Executive Director, Science of Learning Institute; Assistant Research Scientist, Department of Cognitive Science
Dr. Kelly Fisher is the Executive Director of the Science of Learning Institute and an Assistant Research Scientist in the Department of Cognitive Science.
Kelly's research falls within the interdisciplinary field of the science of learning, which views learning as a complex process, situated within interdependent biological, psychological, sociocultural, and technological systems. Dr. Fisher's research draws upon developmental science, industrial-organizational psychology, implementation science, education, and public policy to explore how contextual features influence learning and skill development in children and adults. Kelly's portfolio has three foci:
Kelly's work is driven by her strong commitment to building bridges between science of learning research, educational practice, and policy. Utilizing translation and implementation science frameworks, she works with community partners to turn research findings into educational programs to improve learning outcomes in formal and informal settings. Kelly has worked with community organizations, hospitals, businesses, and government to (1) identify programmatic needs, (2) translate relevant research into evidence-informed practices and policies, and (3) facilitate program improvement through program evaluation and system alignment processes,.
Prior to her position at the Institute, Kelly served as an Executive Branch Science and Technology Fellow in Washington, DC, a fellowship sponsored by the Society for Research and Child Development (SRCD) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). As a SRCD/AAAS fellow, she initiated and supervised new federal research projects aimed at improving organizational capacity and data-driven decision making in Head Start early childhood education programs at the Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation (OPRE), in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services of the Administration for Children in Families. Her projects included the examination of how program leaders use data to inform goals and continuous quality improvement, how teachers use data to individualize instructional practices, how programs use technology to improve learning outcomes. and how to conceptualize and measure collaboration in early education. She also served as Vice President of Research and Evaluation for Global Abilities Foundation, a nonprofit aimed at creating and evaluating community reintegration programs for persons with disabilities, conducting disability awareness training, and evaluating school and workplace accessibility.
Kelly completed her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology at Temple University and a M.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from Missouri State University.
Spatially-Enhancing a 3rd Grade Science Curriculum (Translational Science Project; Partner: Prince George's County Public Schools). Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) innovations provide a critical basis for the United State’s global competitiveness, yet many students may not have the skills necessary to be successful in STEM. Decades of research demonstrate that spatial thinking is a fundamental skill underlying STEM success, yet few efforts have been made to translate spatial research into a science curriculum. Johns Hopkins University Science of Learning Institute and Prince George’s County Public Schools (PGCPS) have partnered to (1) Develop a spatially-enhanced science 3rd grade curriculum that incorporates research on spatial thinking into curricular materials and activities to facilitate students’ spatial thinking skills and science knowledge, (2) Develop teacher professional development training modules to facilitate their spatial thinking knowledge and skills, and (3) Evaluate the impact of the spatially-enhanced curriculum and professional training modules on student and teacher outcomes. This project will result in a fully developed intervention aimed at improving critical building blocks that underlie STEM success, novel measures for assessing spatial knowledge and interest, and a spatial crosswalk framework and training resources to guide future interventions in this area. See "The Hub" Article and Institute of Education Sciences' Project Description
Exploring the Socio-emotional Benefits of Arts Education (Evaluation and Training Projects; Partners: Multiple School and Programs, WolfBrown, William Penn Foundation). Proponents of arts education have argued that instruction in the arts yields benefits to cognitive development, as measured by academic achievement (e.g., grades and standardized test scores; Winner & Hetland, 2008). However, while there is evidence that students receiving arts instruction perform better on these measures (cf. Catterall et al., 2012), much of this evidence is correlational, and therefore does not indicate that arts education causes higher levels of achievement. A small number of studies employing quasi-experimental designs have provided stronger evidence that arts instruction may foster cognitive development (e.g., Catterall & Waldorf, 1999). One hypothesis offered for these findings is that arts instruction fosters development in socioemotional domains necessary for both the practice of an artistic discipline and success in school. However, the sparse research conducted to date has yielded “no more than tentative [non-correlational] evidence regarding the impact of arts education…[on] behavioral and social skills” (Winner, Goldstein, & Vincent-Lancrin, 2013, p. 19). The first phase of our study revealed that participation in arts education programming was associated with benefits to students’ socioemotional development. The current phase of our work focuses on whether participation in a course of professional development by staff who offer these programs translates into larger gains in students’ socioemotional development.
