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Faculty, Staff and Students

The School of the 21st Century is located in the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University. In addition to Yale faculty, there are a number of staff members, senior associates and affiliates, and current research assistants working with 21C.

Faculty


Edward F. Zigler, Ph.D.
Sterling Professor of Psychology at Yale, Emeritus
email:edward.zigler@yale.edu


Edward Zigler, Sterling Professor of Psychology Emeritus at Yale University, is the former Head of the Psychology Section of the Child Study Center at Yale’s School of Medicine and founder of the Center in Child Development and Social Policy. The Center has been renamed in his honor and is now known as The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy. He is the founder of the School of the 21st Century, which has been adopted by more than 1,300 schools nationwide.

Dr. Zigler regularly testifies as an expert witness before congressional committees and has served as a consultant to a number of cabinet-rank officers. He was one of the planners of Project Head Start and President Carter later named him chair of the 15th anniversary analysis committee.  

From 1970 to 1972, Dr. Zigler was the first director of the U. S. Office of Child Development (now the Administration on Children, Youth, and Families) and chief of the U. S. Children’s Bureau. He was also a member of the Advisory Committee on Head Start Quality and Expansion and of the planning committee for the Early Head Start program for families and children ages zero to three.

He continues to work full-time on his scholarly efforts and is currently conceptualizing a new role for Head Start where universal public preschool becomes a reality.

Dr. Zigler’s many honors include awards from the American Psychological Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the Society for Research in Child Development, the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the American Academy on Mental Retardation, the American Orthopsychiatric Association, the National Head Start Association, the Heinz Foundation, and Teachers College, Columbia University. Among his many honorary degrees are ones from Boston College and McGill University in Canada.


Matia Finn-Stevenson, Ph.D.
Associate Director, Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy

email: matia.finn-stevenson@yale.edu


Matia Finn-Stevenson is a research scientist at Yale University, Child Study Center where she is also associate director of The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy and the director of the School of the 21st Century.

She has done extensive research in child development and work-family life issues. In her current research, she examines the impact of demographics and other changes on schools and the involvement of schools in childcare and family support programs. She is the author and co-author of many scholarly publications, the most recent of which are related to school reform, evaluations of school-based support services, and child development. Among her publications are books entitled Children in the Changing World; The School of the 21st Century: Linking Child Care and Education; Child Development and Social Policy; and The First Three Years and Beyond: Brain Development and Social Policy.  

Dr. Finn-Stevenson has been an advisor on domestic policy issues to the staff of the White House Office of Policy Development and a consultant to the Connecticut legislature's Committee on Work and Family, the Committee on Education and Labor, the U. S. House of Representatives, and the U. S. Senate Subcommittee on Children, Youth, Families, Alcohol, and Drug Abuse. She regularly advises school districts and state departments of education on programs and services for children and serves as a consultant to state and federal policymakers and foundations. She earned her doctorate from Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio.


Staff



Beth Lapin, MA, MSW
Senior Associate / 21C Direct Services
e-mail: beth.lapin@yale.edu


Beth Lapin joined the staff of the Yale Bush Center as Senior Associate in the summer of 2002. She heads technical assistance, training, and program development operations for the Schools of the 21st Century initiative.

In her position with Schools of the 21st Century, Beth is focusing on the development and implementation of 21C in Arkansas, a major initiative funded through a grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. There are seventeen schools implementing 21C in Arkansas and several more AR schools will join the initiative in the next several years.

Beth comes to the Bush Center with hands-on experience in all aspects of the 21C components and was a Family Resource Center director in Connecticut. She also led statewide community planning efforts related to public health issues and managed a national grassroots campaign. She has published in a wide array of journals and newsletters on a variety of topics. Beth has conducted orientation and training meetings for people of all ages and backgrounds and administered a range of volunteer and grants programs.

Beth has a BS in Biology with a minor in Education, an MA in Biological Sciences and an MSW with a major in community organizing and a focus on children and family issues.


Otherine Johnson Neisler , Ph.D.
Senior Research Analyst
e-mail: ojn2@yale.edu


Dr. Neisler received her B.A. in Political Science from Brandeis University, M.A. in Special Education from Fairfield University and Ph.D. in Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation from Syracuse University.

