Dr. Rebecca A. Neal is an Assistant Professor in Educational Foundations for the Teacher Education Department at Hamline University. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Hampton University, and two Master’s degrees; one from the College of William and Mary and the other from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Neal earned her PhD from Arizona State University, in Curriculum and Instruction with a Special Education and Culturally Responsive concentration. Her research centers on the emotional and behavioral ecology of general and special education settings. Deeply embedded within her scholarship and practice is working toward increasing learning opportunities for students, particularly youth who have been traditionally marginalized within society and school systems. Knowing the importance of bridging practice and theory, a strand of Dr. Neal’s work focuses on understanding how teachers’ and students’ conceptualizations of behavior mediates classroom interactional processes. In addition to having over a decade of experience as a special education practitioner in urban school districts, Dr. Neal still maintains her Minnesota teaching license. She is also the recipient of several honors and awards.