With over 200 research faculty, scientists and staff, CASTL is a collaborative and innovative environment focused on the latest research that improves teaching and learning from infancy to higher education.

CASTL Faculty

Julia Blodgett

Julia Blodgett

  • Associate Professor
  • Clinical Psychologist
Margaret Burchinal

Margaret (Peg) R. Burchinal

  • Research Professor
Julia Jackson Cohen

Julie Jackson Cohen

  • Charles S. Robb Associate Professor
Jamie DeCoster

Jamie DeCoster

  • Research Assistant Professor
Jason T Downer

Jason T. Downer

  • Professor
  • Director, Center for Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning
Shereen El Mallah

Shereen El Mallah

  • Research Assistant Professor
Tanya Evans

Tanya Evans

  • Research Assistant Professor
Jennie Grammer

Jennie K. Grammer

  • Stern Bicentennial Associate Professor in Education and Neuroscience
David W. Grissmer

David W. Grissmer

  • Research Professor
Tara Hofkens

Tara Hofkens

  • Research Assistant Professor
Chris S Hulleman

Chris S. Hulleman

  • Research Associate Professor
Karen Inkelas

Karen Kurotsuchi Inkelas

  • Professor of Education
Lieny Jeon

Lieny Jeon

  • Jane Batten Bicentennial Associate Professor
Jamie J. Jirout

Jamie J. Jirout

  • Assistant Professor
Emily Kohler

Emily A. Kohler

  • Research Assistant Professor
Traci Kutaka

Traci Kutaka

  • Research Assistant Professor
Ann Partee

Ann Partee

  • Research Assistant Professor of Education
Robert C Pianta

Robert C. Pianta

  • Batten Bicentennial Professor of Early Childhood Education
Sara Rimm-Kaufman

Sara Rimm-Kaufman

  • Commonwealth Professor of Education
Josipa Roksa

Josipa Roksa

  • Professor
Shubhi Sachdeva

Shubhi Sachdeva

  • Research Assistant Professor

Emily Solari

  • Edmund H. Henderson Professor of Education
Yoi Tibbett

Yoi Tibbetts

  • Research Assistant Professor
Khara Turnbull

Khara Turnbull

  • Research Assistant Professor
Virginia (Ginny) E Vitiello

Virginia E. Vitiello

  • Research Associate Professor
Jessica E Whittaker

Jessica E. Whittaker

  • Research Associate Professor
  • Director of Birth to Eight Initiatives
Amanda P Williford

Amanda P. Williford

  • Batten Bicentennial Professor of Early Childhood Education
  • Associate Director for Early Childhood Education, CASTL
  • Clinical Psychologist

CASTL Research Associates

Pilar Alamos Valenzuela

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate

Jhonelle Bailey

  • Early Childhood Research Scientist
Sooyeon Byun

Sooyeon Byun

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate
Karime Cameron

Karime Cameron

  • CASTL Education Innovation and Research (EIR) Project Associate
Caroline Chamberlain

