Inaugural Fellows Selected to the AERA-SRCD Early Career Fellowship in Early Childhood Education and Development
Inaugural Fellows Selected to the AERA-SRCD Early Career Fellowship in Early Childhood Education and Development
 
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April 2017

The American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the Society for Research on Child Development (SRCD) at the beginning of April launched the AERA-SRCD Early Career Fellows in Early Childhood Education and Development. Guided by the work of an advisory committee, the 22 early career fellows were selected with research interests that cut across early childhood development topics and education. The fellowship provides an opportunity for early career scholars to benefit from the convening and collaborative capabilities of both research organizations. In addition to designed opportunities, these AERA-SRCD fellows will participate in a research network of their peers and with senior scholars who study early childhood education and development.

The purpose of this joint AERA-SRCD initiative is to build an early career cohort of scholars with integrative interests and expertise at the nexus of child development and formal/informal education and learning in their broader social context. It leverages the expertise and convening capacity of both organizations to create a context for early career scholars to expand their research competencies and enhance their research programs. 

During the 2017 AERA Annual Meeting the fellows will attend the AERA-SRCD Special Joint Symposium, titled Long-Term Outcomes of Early Child Care and Education, and What to Make of Middle Year's Fade Out (Friday, April 28,10:35am – 12:05pm; Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center / Room 220 – Cantilever). The education research community is encouraged to join the fellows and other leading experts during this symposium addressing early childhood education and development.

The AERA-SRCD fellows recently participated in the SCRD Biennial Meeting and attended a session where leading scholars discussed creating opportunity and educational pathways for young children. This interactive session featured a lively discussion about child development theory, child-centered policies, and educational practices aimed at improving the life chances of children and their families. These joint efforts capitalize on the knowledge, skills, and research expertise of senior scholars and mentors involved in this initiative.  

“We are pleased that AERA and SRCD can collaborate on the next generation of scholars and scholarship at the intersection of child development and education research,” said Felice J. Levine, AERA Executive Director and member of the AERA-SRCD Advisory Committee. “The early career scholars studying these issues will add to the knowledge base and methods used to study early childhood.”

The AERA-SRCD Advisory Committee included AERA President Vivian L. Gadsden (University Pennsylvania), AERA Executive Director Felice J. Levine, SRCD Executive Director Lonnie R. Sherrod; Deborah Lowe Vandell (University of California, Irvine); AERA Director of Professional Development and Diversity Officer George L. Wimberly; and SRCD Director of Policy and Communications Martha Zaslow.

AERA and SRCD are planning to build upon feedback from these inaugural fellows to design a multiyear program to build a cadre of early career scholars who study child development and education. In future years, each cohort of fellows will focus on a different aspect of the topic, such as the middle school education years. For further information about the joint initiative, please refer to the AERA website www.aera.net.  


Inaugural Cohort (2017–2018)


Sara Anderson, West Virginia University

Arya Ansari, University of Virginia

Erin Bogan, University of Pennsylvania

Andres Bustamante, Temple University

Shana Cohen, University of California, San Diego

Katherine Delaney, University of Toledo

Rebecca Dore, University of Delaware

Robert Duncan, University of California, Irvine

Celia Gomez, The RAND Corporation

Brenna Hassinger-Das, Temple University

Bridget Hatfield, Oregon State University

Jade Marcus Jenkins, University of California, Irvine

Lieny Jeon, Johns Hopkins University

Yoonjeon Kim, University of California, Berkeley

Anna Justine Markowitz, University of Virginia

Alejandra Ros Pilarz, University of Wisconsin–Madison

Terri Sabol, Northwestern University

Marek Tesar, University of Auckland

Laura Tortorelli, Michigan State University

Christina Weiland, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

Sharon Wolf, University of Pennsylvania

Monica Yudron, University of Massachusetts Boston