Breaking Barriers with Humor and Heart: Dr. Elizabeth Hughes Fong’s Contributions to the Culturally Sensitive Practice of Applied Behavior Analysis

With gratitude and grief, we dedicate this tribute to Lyz (known as Beth to her immediate family), an extraordinary person whose impact on all who knew her is immeasurable.Lyz passed away unexpectedly in early 2024.To her family, friends, colleagues, students, and those whose lives she impacted, she was a bright light that brought out the best in people through humor and kindness.Her story motivates us to continue her legacy of compassion, resilience, and belonging.This paper is a reflection on her life, a grief ritual, helping us cope by reading, writing, and discussing her memory to digest our profoundly painful loss (see Kestenbaum & Halsey, 2023).Even in death, Lyz united us; in this spirit, we come together to share the story of a pioneering figure in behavior analysis with gratitude for her friendship, and celebration of her life and extraordinary career.The behavior analytic community widely recognized Lyz as a leader in bringing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) to the forefront of applied behavior analysis (ABA), advancing cultural sensitivity and diversity.Her career path included clinical roles, teaching and mentorship, research, editorial work, presentations, social media appearances, and policy-change efforts.