Michael Haslip, PhD Associate Professor of Early Childhood Education and Lab Director

Dr. Michael Haslip has been an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education at Drexel University since 2015. His research interests include investigating the sustainability of Pre-K outcomes; building frameworks of support for preschool social-emotional learning; creating nurturing classroom climates and promoting altruism-sustainability linkages in education.

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Stephanie Smith Budhai, PhD, Associate Clinical Professor, Teaching, Learning, and Curriculum

Dr. Stephanie Smith Budhai is an experienced early childhood educator having held positions as an early intervention specialist, Pre-K Counts consultant, and child and adolescent therapist. She is currently on the advisory board of the Kindergarten Bridge Program (joint effort with the Drexel School of Education and Action for Early Learning) and is the author of Nurturing Young Innovators: Cultivating Creativity in the Classroom, Home and Community which has been translated into Arabic. In her previous position at Neumann University, she oversaw the early child education master's and rising stars tuition assistance. She is also a former Pennsylvania Quality Assurance System (PQAS) professional development trainer, CDA instructor, and teen parent educator at the Please Touch Museum, and has received early childhood coursework competency alignment grants from the Berks County Intermediate Unit.

Teresa W. Hicks, EdD, Inclusion Early Childhood Educator

Dr. Teresa W. Hicks is a veteran preschool teacher with Richmond Public Schools in Richmond, Virginia and is the 2024 recipient of the Dr. Penny Hammerich Lifetime Achievement Award for Social Emotional Learning. She earned her doctorate in Education Administration and Supervision from Virginia State University. Dr. Hicks is an Inclusion Early Childhood Educator with over 33 years of experience. Twenty-five of those years have been with the Richmond Public Schools Head Start and Virginia Preschool Initiative programs. During this time, Dr. Hicks has served as a Teacher, Area Lead Teacher, Teacher-Tutor Co-teacher, and Lead Teacher for various academic and grant initiatives. Her research interests are Early Childhood Education, Early Childhood Inclusion Education, Teacher Leadership, Teacher Education/ Development, Urban Education, Curriculum Development, Multicultural Education, STEM/STEAM, and Arts Integration. 

Ana Acosta-Ruiz

Ana Acosta-Ruiz is the Digital Production Coordinator at Fred Rogers Productions and a student in Drexel’s Wesphal Digital Media Masters program. She holds a Bachelors in Game Design & Production. She has experience with digital, interactive experiences and games designed for early childhood education. She is passionate about accessibility and advocating for games that everyone can play. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her fiancé, Austin, and their chihuahua, Pixel.

Emily Elizabeth Clark, MEd, Head Of Reception at the British International School of Kuala Lumpur

Emily Elizabeth Clark (she/her) is a Graduate Research Assistant in the McNichol Lab and a PhD Student in Drexel's School of Education. Emily is a passionate early childhood educator who has taught children from birth to age 8 in the United States, as well as internationally in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Emily is the founder of EarlyEdEm.com, a global mission to bridge the gap between research and practice for early childhood practitioners. Emily's research interests include infants and toddlers, affordances for children's rights within early childhood care and education settings, and equity and belonging in high-quality early childhood experiences.

Sinead Meehan, PhD Student and Graduate Research Assistant

Sinead Meehan is a PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant in the School of Education at Drexel University. Her research interests include reconceptualizing K-12 science and engineering teacher preparation and professional development through a social justice and equity lens.

Erica Martinez, Undergraduate Student and Undergraduate Research Assistant

Erica Martinez is an Undergraduate Research Assistant in the Lisa and John McNichol Early Childhood Education Lab. She is pursuing her B.S. degree in Elementary Education, with a focus on Special Education. Erica’s research interests include social-emotional learning, interventions for children with special needs, and child development. When she is not studying, Erica loves to spend time with her very supportive family and participate in her church. Erica is also a member of The 4EverSister’s, a musical band she performs in with her sisters.

Amanda Clark, Assistant Professor of Education

Dr. Amanda Clark is the co-author of the book Implementing Project Based Learning in Early Childhood: Overcoming Misconceptions and Reaching Success (July 2020). She is passionate about designing high quality professional learning opportunities for educators, regardless of where they are on their project-based learning (PBL) journey.