Her research interests include faculty diversity and development, social studies education, qualitative research methodologies, and education for social justice.

Dr. Neisler has taught at the high school, undergraduate, and graduate levels including positions in Newton and Boston, Massachusetts, Boston College Lynch School of Education, Yale University and Saint Joseph College. Her college courses include curriculum theory and practice, teacher as researcher, American education and social studies methods and curriculum. She has worked as a whole school change coach for both elementary and high schools. Dr. Neisler merges computer expertise garnered from her 12-year career with the IBM Corporation into her teaching and research. She has just retired from leading the Saint Joseph College faculty of 25 in the exploration of teaching and research requirements for maximizing the academic achievement of all urban children. Dr. Neisler has joined the Schools for the 21st Century Program as a senior research analyst.


Alina Yekelchik , BA
Research Coordinator
e-mail: alina.yekelchik@yale.edu


Alina joined the staff of the School of the 21st Century in August of 2004 as a Research Coordinator.

She is currently working on several program evaluations. Alina comes from an extensive background, working as a paralegal in a NYC law firm as well as experience in the field of education.

Alina has a B.A. in political science and secondary social studies from SUNY College at Cortland and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in sociology.


Valerie Vergato Zielinski
Senior Administrative Assistant
e-mail: valerie.zielinski@yale.edu


In addition to providing administrative and financial support for 21C, Valerie is the 21C Conference Coordinator.

Valerie has been employed at Yale for more 20 years; prior to working with 21C, she worked for the Provost of Yale reconciling grant accounts and preparing foundation budgets. She is a graduate of Branford Hall School of Business.


Senior Associates / Affiliates


Christopher Cerf
Senior Associate
e-mail: ChrisCerf@aol.com


Christopher Cerf is an author, record and television producer, composer-lyricist, editor, humorist, and co-founder and president of the educational television production company, Sirius Thinking, Ltd. Cerf played a pivotal role in the ongoing funding of the Sesame Street television show, through the creation, licensing and production of educational records, toys and books.

For over 30 years, he has also been a regular contributor of music and lyrics to Sesame Workshop productions, winning, in the process, two Grammy Awards and two Emmy Awards for songwriting and music production.

Before joining Sesame Street, Cerf spent eight years as a senior editor at Random House, where he worked with such diverse authors as George Plimpton, Andy Warhol, and Ray Bradbury, and helped to create an in-school reading program based on the famous Beginner Book series, edited by Dr. Seuss. In 1993, Cerf renewed his ties to Random House when he assumed the role of Chairman of the Modern Library.

One of Christopher Cerf's most acclaimed projects was the editing and production of Marlo Thomas and Friends' Free To Be...A Family book, album and TV special. The book reached #1 on The New York Times bestseller list within a week of publication, and the show received a prime-time Emmy as the year's outstanding children's special. Currently, Cerf serves as Creative Producer of Between the Lions, the multiple-award-winning children's literacy series his company, Sirius Thinking, created for PBS.

Christopher's father, the late Bennett Cerf, was co-founder and president of Random House, and nationally known as an editor, television personality, writer and humorist.


Chris Henrich
Research Affiliate
e-mail: psycch@langate.gsu.edu


Dr. Henrich's interests focus on the social and motivational development of children and adolescents. Specifically, he is interested in school adjustment over key educational transitions (e.g., from elementary school to middle school) and what parents can do to promote their children's school success. Dr. Henrich is also interested in the effects of other contextual factors, such as peer groups and violence exposure, on school adjustment.

Dr. Henrich has been involved in the evaluation of several educational interventions to promote school adjustment and achievement. Most recently he has been working with researchers at the National Center for Children in Poverty on the evaluation of a school-based violence prevention program, and he also collaborates with colleagues at the Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy on a national evaluation of the Schools of the 21st Century.

Other of Chris' interests include the motivation of children with mental retardation and the policy implications/applications of developmental research.