Child development through safe play and song-based learning: Exploring early learning contexts in Villa El Salvador, Peru (Translational Science Project; Partners: JHU School of Public Health; Early Childhood Organizations in Lima). Throughout the developing world, household conditions associated with poverty jeopardize child development and health. Limited access to stimulating materials and caregiver-child interaction within the home delay cognitive, motor, and social development, which contributes to inequities in health and economic well-being throughout the lifespan. There is great need for a home-based intervention to promote positive caregiver behaviors that will foster early child development (ECD), without requiring expensive learning materials. Our study team aims to develop an early learning intervention focused on equipping caregivers with the knowledge, skills, and self-efficacy to create homemade days from everyday household items, and use them as vehicle to engage n play- and music-based activities with their children. Having initiated our project through a small formative research study supported by a Planning Grant from the Alliance for a Healthier World (AHW), we will draw on our existing data to pursue a two-phase study of 1) playbook development and 2) formative evaluation. Our team brings together the expertise of developmental psychologists, a music educator, international health researchers, and Peruvian professionals, community members, and partnering institutions.
Development of a New Science of Teaching and School Leadership Academy. (Action Research Program Development Project; Partner: St. Andrew's Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning). The Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning (CTTL) seeks to develop a five day, high-quality professional development training program to educate teachers and school leaders about mind, brain, and education research (MBE) and its application to educational practice. The aims of the Academy are to help educators and school leaders (1) develop knowledge about MBE, (2) identify ways in which MBE research may inform educational practice, and (3) develop action research projects to implement MBE-informed techniques in classrooms and evaluate their effectiveness. Attendees participate in a series of workshop sessions, including Mind, Brain, and Education overview sessions, deep dive sessions into specific topics (e.g., reading, mindset, etc.), and translation sessions, as well as attend a research institution to see "Research in Action." For this project, we will conduct a series of formative evaluations to inform the refinement of the Academy during the first two years (e.g., attendee satisfaction & learning, presenters' instructional quality), and a summative evaluation during the third year to evaluate the impact of the Academy on attendees' knowledge, attitudes, and skills at implementing research-informed practices in their schools.
Using Data to Facilitate Continuous Quality Instructional Improvement in Early Childhood (Exploratory Project). This project examined how preschool teachers use data to foster individual learning in children (e.g., individualize instruction), and how data is analyzed to understand and improve children’s learning and teachers’ instructional quality over time.
Road to Reading Translational Science Project (Translational Science Project; Partners: Children’s Museum of Manhattan, B'More for Healthy Babies, Enoch Pratt Library). This project drew upon the science of language and literacy development to create new caregiver workshops to promote children’s early language and literacy. The project examined caregivers’ knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors around language and literacy development, use these findings to develop targeted exhibit pieces to meet the learning needs of these caregivers and c) evaluate the impact of the exhibits on caregivers’ knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors
Fisher, K. R. & Gagnier, K. M. (in prep). Bridging the gap: Exploring models of scientist-practitioner partnerships to translate science of learning research into educational practice.
Gagnier, K. M., Holochwost, S. J., Fisher, K. R., & Lewis, S. (in prep). Measuring caregivers' knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors about language and literacy in diverse demographic contexts.
Holochwost, S. J., Wolf, D. P., Fisher, K. R., O’Grady, K., & Gagnier, K. M. (2018). The arts and socioemotional development: Evaluating a new mandate for arts education. In R. S. Rajan & I. C. O’Neal, (Eds.), Arts evaluation and assessment: Measuring impact in schools and communities. New York, NY: Palgrave MacMillan.
Holochwost, S. J., Propper, C. B., Wolf, D. P., Willoughby, M. T., Fisher, K. R., Kolacz, J., Volpe, V. V., & Jaffee, S. R. (2017). Music education, academic achievement, and executive functions. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 11, 146-166.
Fisher, K. R., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Newcombe, N., & Golinkoff, R.M. (2013). Taking shape: How teaching practices impact preschoolers’ geometric knowledge. Child Development, 84, 1872 – 1878.
Zosh, J., Fisher, K. R., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R.M. (2013). The “Ultimate Block Party” translational science event: Bridging the science of learning and the importance of play. In New York Hall of Science (Ed), Design, Make, Play: Growing the next generation of STEM Innovators. New York, NY: Taylor & Francis/Routledge.
Fisher, K. & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2012). Fostering mathematical thinking through playful learning. In S. Saggate & E. Reese (Eds.), Contemporary Debates on Child Development and Education.
