from Syracuse University in English, and they are active in the disability community in Central New York. Their special interests include public transportation, labor unions, and house rabbits.

Last, but certainly not least, CAARES also relies on the essential contributions of:

• CAARES interns
• CAARES SUNY Empire Advisory Team. Learn more about our SUNY Empire Advisory Team.
• CAARES Community Advisory Teams. Learn more about our Community Advisory Team.
• The many Autistic and Neurodivergent individuals who continue to shape CAARES work. Read more about CAARES’ commitment to community-informed approaches.