The New England Center for Children (NECC) has announced that Bridget Higgins and Alexander Heggie have been named the 2023 winners of the Myrna E. Libby Scholar Award. The award, established in 2009, honors one NECC staff enrolled in each of the onsite graduate programs – Simmons University and Western New England University – whose work exemplify Myrna Libby’s vision that research guides the education and treatment of individuals with autism.
Myrna Libby, Ph.D., BCBA, was a director at NECC for 20 years whose impact endures as she was the principal program architect of NECC’s internationally recognized curriculum. As clinical director, she was a tireless advocate for using scientifically validated approaches and her groundbreaking research helped improve the lives of children with autism. For Libby, the actual test of any program was whether it made a meaningful difference in students’ behavior. Her clinical work directly benefited the lives of many and will continue to positively influence countless others for generations to come. Libby passed away in 2008.
Bridget Higgins
Higgins is the clinical residential program coordinator for NECC’s New Castle, Ursla, Salem End, and West 1 residences. Higgins came to NECC as an intern in summer 2019 before being hired as a full-time employee the following summer. She was inspired by her sister, who has autism, to enter into this particular field. “Our relationship has profoundly impacted my life and allowed me to experience so much joy working with this population,” said Higgins, who just finished her third year in the applied behavior analysis (ABA) graduate program through Western New England University and plans to finish by the end of the year.
Higgins said Myrna Libby’s career and vision is an inspiration to her and she feels incredibly honored to be nominated, and win, this award. “Since the beginning of my education and career in behavior analysis, I’ve looked to the clinicians around me for guidance and mentorship. It is their unwavering dedication to the field and the population we serve at NECC that has inspired and motivated me over these past few years,” she shared. “That my work is being recognized by this award is a direct reflection of the amazing supervisors, staff, and students I have had the honor of working with these past three years.”
Alexander Heggie
Heggie joined NECC in 2020 as a level 2 teacher before moving into his current position in the Adapted Physical Education (APE) Department. Last month, he graduated with his Master of Science in Education with an autism specialization designation degree from Simmons University, something he pursued to increase his knowledge base to better serve his students. “I am more confident in my own ability to teach as a direct result of the practicum component of the Simmons program,” he said.
“I am beyond honored and humbled to have been selected to receive the Myrna Libby award this year, and I hope that one day I can contribute even a small portion of the impact that Myrna had on the betterment of autism education,” Heggie shared. “I honestly believe that education is and should be an ever-evolving creature, and research is at the heart of this. The greater commitment we have to research in education, the better educators we will become. Autism research helps us to better serve our population and gives us a deeper understanding of the intricacies of the population we serve.”
In addition to the recognition, both Myrna Libby Scholar winners received a financial award.
One of NECC’s core values is to train and develop the next generation of autism educators and researchers. Through NECC’s graduate school partnerships with Simmons and Western New England, NECC staff can earn a master’s degree in education or ABA, either free of charge or at a heavily discounted rate. Classes are held on-site at NECC, making the program convenient for staff.