Reed, J., Fisher, K. R., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. M. (2012, April). The Art of the Matter: Playful Learning in an Arts-Enriched Preschool. Proceedings of the American Educational Research Association Annual Meeting, Vancouver, British Columbia.
Fisher, K. R., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R.M., Berk, L., & Singer, D. (2011). Playing around in school: Implications for learning and educational policy. In A. Pellegrini (Ed), Handbook of the Development of Play (pp. 341-362). New York, NY: Oxford Press.
Fisher, K. R., Marshall, M., & Nanayakkara, A. (2009). Motivational orientation, error monitoring, and academic performance in middle childhood: A behavioral and electrophysiological investigation. Mind, Brain, and Education, 3, 56-63.
Fisher, K. R., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R.M., & Glick Gryfe, S. (2008). Conceptual split? Parents' and experts' perceptions of play in the 21st century. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 29, 305-316.
Gagnier, K. & Fisher, K R. (2016). Commentary: Spatial thinking: A missing building block in STEM education. Institute for Educational Policy. Johns Hopkins University.
Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. (2013). Conceptualizing and measuring collaboration in the context of early childhood care and education (OPRE Research Brief 2013-29). Washington, DC: Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. (2012). Friendly FACES: Charting children’s learning and development through one year in Head Start (2009 cohort).
Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation. (2012). Friendly FACES: Charting children’s learning and development through Head Start (2006 cohort).
Secretary’s Advisory Committee. (2012). Report to the secretary on Head Start research and evaluation.
Gagnier, K., Fisher, K. R., & Holochwost, S. (2017). Formative evaluation of the teaching and school leadership academy: Technical report 1. Report for the Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning.
Gagnier, K., Landau, B., & Fisher, K. (2017). Language learning in early childhood: Technical brief. Technical brief for “All the Way to K” Program, Children’s Museum of Manhattan.
Holochwost, S. J., Fisher, K. R., & Wolf, D. P. (2016). Exploring the socioemotional benefits of arts education: Final Report. Technical report for the William Penn Foundation.
Holochwost, S. J., Fisher, K. R., & Wolf, D. P. (2015). Exploring the socioemotional benefits of arts education: A Literature Review. Technical report for the William Penn Foundation.
Fisher, K. & Nanayakkara, A. (2011). Sri Lanka community reintegration project for persons with disabilities: Viability assessment. Technical report for Global Abilities Foundation.
Fisher, K. & Zosh, J. (2010). NSF Science of Learning Centers workshop report: Translational science initiatives: Ultimate Block Party and beyond. Technical report for the National Science Foundation. Center for Re-Imagining Children’s Learning and Education Philadelphia, PA.
Jones, R., Fisher, K., Thomas, J., King, H., Friedel, K., Witt, E., Turner, A., Montgomery, M., Ward, K., Guo, X., Barber, L., Cherry, C., & Sidwell, A. (2005). Evaluating the efficacy of alternative predictors of student retention and success in higher education. Technical report for Wonderlic, Inc, and Hogan Assessments.
Fisher, K., Thomas, J., Cherry, C., & Ward, K. (2004). Client evaluation of the Greene County Common Ground Supervised Access Program. Technical report. Springfield, MO.
Fisher, K. & Thomas, J. (2004). Evaluation protocol for Greene County Juvenile Court Mediation Program. Technical report. Springfield, MO.
Fisher, K. & Turner, A. (2004). Hearing panel training program for the Office of Judicial Programs. Technical report. Springfield, MO.
Fisher, K. (2003). A validation study of a pre-employment test used to make selection decisions. Technical report, Springfield, MO.
Gagnier, K., Newcombe, N., Zaslow M., & Schwartz, M. (2017, April). In Kelly Fisher (Organizer), Catalyzing a paradigm shift: Research translation for advancing science and society. Conversational roundtable presented at the biennial Society for Research in Child Development conference. Austin, TX.
Berry, T., Murphy, K., Collins, K., & Patel, N. (2017, April). In Kelly Fisher (Organizer), applied developmental scientists in society: Planning for a rewarding career outside of academia. Conversational roundtable presented at the biennial Society for Research in Child Development conference. Austin, TX.
Gagnier, K., Fisher, K. R., & Holochwost, S. (2017, April). Developing a measure of caregiver knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors about language and literacy development. In Kelly Fisher (Chair), Opening dialog: The importance of communication between basic science and program evaluation for advancing science and society. Paper presented at the biennial Society for Research in Child Development conference. Austin, TX.