Caroline Chamberlain

  • CASTL Research Specialist Intermediate
Marie Cushing

Marie Cushing

  • Research Specialist
Kelly Edwards

Kelly Edwards

  • Postdoctoral Research Associate

Natalie S. Evans

  • Research Associate
Carolyn Gosse

Carolyn Gosse

  • Senior Scientist
Yin Gu

Yin Gu

  • Research Specialist

Samantha Haigood

  • Research Specialist
Christa Biel

Christa Haring

  • Research Scientist
Laura Helferstay

Laura Helferstay

  • Research Specialist

Lilian Hummer

  • Research Specialist
Karen Kehoe

Karen F. Kehoe

  • Research Associate
Ryan D. Kiley

Ryan D. Kiley

  • Senior Research Specialist
Allison P Leach

Allison P. Leach

  • Research Scientist
Ann Shargo Lhospital

Ann Shargo Lhospital

  • Senior Scientist
Richard Marks

Richard Marks

  • Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Hannah Frances Melton

  • Research Specialist
Min Oh

Min Hyun Oh

  • Research Associate
Hallie Parten

Hallie Parten

  • Research Specialist

Ashley Harden Reid

  • Research Specialist Intermediate

Brittany Rettig

  • Research Specialist
Katlyn Reynolds

Katlyn Reynolds

  • Research Specialist
Jaclyn M. Russo

Jaclyn Russo

  • Research Scientist

Rasha Salous

  • Research Specialist
Zhiling Shea

Zhiling Shea

  • Research Scientist

Megan W. Stuhlman

  • Research Scientist
Jasmine M. Truong

Jasmine M. Truong

  • Research Specialist
  • EL-VEST Coordinator
Wanda Weaver

Wanda L. Weaver

  • Research Scientist

CASTL Staff

Tashia Abry

Tashia Abry

  • Senior Research Specialist

Stephanie Adams

  • Project Associate-PM59

Jenny Paola Rincon Aguirre

  • Bilingual Education and Outreach Specialist
Rinyka Belle Allison

Rinyka Belle Allison

  • Early Childhood Education Coach

Stephanie Altman

  • Project Associate
  • Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant

Jissel Belinda Anaya

  • Research Scientist
Anna Ballantyne

Anna Ballantyne

  • Lab Manager, Educational Neuroscience Lab
Amanda Balsamo Doherty

Amanda Balsamo Doherty

  • Grants and Contracts Administrator

Andrea Barrett

  • Research Specialist Intermediate

Anna Josephine Barrick

  • Research Specialist

Erin Beard

  • Education and Outreach Specialist

Janet Beaulieu

  • Early Childhood Education (ECE) Coach

Michelle Behnke

  • Virginia Literacy Partnerships Education and Outreach Specialist

Patricia E. Bennett-Wilhelm

  • STREAMin3 Early Childhood Coach

Rainey Blackwell-Bullock

  • Education and Outreach Specialist

Kama Danielle Booher

  • Early Childhood Education (ECE) Coach

Claire Bremner

  • Research Specialist
Terra Browne

Terra Browne

  • Motivate Lab Project Associate

Michele N. Burke

  • PALS Education and Outreach Specialist

Marcela Courtade Carlock

  • Education and Outreach Manager
Lingmei Cheng

Lingmei Cheng

  • PALS Senior Web Developer
Myra Childs

Myra Childs

  • Professional Development Early Childhood Education Coach

Leah Chilson

  • Project Management Associate

Carlin Conner

  • Senior Scientist
Dylan Cooper

Dylan Cooper

  • Software Engineer 3

Hayley Corey

  • Education and Outreach Specialist

Laura Jo Darcy

  • Education and Outreach Director
Jenifer Davis

Jenifer Davis

  • Project Associate
Jenn Donnelly

Jenn Donnelly

  • Senior Grants and Contracts Administrator

Monique Calderon Dotson

  • Postsecondary Pathways Director
Caitlin Ellis

Caitlin Ellis

  • Early Childhood Education Project Manager
Anne Etten

Anne Etten

  • Education and Outreach Specialist

Natalie S. Evans

  • Research Associate
Lauren Farina

Lauren Farina

  • Research Specialist Intermediate
Michelle Francis

Michelle Francis

  • Senior Data Manager
Cloe E. Frank

Cloe E. Frank

  • Coordination and Research Coordinator
  • Data Systems Administrator
  • Research Specialist
Jennifer Fry

Jennifer Fry

  • Early Childhood Coach

Callen Garrett

  • Senior Grants and Contracts Administrator

Michele A. Gay

  • Software Engineer

Laura C. Giessler

  • Education and Outreach Specialist

Jocelyn Gilchrist

  • STREAMin3 Implementation Specialist

Cassandra M. Godwin

  • Early Childhood Education (ECE) Coach

Michelle Gomes

  • Early Childhood Education (ECE) Coach
Allison Gray

Allison Gray

  • Senior Data Analyst and Visualization Specialist

LaNijah Grier

  • Education and Outreach Manager
Christopher Gulla

Christopher Gulla

  • Manager, IT Applications Development
Brooke Haas

Brooke Haas

  • Project Associate
  • STREAMin3 Project Management Associate
Jamie Hammond

Jamie Hammond

  • Education and Outreach Manager
Sarah Hawthorne

Sarah Hawthorne

  • Data Specialist

Anne-Marie Howard

  • Education and Outreach Specialist
Susan Hughes

Susan C. Hughes

  • Administrative Coordinator

Sharon Lorey Hung

  • Project Manager
Jenny Isaacs-Lowe

Jenny Isaacs-Lowe

  • Education and Outreach Manager

Janine Jakim

  • Data Specialist
Brianna Jaworski

Brianna Jaworski

  • Research Coordinator
Pamela S Jiranek

Pamela S. Jiranek

  • CASTL Research Specialist
Moira Johnson

Moira Johnson

  • Project Manager

Lydia Jordan

  • Early Childhood Education (ECE) Coach

Benjamin King

  • Data Management Specialist
Katie Kinsella

Katie Kinsella

  • Communications and Outreach Specialist

Heather C. Kitsis

  • Virginia Literacy Partnership Project Manager

Brian Kozuch

  • CASTL Finance Generalist

Natarsha B. Lee

  • Research Specialist Intermediate
Tekalign Lenahan

Tekalign Lenahan

  • Data Specialist
Daniel Lipscomb

Daniel Lipscomb

  • Research Specialist
Ailsa Long

Ailsa Long

  • CASTL Graphic Designer
Alison Lubin

Alison Lubin

  • CASTL Center Administrator
Sarah V. Lydic

Sarah Virginia Lydic

  • Senior Instructional Technology Specialist
  • Multimedia Developer
Marianna Lyulchenko

