B. F. Skinner: The Scientist as a Father

Julie S. Vargas, Ph.D., longtime educator, former president of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, and daughter of the renowned scientist B.F. Skinner, recently delivered a presentation at May Institute’s corporate headquarters in Randolph, Mass.

Her lecture, titled “B.F. Skinner: The Scientist as a Father,” provided dozens of attendees with an overview of her father’s interaction with his family, including his use of the invention he called the “baby tender.”
This continuing education offering was intended to dispel misconceptions about B.F. Skinner commonly found on the Internet and in psychology textbooks, and offer a realistic view of his ethical and humanitarian side.

View event photo album.

About Julie S. Vargas, Ph.D.
Dr. Vargas received her bachelor's in music from Radcliffe College, a master's in music education from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. in educational research from the University of Pittsburgh. She taught elementary students before becoming a faculty member at West Virginia University, where she taught practicing and prospective teachers for more than 35 years.

Dr. Vargas has published numerous books about education. Her most recent book is Behavior Analysis for Teachers.

In addition to being is a former president of the Association for Behavior Analysis International, she was one of the founding editors of The Behavior Analyst, and is currently President of the B. F. Skinner Foundation, in Cambridge, Mass.