Humberstone, E. & Fisher, K. (2017, April). Early childhood teachers’ perceptions of data use for individualizing instruction. Paper presented at the annual American Educational Research Association. Antonio, TX.
Holochwost, S. J., Wolf, D. P., Fisher, K. R., Gagnier, K. M. (2016, November). Alternatives to randomized control designs in program evaluation. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Evaluation Association, Atlanta, GA.
Gagnier, K., & Fisher, K. (2017, February). Developing a dissemination plan. In K. Fisher (Organizer), Communicating science to mon-scientific audiences. Symposium paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Boston MA.
Gagnier, K., Fisher, K. R., & Holochwost, S. (2016, May). Translating science of learning research into practice: A model for scientist-practitioner partnerships to develop evidence-based practices for the community. Poster presented at Bringing Cognitive Science to the Classroom. Washington, D.C.
Holochwost, S. J., Wolf, D. P., Propper, C. B., Fisher, K. F., Kolacz, J., & Volpe, V. V. (2015, Nov). Music education, academic achievement, & executive functions: The results of an experimental evaluation of a Sistema-Inspired music education program. Paper presented at the annual American Evaluation Association. Chicago, Ill.
Holochwost, S., Fisher, K., Kolacz, J., Volpe, V., & Propper, C. (2014, June). Making the case for music education: Benefits to executive functions and transfer to academic domains. Poster presented at the Society for Research in Child Development Topical Meeting: Strengthening Connections Among Child and Family Research, Policy, and Practice. Alexandria, VA.
Glazek, K., Fisher, K., Rouse, C., Schol, E., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2013). Effects of instruction type on problem-solving and novelty preference in early childhood. Paper presented at the annual American Psychological Association Conference, Honolulu, HI.
Reed, J., Daubert, E., Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2013). A musical mosaic: Scaffolding school readiness skills via music instruction among Head Start preschoolers. Poster presented at the biennial Society for Research in Child Development conference, Seattle, WA.
Reed, J., Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2012, April). Rethinking the role of the arts in 21st century education: Gateways to executive function in preschoolers. Symposium presented at the annual American Educational Research Association, Vancouver. British Columbia, Canada.
Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Newcombe, N., & Golinkoff, R. (2011, June). Fostering spatial thinking in early math: Content and pedagogy matter. In Kelly R. Fisher (Chair), Playing with space: Enhancing spatial thinking in early childhood for later academic success. Symposium presented at the biennial International Mind, Brain, and Education Society conference, San Diego, CA.
Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Newcombe, N., & Golinkoff, R. (2011, April). Untangling playful learning: The differential impact of free- and guided play pedagogies on children’s conceptual learning. Poster presented at the biennial Society or Research in Child Development conference, Montreal, Quebec.
Reed, J., Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2011, April). The art of learning: The impact of arts-enriched preschool pedagogy on Head Start children’s school readiness skills. Poster presented at the biennial Society or Research in Child Development conference, Montreal, Quebec.
Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2011, April). When playful learning trumps direct instruction: The case of shape learning. In T’Pring Westbrook (Chair), Playful Learning and Policy. Symposium paper presented at the biennial Society for Research in Child Development conference, Montreal, Quebec.
Fisher, K., Ferrara, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Newcombe, N. & Golinkoff, R. (2010, March). Exploring the role of dialogic inquiry and exploration in guided play: An experimental study. Poster presented at the biennial International Conference on Infant Studies, Baltimore, MD.
Fisher, K., Ferrara, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Newcombe, N., & Golinkoff, R. (2009, October). Transforming preschoolers’ geometric shape knowledge: Exploring verbalizations and gestures during a categorization task. Poster presented at the biennial Cognitive Development Society conference, San Antonio, TX.
Fisher, K. (2009, May). How play works: Understanding the elements of early learning. Symposium paper presented at the biennial Mind, Brain, and Education Society conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2009, April). Exploring the roots of early education from an informal learning perspective. Poster presented at the biennial Society for Research in Child Development conference, Denver, Colorado.
Fisher, K., Nash, B., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Newcombe, N., & Golinkoff, R. (2009, April). Breaking the mold: Altering preschoolers’ concepts of geometric shapes. Poster presented at the biennial Society for Research in Child Development conference, Denver, Colorado.
Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Newcombe, N. (2009, February). Altering preschoolers’ concepts of geometric shapes through playful, exploratory learning. Poster presented at the annual Inter-science of Learning Center Student and Post-doc Conference, Seattle, Washington.