Sarah Taylor-Whiteway, DEdPsy, Educational and Child Psychologist

Dr. Sarah Taylor-Whiteway works as an Educational and Child Psychologist in London, UK. Her research interests include whole school approaches to supporting social and emotional development, well-being in young people with autism and using supervision in education. She produces The Emotional Curriculum podcast, exploring how to translate research about SEL into practice, and sits on the committee for the Division of Educational and Child Psychology in the British Psychological Society.

Sarah Kuser, Director of Children's Early Learning Services and Programs at a nonprofit organization

Sarah Kuser is the Director of Children's Early Learning Services and Programs at a nonprofit organization. She is passionate and dedicated to early childhood and early intervention. Her research interests include increasing play skills and inclusion opportunities, and cultivating a classroom setting to support equitable, diverse, and inclusive opportunities.

Jennifer Furness, EdD, Early Intervention Technical Assistance Consultant at PaTTAN and Adjunct Professor

Dr. Jennifer Furness has been an educator for fourteen years with a primary focus in early intervention. Prior to becoming an Early Intervention Technical Assistance Consultant at PaTTAN, Dr. Furness served early intervention students within the Berks County Intermediate Unit as an itinerant teacher, classroom teacher, specialized coordinator, and as an assistant program administrator. She was also a program supervisor for early intervention at the Delaware County Intermediate Unit and an adjunct instructor at Montgomery County Community College, teaching coursework in special education. Dr. Furness continued to follow her passion for increasing staff morale within special educators by graduating with her doctoral degree from Drexel University in May of 2020, and now has the privilege of being an adjunct professor for the Drexel University School of Education.

Monica Blaisdell, PhD Student and Graduate Research Assistant

Monica Blaisdell is a PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant in Drexel University’s School of Education. Her research interests include civic and citizenship education, with a particular focus on education for sustainable development. She is interested in exploring how citizenship is defined and instructed in educational spaces, with the aim of identifying citizenship education models that will empower students to engage in their local, global, and digital communities.

Rebecca Romeis-Markham, EdD, Early Childhood Curriculum Specialist

Dr. Beki Romeis-Markham is an Assistant Professor in Practice of Early Childhood Education at the University of Texas: Rio Grande Valley.
She is a member of the McNichol Early Childhood Education Lab at Drexel University as well as the Early Math Interest Forum at NAEYC. Her favorite part of her job is "teaching teachers to teach," and she loves learning and improving her practice. Her research focuses on how recess benefits ELLs/DLLs.
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/beki-romeis-markham

Neisha Young, PhD Student and Former Graduate Research Assistant

Dr. Neisha Terry Young is an Assistant Professor of English Education at Stonybrook University. Her research revolves around using digital literacies to amplify the identity narratives of Black immigrant youth.

Sera Anello, BS in Early Childhood Education, Teacher and Lab Practitioner Partner

Sera Anello, formerly a fourth-grade teacher with the School District of Philadelphia, now works for MindUP, where she integrates wellness into school communities nationwide. She graduated from Temple University with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education and a Program Specialist Certificate in English as a Second Language. With an M.Ed in Curriculum and Instruction focused on Social Emotional Learning (SEL) and a 500 HR yoga certification, Sera is passionate about aligning her SEL and mindful awareness training with educational practices to support student well-being. A strong advocate for holistic education for all in educational communities, and contributes to lab projects as a practitioner partner and Director of Educational Resources in the development and assessment of new pedagogy.

Alene O’Malley, PhD Student and Graduate Research Assistant

Alene O’Malley is from Co. Limerick, Ireland. She holds a Bachelors of Education and a Masters of Education in Educational Leadership and Management from University of Limerick, Ireland. She taught at the primary (elementary) level in Ireland for over 10 years. In 2019, she was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to teach Gaelic at Villanova University. She then started the PhD program in Drexel’s School of Education in the Fall of 2021. Her doctoral research interests lie in human resource development and mentoring practices as a means to motivate and retain teachers in the profession at every stage in their career.

