Curry School of Education

Education

• Ph.D, Clinical Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2003
• M.A., Clinical Psychology, University of North Carolina at Greensboro, 2000
• B.A., Psychology, University of Virginia, 1996

Personal Statement

My research focuses on factors that predict stability of externalizing behavior and community-based early interventions. I am particularly interested in school-based interventions to promote young children’s self-regulatory, social-emotional and behavioral skills.

My current research projects include:  1) examining the impact of a teacher-child, relationship-based intervention (Banking Time; Pianta & Hamre, 2001) to reduces disruptive behaviors in a sample of preschoolers at risk for emotional and behavioral disorders (Preschool Relationships Enhancement Project , PREP);  2) the development of an early childhood consultation model to improve teacher’s observational skills and ability to implement empirically supported strategies to improve children’s social-emotional outcomes (Learning to Objectively Observe Kids , LOOK);  and 3) examining the impact of a curriculum and professional development package to improve preschool children’s math and science skills (MyTeachingPartner-Math & Science, MTP-M/S).

My clinical training and expertise is in the assessment and treatment of young children (0-5 years) and in early childhood mental health consultation in particular. I use behavioral, cognitive-behavioral, and attachment orientations and I focus on the use of empirically-supported treatments.