Goksun, T., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Fisher, K., Misitzis, Y., Ferrara, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2009, April). Forces in action: Exploring preschoolers' causal understanding. Poster presented at the biennial Society for Research in Child Development, Denver, Colorado.
Wong, W., Uribe-Zarain, X., Fisher, K., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2008, June). Parents' views of the benefits claimed in educational toy advertising. Poster presented at the 7th International Conference on Interaction Design & Children, Chicago, USA.
Wong, W., Fisher, K., Uribe-Zarain, X., Ma, W., Golinkoff, R. M., & Hirsh-Pasek, K. (2008, March). “Educational toys”: Do parents believe the hype? Poster presented at the International Conference on Infant Studies, Vancouver, Canada.
Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R.M. (2007, October). Mother versus expert beliefs: Disagreement in the nature and value of play. Symposium presented at the biennial Cognitive Development Society conference, Santa Fe, New Mexico.
Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, & Glick-Gryfe, S. (2007, June). Not just child’s play anymore: Parental perceptions of play in the 21st century. Poster presented at the annual Jean Piaget Society conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Fisher, K., Nanayakkara, A., & Marshall, P. (2007, June). An evolving complementary: Neurophysiological and behavioral correlates to error monitoring and student motivation. Poster presented at the annual Jean Piaget Society conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Parish-Morris, J., Fisher, K., Goksun, T., Hirsh-Pasek, K., Golinkoff, R. M., & Richardson, A. (2007, June). Talking books: What kind of parental talk do they promote? Paper presented at Jean Piaget Society conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Fisher, K., Marshall, P. J., & Shipley, T. (2007, March). Activation of the infant mirror neuron system during observation of point-light walkers. Poster presented at the biennial Society for Research on Child Development conference, Boston, MA.
Fisher, K., Hirsh-Pasek, K., & Golinkoff, R. (2007, March). Conceptual drift? Parent vs. expert perceptions of play. Poster presented at the Eastern Psychological Association conference, Philadelphia, PA.
Fisher, K. (2005, May). The effects of developmental advisement on self-regulation and commitment. Poster presented at 2005 Missouri State University Graduate Interdisciplinary Forum.
Drollinger, S. M., Gora, K. M., Mitchell, D. W., & Fisher, K. (2003, August). Phasic changes in evoked heart rate as a function of discrimination training. Paper presented at the American Psychological Association conference, Atlanta, GA.
2016 – 2017 Science for Public Consumption Seminar Series. Johns Hopkins University, Science of Learning Institute
2015 - 2016 Science of Learning Fellowship Seminar Series: Dissemination and Translation. Johns Hopkins University, Science of Learning Institute
2010 Developmental Psychology Graduate Seminar. La Salle University, Department of Psychology
2009 Personality & Socio-Emotional Development. Temple University, Department of Psychology
2007 - 2009 Honors Psychology (Research Methods & Seminar Topics). Temple University, Department of Psychology
2005 - 2006 Developmental Psychology. Temple University, Department of Psychology
2003 - 2004 Introduction to Psychology. Missouri State University, Department of Psychology
2012 - 2013 Leadership, Excellence, and Data Systems. U.S. Dept. of HHS, ACF, Office of Planning, Research, & Eval.
2012 - 2013 Teachers’ Use of Progress Monitoring to Individualize Instruction. U.S. Dept. of HHS, ACF, Office of Planning, Research, & Eval.
2012 - 2013 Relation between School Readiness Goals and Program Functioning. U.S. Dept. of HHS, ACF, Office of Planning, Research, & Eval.
2011 - 2013 Redesign of the Family and Child Experiences Survey. U.S. Dept. of HHS, ACF, Office of Planning, Research, & Eval.
2011 - 2013 Early Care and Education Collaboration Processes. U.S. Dept. of HHS, ACF, Office of Planning, Research, & Eval.
2013 Transitions, Continuity, & Alignment in Pre-K through 3rd Grade Education (Meeting). U.S. Dept. of HHS, ACF, Office of Planning, Research, & Eval.
2013 Early Indicators of Early Childhood Socio-emotional Development (Meeting). U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Admin. for Children and Families
2012 Domestic and International Adoption: Strategies to Improve Behavioral Health Outcomes for Youth and their Families. (Meeting). ACF, SAMHSA, and NIH
2016, 2017 Developing Dissemination Plans (attendees: graduate students, postdotoral fellows). Baltimore, MD.
2016 Spatializing a Science Curriculum in Elementary School. Lesson plan development workshop (attendees: teachers, curriculum developers). Bethesda, MD.
