Ph.D. University of Washington, 2017
I am an Educational Psychologist with a Ph.D. in Learning Sciences Human Development and Cognition. My qualitative research seeks to understand how children develop empathy. I am particularly interested in the social, emotional, and cognitive impact that companion animal relationships have on childhood development across cultures. I am currently a National Geographic Explorer.
My fieldwork has involved case studies in the U.S., U.K. and Europe. My non-human animal research explores human-animal relationships in the cultural context of family systems theory. My classroom based research centers on the enhancement of children's socio-emotional development, self-regulation and moral agency through project-based reading, writing and humane-education involving more-than-human animal partners.
I am an experienced teacher and postgraduate instructor. I am a curricular designer with a Master's Degree in Curriculum & Instruction. My teaching practice is dedicated to exploring innovative pathways for inspiring and empowering my students through hands-on, project-based, and community-focused learning opportunities. I connect with and engage my students through an integrative, interdisciplinary, and experiential approach to instruction that illuminates the interconnectedness between humans and environment, develops critical thinking skills, and calls for community action. I strive to provide my students with the tools to connect with one another, investigate their local environment, and advocate for change when they recognize injustice.
Areas of Expertise:
Qualitative Methods, Empathy & Child Development, The Psychology of Human-Animal Interaction, Visual Methods, Humane-Education, Project Based Learning, Justice Centered Science Instruction, Educational Theory
My fieldwork has involved case studies in the U.S., U.K. and Europe. My non-human animal research explores human-animal relationships in the cultural context of family systems theory. My classroom based research centers on the enhancement of children's socio-emotional development, self-regulation and moral agency through project-based reading, writing and humane-education involving more-than-human animal partners.
I am an experienced teacher and postgraduate instructor. I am a curricular designer with a Master's Degree in Curriculum & Instruction. My teaching practice is dedicated to exploring innovative pathways for inspiring and empowering my students through hands-on, project-based, and community-focused learning opportunities. I connect with and engage my students through an integrative, interdisciplinary, and experiential approach to instruction that illuminates the interconnectedness between humans and environment, develops critical thinking skills, and calls for community action. I strive to provide my students with the tools to connect with one another, investigate their local environment, and advocate for change when they recognize injustice.
Areas of Expertise:
Qualitative Methods, Empathy & Child Development, The Psychology of Human-Animal Interaction, Visual Methods, Humane-Education, Project Based Learning, Justice Centered Science Instruction, Educational Theory