Julie Muehlenkamp, Health and Wellness Coordinator and Lab Practitioner Partner

Julie works as the Health and Wellness Coordinator with Covington Partners, the non-profit arm of the Covington Independent Public School District, in Covington, Kentucky. As a part of her work in the field of wellness, Julie has led a pilot project to implement strength-based goal setting with students participating in out of school time. Julie is currently a student and Graduate Research Assistant at Northern Kentucky University (NKU) and will be earning a Master’s in Public Administration in the Fall of 2022. Most recently, her team at NKU published research on best practices for supporting Black college students’ wellbeing through advising by exploring equitable access. Outside of work, she enjoys yoga, gardening, and volunteering as a foster home for rescue dogs.

Christopher Beissel, Ed.D., Principal and Lab Practitioner Partner

Christopher Beissel, Ed.D., is the principal at Hamburg Area High School in Hamburg, PA.  Dr. Beissel is a member of the Lisa and John McNichol Early Childhood Education Lab at Drexel University, and is an advocate for integration of social-emotional competencies and holistic development in classrooms and within the school community. Dr. Beissel received his Doctor of Education from Drexel University in 2021.  His dissertation, titled The High School Teacher Mindset: A Mixed Methods Study, drew from both SEL and mindset literature to create a new construct called the “SEL Mindset”, as well as presented a new instrument to measure teachers’ SEL Mindset that was specifically designed for the study.  Dr. Beissel’s study included nearly 200 high school teachers from across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.  Dr. Beissel enjoys spending time with his wife, Katie, and his daughter, Harper.

Christian Holland, MBA, MDIV, Senior Director of Out of School Time and Youth Programming

Born and raised in Chicago, Christian Holland received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Wesleyan University. His degree focused on Cultural and Organizational Psychology. In addition to his 20+ years of experience, Christian serves on various health/educational boards throughout the City of Philadelphia. In 2002, he received his Masters of Divinity with a focus in administration, counseling, and education from Claremont School of Theology.

As senior director of Out of School Time and Youth Programming, Christian provides strategic oversight and expansion for multiple sites/contracts in Philadelphia and Delaware County, which provide quality educational extended learning opportunities for youth and families. As an extension of his current role at ECS, Christian serves as the Vice- Chair of the Pennsylvania Department of Education 21st CCLC Advisory Board and will accept the role of Chairman in the beginning of FY23 for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Christian has also served in the role of Director and Behavioral Specialist in Afterschool/OST programs with Temple University and outstanding nationwide youth programs like Education Sports Fun Camps held at Girard College, Moorestown, Lawrenceville, NJ, and Greenwich, CT.

Christian finished his MBA program graduating with a 4.0 GPA and honors from Benedictine University and has received Certification from the Nonprofit Executive Leadership Institute at Bryn Mawr College. Christian also gives back to the community by serving as the Executive Director and Chairman of Oasis Prayer & Recovery Centers and Ministries, a newly founded non-profit and ministry in Philadelphia, which focuses on community outreach, service, spiritual coaching and inner healing.

On a more global front - Christian is a team member, International Volunteer Team Lead Endorser and Commissioner of the Council of Accreditation (COA). With COA, he sits on numerous strategic and operations advisory boards that impact thousands of youth and families worldwide.

Noah Harrington, BSBA, Sustainability Education Research Assistant

Noah Harrington is a sustainability education coach and research assistant who accompanies teachers as they learn to integrate altruism and sustainability as learning objectives into early childhood education programs and beyond. He has a BSBA from the University of Vermont with an interdisciplinary theme in sustainability, a concentration in finance, and a minor in community and international development. In the lab, he is a member of the Teaching for Sustainability and Altruism through Project-Based Learning (SAPBL) team which offers an online course for teachers worldwide.  Noah's research interest lies in project-based learning, particularly questions involving sustainability which is imperative in developing a healthy and just world.

