The Team

Melissa McCart, EdD, was appointed CBIRT director in 2023, holding a doctorate in Educational Methodology, Policy and Leadership along with an M.S. in behavioral disabilities from the University of Oregon. Her career spans roles as a special education teacher, behavior specialist, behavior consultant, and seven years as a school administrator. At CBIRT, she draws on this extensive background to pursue her interests in educational policy, educator training, and TBI-related injury prevention through online trainings, articles, and presentations.

Learn more about Melissa. 

Megan Kunze, PhD, was named Associate Director of CBIRT in 2025 and serves as an Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Oregon, where she also lectures and supervises graduate students in Early Intervention and Early Childhood Special Education. Her research focuses on early diagnosis, Applied Behavior Analysis, and developing culturally responsive interventions for young children with developmental differences and their families, including caregiver-mediated coaching via telehealth. As part of her community outreach, she serves as the behavior expert for two ECHO panels, the Autism ECHO for Oregon and the Ukraine ECHO, supporting medical professionals working with children with special needs.

Learn more about Megan.

Berenice de la Cruz, Ph.D., BCBA-D, LBA, is an assistant professor and inaugural coordinator of the Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Program at Texas A&M University-San Antonio, where she developed undergraduate and graduate ABA degree programs launched in 2022, and serves as a research associate for CBIRT's TBI-SOS project. Her research and practice focus on public policy advocacy, ethics, cultural adaptations, and evaluating ABA applications by parents, teachers, and professionals supporting individuals with developmental disabilities across home, school, and community settings. She is actively involved in numerous professional organizations, including serving on the Texas Association for Behavior Analysis Executive Council, the Autism Society of Texas Board, and as a founding member of the Mexican Association for ABA Practitioners (OMPAC), and regularly presents in both English and Spanish at conferences across multiple levels.

Dane Ramshaw boasts 20+ years as an educational technologist and full-stack developer, crafting tools for K12, higher ed, and healthcare. Formerly a K12 teacher, he's now a 10-year faculty member at the University of Oregon and CTO for the College of Education. Serving as the technical lead in major research projects, Dane also consults for startups, small businesses, and non-profits, bridging stakeholders, refining code, and fostering learning communities. He loves making tools useful, pretty and easy to use.

Esmeralda Garcia serves as a Promotora on the DIY-C2C project in Texas, where she is actively involved in curriculum implementation, caregiver coaching, session facilitation, and refining the culturally responsive delivery model. As both a Promotora and a parent of a child with complex neurological needs, she brings firsthand understanding of the challenges families face following pediatric brain injury, and is a member of the Hydrocephalus Association and other community networks supporting families across Texas and nationally. Through her work across two rounds of the project, she has witnessed how caregiver-to-caregiver support increases confidence, reduces isolation, and strengthens advocacy skills, and is a strong advocate for expanding DIY-C2C to reach more culturally and linguistically diverse communities.

Melaney Grenz holds a master’s degree in Communication Disorders from the University of Oregon and has worked as a Speech-Language Pathologist in Oregon public schools for 29 years, also maintaining a private practice. She joined the Oregon TBI Team in 1999, became the Region 7 Liaison in 2019, and joined CBIRT as a Project Manager in August 2022. Melaney is passionate about helping school teams find creative solutions to meet the diverse needs of students who have sustained a TBI.

David Kracke, JD, has been an Oregon State Bar member since 1990 and is a recognized legislative and policy expert on brain injury. He has authored and advocated for five concussion and brain injury laws in Oregon, including Max's Law — the nation's first Return to Play protocol for concussed student-athletes — and SB 420 (2023), which established a statewide Brain Injury Resource Navigation program. He has also worked to reduce barriers to special education eligibility for students with TBI and co-initiated HB 4140, mandating academic and behavioral accommodations for students with concussion or brain injury.

Rosie Ramshaw graduated from the University of Wales in 2004 and has an extensive professional background in the development and management of events, software products and projects. Rosie has experience working for a variety of non-profit organizations, along with companies focused on continued professional development and training services, including disability service providers. Rosie joined CBIRT as a Research Assistant in September 2022 and is primarily responsible for coordinating online conferences and workshops. 

Jody Slocumb received her BA in Journalism and Communication from the University of Oregon. She had eight years of experience on a wide range of social science research projects before coming to CBIRT in 2013.  Jody has primary responsibility for data management and subject recruitment. She also coordinates program development activities, assessment, helps maintain contact with all research partners and assists with dissemination activities.

Based in Houston, Ana Valdez serves as a Promotora on the DIY-C2C project, where she leads curriculum implementation, caregiver coaching, and session facilitation within a culturally responsive and trauma-informed delivery model. As both a Promotora and a parent of a child with developmental needs, she brings firsthand understanding of the emotional, medical, and educational advocacy challenges families face, and is an active member of Autism Moms of Houston, Autism Meets Faith, and the SPED PEP Family Program. Through her work, she serves as a community connector — sharing resources, amplifying support opportunities, and helping families access services, while witnessing the transformative impact of peer-led, caregiver-to-caregiver support.

Laura Beck holds an MLIS from the University of Missouri and works on a variety of information management, educational research, and service-related projects. She provides comprehensive reference and information management services to principal investigators and project staff, as well as day-to-day management of the organization's research compliance activities and websites.

Megan Jones received her BA in Psychology from Willamette University. Prior to coming to CBIRT she spent 8 years researching early childhood development with at-risk families. She currently brings her organization, coordination, and logistic expertise to many projects at CBIRT.

Kieran Sanders is a seasoned Developer and Programmer with a educational technology. Bringing together a unique blend of expertise, Kieran has a rich background in early years and special education. This combination of technical skills and passion for education empowers him to craft technological solutions that make a genuine difference in learners' lives. His dedication to enhancing educational outcomes through technology positions him at the forefront of innovative edtech solutions.

Sandy Magaña, PhD, MSW, holds the Professorship in Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disabilities in The University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Her research focus is on the cultural context of families who care for persons with disabilities across the life course. Her current research includes investigating racial and ethnic disparities among children with autism and developmental disabilities and developing culturally relevant interventions to address these disparities. She has received funding for her research from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), National Institute on Aging (NIA), National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and National Institute on Disability, Independent Living and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).