Hannah Denker

Hannah Denker serves as an early childhood education postdoctoral research associate with EdPolicyWorks, a collaboration between the School of Education and Human Development and the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy. Her research uses education policy analysis and quantitative methodologies to understand what makes early childhood experiences beneficial to young children and to shed light on the factors contributing to social disparities in early childhood education. 

Currently, Denker is actively engaged in a new evaluation endeavor involving Fast Track, an innovative initiative aimed at attracting new assistant teachers to the field of early childhood education in Virginia. Additionally, she is investigating the experiences of novice educators in the state of Louisiana. This work is grounded in data collected as part of an ongoing research policy partnership established under the umbrella of the Study of Early Education through Partnerships (SEE-Partnerships). Denker hopes to contribute valuable insights to the evolving landscape of early childhood education practices, specifically focusing on early educator compensation and retention.

Ph.D., University of Colorado Boulder, 2023
M.S., Oklahoma State University, 2013
B.S., Oklahoma State University, 2011