Marianna Lyulchenko

  • Research Specialist

Sharon Sarah Manana

  • ECE Content and Training Developer

Alicia Matho

  • Education and Outreach Manager

Genevieve Matthew

  • Research Specialist Intermediate

Kate Matthew

  • Project Manager

Keisha J. McClain

  • Early Childhood Education (ECE) Coach
Angel McCray

Angel McCray

  • VKRP Communications and Outreach Specialist
Jazmyn McGhee

Jazmyn McGhee

  • Early Childhood Education Content and Training Developer

Kelly McGuire

  • Multimedia Creative Professional

Katherine James McLemore

  • Instructional Coach, TeachSIM Lab
Franny MeLampy

Franny MeLampy

  • Early Childhood Education Content and Training Developer

Amy K. Mireku

  • FP3 Research Specialist
Lauren Moriarty

Lauren Moriarty

  • Senior IT Project Manager
Kathy Neesen

Kathy Neesen

  • Research Scientist
  • Instructional Technology Director
Becky Newell

Becky Newell

  • LinkB5 Education and Outreach Manager

Lisa Nielsen

  • Early Childhood Education Coach

Vanessa Olivar

  • UVA Bilingual Data Collector

Sandra Annette Patillo-Mason

  • Early Childhood Education (ECE) Coach
Danielle Peacock

Danielle Peacock

  • Director of Program Management, ECE Virginia

Sanford Pliskin

  • Early Childhood Education Coach

Jessica Ponton

  • Education and Outreach Manager
Amanda Reitze

Amanda Reitze

  • Education and Outreach Specialist

Yolanda Torres Richey

  • ECE Content and Training Developer

Melody Roberts

  • Administrative Coordinator

Nathalie Rose

  • Education and Outreach Manager
Elise M. B. Rubinstein

Elise Rubinstein

  • Research Manager
Miriam Rushfinn

Miriam Rushfinn

  • Early Childhood Education Project Manager
Nina Rushing

Nina Rushing

  • Early Childhood Education Coach

Sarah Schroeder

  • Education and Outreach Manager
Tara L. Scott

Tara Scott

  • Early Childhood Education Project Associate
Matthew C. Semanik

Matthew C. Semanik

  • Multimedia and Web Developer

Autumn Shaffer

  • Project Associate

Kerry Abigail Shea

  • Research Specialist Senior

Amanda Sheehan

  • Education and Outreach Manager

Lauren Simmons

  • Research Specialist
  • LinkB5 Outreach Specialist
Lori Stahl

Lori Stahl

  • Communication and Outreach Specialist

Kacey Sterne

  • Education and Outreach Manager

Celeste Sumo

  • Senior Project Management Associate
Margaret Tamayo

Margaret Tamayo

  • Project Associate

Bree Paige Taylor

  • K-3 Literacy Data Collector

Carolyn Taylor

  • Early Childhood Education Coach
Delaram Totonchi

Delaram Totonchi

  • Research Scientist

Barbara L. Totschek

  • CASTL Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant
Lisa Tyree

Lisa Tyree

  • Virginia Literacy Partnerships Education and Outreach Manager
Analía Lessenberry Valdez

Analia Lessenberry Valdez

  • Bilingual Early Childhood Education and Outreach Specialist
Benita Voran

Benita Voran

  • Data Management Specialist

Alyssa Vukelich

  • Project Management Associate
Stephanie Walker

Stephanie Walker

  • Senior Instructional Design and Technology Specialist
Pat Watkins

Pat Watkins

  • StreamIn3 Coach
Octavia Wells

Octavia Wells

  • Senior Fiscal Technician

Beth S. Williams

  • Virginia Literacy Partnerships Education and Outreach Director

Kara Williams

  • Project Associate
Melissa A Williams

Melissa A. Williams

  • Early Childhood Coach

Solitia D. Wilson

  • Research Specialist Intermediate
Amy Wolford

Amy Wolford

  • Education and Outreach Manager

Julie Young

  • Education and Outreach Manager

Affiliated Faculty