Robert Pennington, Ph.D., BCBA-D, is the Bryan T. Williams Endowed Chair in Special Education Technology. He has over 30 years of experience supporting individuals with disabilities, their families, and teachers, including those from traditionally underserved communities. 

His primary research interests involve supporting teachers in improving programming for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), teaching written expression skills to students with IDD, and applications of technology including robot- assisted instruction. He values collaborative and interdisciplinary work and enjoys supporting students in the development of their ideas and their journey into research practice. 

He publishes frequently on his work in scholarly journals and has edited multiple books and written many book chapters on the education of students with IDD. Robert is passionate about the dissemination of research-based practice and has provided hundreds of refereed and invited presentations to researchers, practitioners, and families. He has served as PI or Co-PI on several funded projects related to his work, with awards totaling $9.5 million.

Pennington values collaboration in service to the field and his local communities through membership on numerous advisory committees, editorial boards, and grant review panels; leadership in professional organizations (i.e., President of Board of Directors for DADD, ACRES, KYABA); and consultation in schools. He is currently an Associate Editor for Rural Special Education Quarterly and Research and Practice in Severe Disabilities. He has been recognized for his work through receipt of several accolades (President’s Distinguished Faculty Award, Felix Barker Leadership Award, KYABA Innovator in Behavior Analysis Award).

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