Dr. Jason Vladescu Named ’CUSE50 Alumni Entrepreneur Honoree

By Office of the President | Oct 6, 2026

Jason C. Vladescu, Ph.D., BCBA-D, Founding Chair and Professor of Applied Behavior Analysis in Downstate’s School of Health Professions, has been named a 2026 ’CUSE50 Alumni Entrepreneur Award honoree by Syracuse University. The award recognizes the 50 fastest-growing businesses owned or led by Syracuse alumni. Dr. Vladescu earned a B.S. in psychology from Syracuse’s College of Arts and Sciences in 2004.

Dr. Vladescu is one of four co-founders and a director of The Capstone Center in Wayne, New Jersey. The four doctoral-level behavior analysts, all university faculty members, founded Capstone in 2016 after seeing students whose needs went beyond what a traditional classroom could provide. They wanted the researchers who study effective approaches to be directly involved in designing each child’s program and working with learners.

The Capstone Center runs a full-day program for children and young adults focused on communication, academics, daily living skills, and preparation for work. It also provides home and community-based services, assessments, consultation, and training for parents and caregivers. Each student has a dedicated staff member, so enrollment is intentionally small. Since 2016, the Center has served children and families placed by public school districts across several northern New Jersey counties. Capstone is approved by the New Jersey Department of Education and accredited by Cognia. This nonprofit organization works with schools on accreditation, assessment, and continuous improvement.

The Center draws on the directors’ clinical experience and research. Together, they have published more than 200 peer-reviewed articles, which inform how Capstone trains staff and develops programs. At Downstate, Dr. Vladescu leads the M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis, preparing students for certification as behavior analysts. Earlier this year, the President’s Bulletin shared that the program ranked first nationally in per-faculty research productivity.

For Interim Dean of the School of Health Professions Brigitte C. Desport, DPS, OTR/L, BCP, the award shows students that their careers can extend beyond clinical practice within an established organization. Dr. Vladescu’s work at Capstone offers an example of how they can build services, lead, and put their training to work for families.

Dr. Vladescu encourages students considering a venture of their own to trust their ability to learn and adapt as their plans change. He also urges them to study beyond their immediate specialty: running a practice presents problems that rarely fit neatly within one discipline, and unexpected courses can yield useful ideas.

Congratulations on this honor, Dr. Vladescu.

The honorees will be recognized at Syracuse on November 12 and will take part in the ’CUSE50 Student Summit.

’CUSE50 Alumni Entrepreneur Awards

Tags: School of Health Professions, Applied Behavior Analysis