Brandi Binakonsky

Dr. Brandi Binakonsky has worked in the field of special education for over 20 years. Beginning her career as a special education teacher for school-age programs, she was able to leverage her emotional support and co-teaching experiences in order to transition to the role of an administrator/supervisor for an Early Intervention preschool program for 13 years. Within this role, Dr. Binakonsky was able to focus on building partnerships and collaborative relationships with school districts and community early childhood partners. She is currently working as an Early Intervention Technical Assistance Consultant. In addition to receiving her doctorate in education through the California University of PA where her research focused on professional development relative to the needs of staff who provide preschool Early Intervention services. Dr. Binakonsky also holds a Superintendent Letter of Eligibility from California University of PA and a Supervisor of Special Education certificate from the University of Pittsburgh to augment her undergraduate and graduate degrees in special education. Her passion includes empowering all levels of leadership through high-quality professional development to positively impact inclusive experiences for all children and families.

Angela Anderson

Angela Anderson has a passion for integrating Human Services and Early Learning Education. She has an Associate Degree in Psychology, a Bachelor's Degree in Human Services and a Master's Degree in Cross Disciplinary Studies with a concentration in Preschool Education. Angela started her early learning career as an assistant teacher in her son's preschool classroom in 2003. In 2004 she became a VPK teacher in a Fort Myers faith-based program. As time progressed as a servant leader in the early childhood education field, she worked in many different administrative roles assisting ECE programs, directors and ECE teachers in many different capacities to ensure ECE programs had what they needed to adhere to quality best practices. In addition to her full-time position as the Director of Curriculum and Professional Development for Guadalupe Center’s four ECE centers in Immokalee Florida, Angela also is an Adjunct Instructor for Rasmussen College and a trainer for the Department of Children and Families.

Stephanie L. Simon M.Ed

Stephanie L. Simon is an Early Childhood Educator with over 30 years in the field. During this time Stephanie has served as a Teacher, Director, Program Coordinator, Programs Director, Professional Development Facilitator, CDA Instructor, Provider Services Manager with CCIS and a Preschool Specialist working in collaboration with the PA-Key and PA’s Office of Child Development and Early Learning. Stephanie is currently an Early Learning Specialist with First Up, providing coaching and mentoring to support SEL with ECE Providers.

Stephanie holds a master’s degree in Early Childhood Education from West Chester University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Special Education/ Elementary Education from Temple University.

Lin Chu, PhD

Dr. Lin Chu is an associate professor and master's supervisor in the Teachers` College of Beijing Union University. He has a doctor's degree in ethnic preschool education and a master's degree in comparative education, focusing on comparative preschool education research. Dr. Lin Chu paid close attention to the research on preschool curriculum in China and the United States. He has carried out research work in three kindergartens in Hartford, Connecticut, and a Reggio kindergarten in New Haven, Connecticut, and published an academic work on cultural elements in kindergarten curriculum in combination with the practice of kindergartens in Beijing, China. At the same time, Dr. Lin Chu has published more than 30 academic papers on comparative education. Dr. Lin Chu will be working with Dr. Rebecca at Drexel University, focusing on regional and national education research, especially the research on the social emotional development of preschool children in China and the United States.

Casey Hanna

Casey Hanna is a PhD student and Graduate Research Assistant in the School of Education at Drexel University. Her research interests include civic education and engagement, community-school partnerships, and teacher education. Before starting her graduate degree, she was an archaeologist and secondary social studies teacher.

Julie Knutson

Julie Knutson (she/her/hers) is a classroom teacher and writer with a keen interest in human rights and sustainability education. She currently teaches at Springside Chestnut Hill (SCH) Academy in Philadelphia, where she infuses the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into courses that include 6th grade “Social Entrepreneurship,” 8th grade “Digital Publishing,” and 10th grade “Social Impact.” Alongside more than two dozen students, she also spearheads SCH middle school’s vibrant Eco Club.

Julie’s book Global Citizenship: Engage in the Politics of a Changing World was a 2021 Skipping Stones Multi-cultural book of the year; her The Science and Technology of Marie Curie was a finalist for the AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books in the Hands-on Science Book category.

Tajma Cameron

Tajma Cameron is a Ph.D. candidate pursuing her degree in Education Leadership and Policy. Tajma is also a certified Biology teacher (7th-12th grade) in Maryland and Pennsylvania and worked as a science and math teacher teaching a range of courses to 9th-12th grade students. Tajma’s overall research focuses on how culturally affirming, sustaining, and creative instructional practices and curriculum can be utilized to cultivate and nurture Black girls’ STEM identity in formal school settings and informal STEM environments.