Michael Levine
Senior Associate

email:michael.levine@sesameworkshop.org


Michael Levine is founding executive director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center and senior associate at Yale’s Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy. The Joan Ganz Cooney Center is a newly established educational media, research, and public dissemination organization housed within the offices of Sesame Workshop. The center will undertake and fund original research, forge partnerships with communications industry leaders to accelerate innovation in children's media, and conduct symposia and an information dissemination program for policymakers and the public. Until recently, Levine was at The Asia Society, where he oversaw interactive media and educational initiatives to promote global knowledge and understanding. He coordinated development of the first national network of international studies schools for low income and minority secondary students and leads a multi-state network to promote international education in US schools. Previously, Levine oversaw Carnegie Corporation of New York's work in early childhood development and primary grades reforms, where he won national recognition. Before joining Carnegie, Levine was in charge of dropout prevention programs for the New York City Board of Education and helped create a model interagency preschool program for at-risk children for Mayor Edward Koch. Levine received his BS from Cornell University and his PhD from The Heller School of Social Policy at Brandeis University. He serves as a frequent adviser to many nationally prominent companies.


Norma Meek
Senior Associate / 21C National Peer Trainer
e-mail: norma.meek@yale.edu


Norma Meek, Senior Associate, at the Zigler Center provides training and technical assistance to schools implementing 21C. She is also Director of Student Services and Parent Involvement for the Boyd County (KY) School System and Director of the summer Math/Reading program. Serving as Area Education Projects Coordinator through the Tri-State Foundation, she distributes grants to classroom teachers for innovative programs.

She served for eight years as co-chair for a Leadership Forum for Directors of Child Care programs throughout the state at Asbury College each summer. Norma is a past president of the Kentucky Coalition for Family Resource Youth Services Centers and a past president of the Kentucky School-Age Care Coalition. She has also served on the Kentucky Prevention Child Abuse Board and has been a member of the Governor's Child Care Advisory Council.

Norma chaired a Kentucky Child 2000 Initiative and also chaired a Kentucky Work Group on the Governor's Early Childhood Initiative. In 1995, Norma's Family Resource Center received the first Harry J. Cowherd Award for Excellence and in 1997 received the Kentucky Coalition's Ruth Lerman Fitzpatrick Award. In 2001, she received the YWCA Twin Award for Education. Throughout her career she was named Teacher of the Year twice.

Currently Norma is active in her community serving as a Director of United Way, Past President of Pathways Mental Health Board for ten counties, and Paramount Arts Center Board of Directors. Appointed by the mayor she is a Central Park Board Commissioner and a member of CASA(Court Appointed Student Advocate.) She still finds time to serve on her local YMCA Board. She recently became a member of the National Early Literacy Advisory Council. Serving on the Governor's Extended Learning Opportunities Council keeps her active in after-school programming. She has made numerous national presentations on behalf of children and families. Norma is a Senior Associate at the Yale Bush Center.


Patty Schumacher
Senior Associate, Coordinator of 21C Leadership Development
e-mail:
patricia.schumacher@yale.edu


Dr. Patricia Schumacher joined the staff of the Yale Zigler Center in the summer of 2005 serving as senior associate and coordinator of leadership development. She has 32 years of public school experience ranging from classroom instructor, counselor, elementary principal, director of elementary education, to associate superintendent.

As principal, she successfully implemented a School of the 21 st Century program at William Southern Elementary in Independence School District in 1988. In 1993, William Southern was named a National Blue Ribbon School and Patty was recognized as the Principal of the Year. As an Associate Superintendent in Independence, MO Patty was responsible for the expansion and quality of the School of the 21C Programs in all 14 elementary schools and at the district’s Head Start Center serving over 1500 children a year. The Independence School District was recognized by Working Mother magazine and NBC’s Tom Brokaw for its outstanding role in meeting the needs of children and families in the community.

Patty has been the recipient of several awards, most recently: Yale University Outstanding Public Service to Children and Families, University of Missouri College of Education Recognition for commitment to all children’s learning, National PTA Honorary Life Member, and Who’s Who among Outstanding Americans.

She currently serves on the board for the Independence Chamber of Commerce, Child Abuse and Prevention Association, University of Missouri Joanne H. Hook Center in Educational Renewal, Missouri Partnership for Educational Renewal, University of Missouri College of Education Alumni Board, and YouthFriends. Patty has served on numerous national boards and committees.


Research Assistants



 

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© 2002 School of the 21st Century
The Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy
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Phone: (203) 432-9944
Fax: (203) 432-9945