Buttercup

Craig Ramey is Professor and Distinguished Research Scholar of Human Development at the Virginia Tech Carilion Research Institute; Professor of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Human Development at Virginia Tech; Professor of Pediatrics at the Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine; and Chief Science Officer for Human Development for the City of Roanoke, Virginia. His program of research centers on the role of experience – across the human lifespan - in the development of competence and robust health. His approach relies largely on experimental interventions in education, psychology, and pediatrics that provide rigorous tests of plausible developmental mechanisms of stability and change within dynamic, multilayered ecologies. Ramey engages both epidemiological and longitudinal datasets to provide a broad contextual framework for identifying the multiple inter-related conditions that influence biopsychosocial risk, protective, and facilitating factors. His research findings are highly relevant to many national

Robert Gallen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of practice at the University of Pittsburgh where he coordinates the Master of Science in Applied Developmental Psychology program. He was founding president of the Pennsylvania Association for Infant Mental Health and is a fellow in the ZERO TO THREE Academy. He teaches courses in infant mental health and evidence-based practices.

Mary Jo is an author, storyteller, recording artist and puppeteer who creates books, CDs and DVDs filled with original stories, songs, and finger plays.  She has visited 46 states and presented to thousands of children and adults.  Mary Jo is an Early Childhood teaching artist, past director of a center with 115 children, and is an onsite consultant for Early Childhood centers, schools, 4C, Head Start and Family Childcare.  Mary Jo has written for the Frog Street’s Pre-K Curriculum and Gryphon House, Monday Morning Publishing, SECA and many publications for Early Childhood educators.  She works with children in school settings.  Her information and experiences are presented in a humorous, enthusiastic style with practical ideas that create new early literacy activities that can be implemented immediately.  Mary Jo shares passionately, in an interactive, hands-on, participatory atmosphere.   Plan to snap, clap, wiggle and giggle as you learn new ways to connect with children and parents.

Kevin Marks, MD FAAP is a full-time general pediatrician and part-time pediatric hospitalist at PeaceHealth Medical Group in Eugene, Oregon. He received his bachelor of science degree at the University of Notre Dame, attended medical school at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and completed his pediatric residency at the University of California School of Medicine San Francisco-Fresno. He enjoys precepting medical students as a clinical assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University and heavily encourages his students to use evidence-based screening tools, rather than informal milestone checklists. Dr. Marks has authored numerous journal articles and textbook chapters on the early identification, prevention, treatment and ongoing monitoring of children with developmental and behavioral challenges. He has been a stalwart and enthusiastic “screening champion” in his own medical group, which blazed quality improvement trails by being “early adopters” of multiple screening tools, one

This episode I talk to Kurt Kondrich. Kurt married his wife Margie in 1996, and he is the father of his son Nolan and daughter Chloe.  Chloe was born in 2003 with a diagnosis of Down syndrome, and her birth placed Kurt and his family on an incredible journey.  Kurt served as a Police Officer for 20 years and received many awards/citations for service to the community.  Kurt left his career as a Pittsburgh Police Officer and returned to college to receive a Masters Degree in Early Intervention from the University of Pittsburgh in 2007.  Kurt serves as a Developmental Therapist at TEIS Early Intervention, and he also serves on several councils representing individuals with disabilities.  Kurt was appointed Chair of the Governor’s Advisory Council for Early Intervention in 2008, and since then he has made it his mission to be a strong Voice for children with disabilities and their families across PA.

In this episode I talk to Garrett Weinzierl about Creativity. Garrett Weinzierl is a podcaster, graphic designer, founder of Amove.tv, and a Jedi in training. Garrett produces and hosts multiple gaming, tech, and pop-culture shows like The Angry Chicken, Into the Nexus, Let’s Talk About Star Wars, and Embrace the Spoilers. When he isn’t producing his own online entertainment he can be seen guesting on shows like the Daily Tech News Show, Pixels, and The Instance.  Garrett graduated from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida. After working many jobs just to pay the bills, he started podcasting as a hobby. That hobby grew into tens of thousands of downloads a week, an active community of gamers and hobbyists, and a steady source of income thanks to that same community and the crowdfunding platform Patreon. The platform Garrett helped build through podcasting also became a source of recurring graphic design freelance clients.

Dr. Kristie Pretti-Frontczak is a {r}evolutionary speaker, researcher, and play advocate. Through podcasts, blogs, free resources, and trainings, Kristie inspires and supports early educators in {r}evolutionizing their teaching. Kristie spent 16 years, as faculty, at Kent State University and now trains and coaches early educators worldwide. Kristie is a Past President of the Division for Early Childhood and works with intentness and determination to sort through the clutter and chaos to join seemingly disparate ideas. She also aims to celebrate differences and shared attributes to achieve solutions. You can access her latest solutions at http://prekteachandplay.com.

STEPHEN J. BAGNATO, Ed.D., NCSP is a Developmental School Psychologist and Professor of Psychology and Pediatrics at the University of Pittsburgh, Schools of Education (Psychology-in-Education, Applied Developmental Psychology--ADP) and Medicine (Pediatrics); Coordinator, Children with Special Healthcare Needs—Child Life specialization; He is founder and Faculty Mentor of the Division for Early Childhood Partnerships (www.earlychildhoodpartnerships.org) at the University (Office of Child Development), and affiliated with Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC through the LEND Center at the University of Pittsburgh as a core interdisciplinary faculty for leadership education in neurodevelopmental disabilities for Maternal and Child Health Bureau fellows and university interns.

Toni Linder, Ed.D., is professor emeritus in the Child, Family, and School Psychology Program at the Morgridge College of Education at the University of Denver in Denver, Colorado. Dr. Linder has been a leader in the development of authentic assessment for young children and is known for her work on Transdisciplinary Play-Based Assessment and Transdisciplinary Play-Based Intervention (1990, 1993, 2008). In addition, she developed Read, Play, and Learn (1999), an inclusive, literature and play-based curriculum for preschool and kindergarten learning and development. She consults nationally and internationally on assessment, intervention, early childhood education, program development, and family involvement issues. Dr. Linder has conducted research on a variety of issues, including transdisciplinary influences on development, parent-child interaction, curriculum outcomes, and using technology for professional development in rural areas. In 2012 Dr. Linder formed Early Learning Dynamics LLC to serve as a plat

Ellen Galinsky, President and Co-Founder of Families and Work Institute (FWI), helped establish the field of work and family life during the time she was at Bank Street College of Education, where she was on the faculty for 25 years. Her more than 100 books and reports include the best-selling Mind in the Making: The Seven Essential Life Skills Every Child Needs, Ask The Children, and the now classic The Six Stages of Parenthood. She has published over 300 articles in journals, books and magazines.