2014 Spatializing a Science Curriculum for K -5th Grades. Curriculum Development Workshop (attendees: teachers, curriculum developers). Baltimore, MD.
2012 Design, Make, Play: An Interdisciplinary Workshop to Promote STEM Learning in Museum (attendees: museum directors, researchers). New York, NY. Sponsored by NSF.
2010 From the NSF Science of Learning Centers to the Neighborhood: Translating Science to Practice (attendees: museum directors, researchers). New York, NY. Sponsored by NSF.
2010 Translating Early Learning Research to Informal Learning Applications in Museums (attendees: researchers). New York, NY. Sponsored by: NSF.
2009 Teacher workshop on evidence-based early childhood teaching practices (attendees: teachers). Philadelphia, PA.
2013 - 2016 Rec Fest: An adapted recreation festival for persons with disabilities. Annual event. Philadelphia, PA & Baltimore, MD.
2010 Ultimate Block Party: A Translational Science Event (attendees: parents, teachers, general public, researchers). New York, NY
Under review Co-Principal Investigator. Promotion of child development through play- and music-based learning in Villa El Salvador, Peru: A formative evaluation project. (PI: Elli Leontsini; Co-Is: Audrey Buckland, Kristin Gagnier; SIs: Jessica Rothstein, Mercy Calhoun, Belinda Jivapong). Johns Hopkins University Alliance for a Healthier World Implementation Grant Program.
2018 – 2019 Co-Principal Investigator. Improving early child development through the integration of safe play and song-based learning in Villa El Salvador, Peru: A program development project. (PI: Elli Leontsini; Co-Is: Kristin Gagnier, Robert Gilman, Audrey Buckland; Investigators: Jessica Rothstein, Steven Chow, Mercy Calhoun). Funder: Johns Hopkins Discovery Award. Total award: $97,295.
2017 – 2021 Principal Investigator. Developing a spatially-enhanced elementary curriculum and teacher training series to improve science achievement. R305A170411. (Co-PIs: Kristin Gagnier, Godfrey Rangasammy, Steven Holochwost). Funder: Institute for Education Sciences. Total award: $1,339,991.
2017 – 2019 Principal Investigator. Formative program evaluation of the Science of Teaching & School Leadership Academy. (Co-PI: Kristin Gagnier, Co-I: Steven Holochwost. Funder: Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning. Total award: $114,234.
2017 – 2019 Co-Director. Science in Action. (Director: Kristin Gagnier). Funder: E.E. Ford Foundation. Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning. Total award: $38,315.
2017 – 2018 Co-Principal Investigator. Child development through safe play and song-based learning: Exploring early learning contexts in Villa El Salvador, Peru. (PI: Elli Leontsini; Co-PI: Jennifer Brimhall. Co-Is: Audrey Buckland, Kristin Gagnier, Robert Gilman; SIs: Jessica Rothstein, Steven Chow). Johns Hopkins University Alliance for a Healthier World Planning Grant Program. Total award: $23,825.
2015 – 2016 Co-Director. Developing science-informed content for the“All the Way to K” early language and literacy program. (PD: Kristin Gagnier). Children’s Museum of Manhattan. Total award: $25,000.
2014 – 2016 Co-Principal Investigator. A Study of the Socioemotional Benefits of Arts Education. (PI: Dennie Palmer Wolf; Co-PI: Steven Holochwost (CO-PI). Funder: William Penn Foundation. Total award: $340,000
2012 – 2013 Co-Director. Creating an adaptive recreation festival to facilitate quality of life for persons with disabilities. Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. (PD: Ajantha Nanayakkara). Total award: $2,500.
2010 – 2012 Principal Investigator. Exploring Contextual and Play Material Constraints on Creative Thinking and Problem Solving in Early Childhood. (Co-PI: Kuba Glazek. Co-I: Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Roberta Golinkoff. Funder: Mattel, Inc Research Grant Total award: $15,000.
2018 Johns Hopkins University Faculty and Staff Career Champions Recognition
2011 – 2013 Executive Branch Fellowship, SRCD-AAAS Science Policy
2012 Assistant Secretary’s Honor Award (The Administration for Children & Families)
2005 – 2006 Certificate of Merit in Teaching, Temple University
2001 – 2003 Psi Chi (National Honor Society in Psychology)
2001 – 2003 Golden Key International Honour Society
1999 – 2003 Summa Cum Laude, Missouri State University