Danielle Heeney, EdD

Dr. Danielle Heeney is a Special Education Curriculum Specialist in the School District of Philadelphia. Her professional experience includes 16 years of classroom experience as a special education teacher and school-based special education coordinator in the School District of Philadelphia. She has also served as Director of Special Education for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Her research interests include social-emotional supports for students with emotional/behavioral disabilities, literacy interventions for students with reading disabilities, accommodations for students with visual impairments, peer-mediated supports for students with disabilities, and international education.

Karen Tripolitis

Karen Tripolitis is a 30-year early childhood educator and founder of Mindful Roots Children, a company focused on developing instructional aids for teachers to support social and emotional learning. Karen has taught mindfulness and yoga concepts to students and teachers as part of health and wellness initiatives, summer school programs, classroom integrations, and as continuing education for staff members. This has led to the development of the M.Y. Time Program which provides comprehensive practical tools for movement based learning. SEL skills are nurtured resulting in connected communities of children. Karen is a certified children's and adult yoga instructor and elementary education teacher. In addition, she is a certified reading specialist and has her master's in early literacy and creative teaching methods. Empowering students to discover their own strengths and abilities is her passion.

Andy Liu, PhD

Dr. Andy Liu’s service in the McNichol ECE lab addresses systems building for sustainability education as a member of the teachESD.org team where he explores the integration of STEM and sustainability concepts into PK – 12 curricula. Andy earned his Bachelor of Science in chemistry from the California Institute of Technology and his Ph.D. in inorganic chemistry from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After working at Northwestern University as a National Institutes of Health Postdoctoral Fellow, Andy joined DuPont as a Research & Development chemist and served nearly 20 years developing new products, processes, and applications, as well as supporting sales, marketing, and manufacturing. In January of 2009, he assumed responsibilities for developing and executing global strategies for gaining regulatory notification and registration approvals for new substance commercialization. He is currently the Product Sustainability Strategy Leader at Chemours, responsible for leading the company’s Sustainable Offerings goal, which aspires to maximize the Chemours product portfolio’s contributions to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He is interested in partnering with the education sector to develop the capacity of youth to select sustainability related careers.

Turea Hutson, PhD 

Dr. Turea M. Hutson (she/her) is a dedicated educator and policy expert with four years of experience as an early childhood educator, specializing in inclusive instruction for neurodivergent students. She has served on her local school board for seven years, including three as board president, where she gained extensive experience in education policy and school leadership. Her research and publications focus on equity in education, with a particular emphasis on students with disabilities. Dr. Hutson has also contributed to state-level policy as a member of the Pennsylvania Governor's and Lt. Governor’s transition team, advocating for comprehensive education reforms and support for underserved populations.

Kayina Abudurexiti, PhD candidate

Kayina is a PhD candidate in Reggio Childhood Studies at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Italy. Her research interests include the development of character strengths in young children, the virtue meaning-making process, and how moral competences are practiced by children in Reggio Emilia childcare settings. She is interested in identifying, defining, and supporting children’s character strengths using the tools of science and community dialogue. She organizes workshops with children, parents, and teachers in Reggio Emilia, Italy, to explore “100 languages of virtues” and their cultural roots. She was a visiting scholar to Drexel University and is currently assisting a mixed-methods study in the McNichol ECE lab examining the effectiveness of the Virtue Mural teaching strategy among primary grade children. She is also a member of the Cognitive Modelling and Psychological Networks in Mathematical Psychology (CogNosco) Lab at the University of Trento.

Elizabeth Porter, M.Ed., AFAHO's Education Programs Manager

Elizabeth Porter, M.Ed., AFAHO's Education Programs Manager, oversees the adult and youth programs. With a background in early childhood education, curriculum development, and advocacy, she's dedicated to improving educational outcomes for all ages. Her previous roles at The Joshua Tree, Bilingual Academy for Children, and Independence Charter School West, along with her teacher education training at Drexel, equip her to empower learners in her community.

Dr. Bridget Blakely, Associate Clinical Professor in ABA

Tutoring Staff

Honorary Members