Jenna Somers

By Jenna Somers Last year, analysis by The Washington Post showed that Tennessee had passed more laws targeting educational institutions than any other state. Among these laws are Public Chapter No. 493, commonly known as the “prohibited concepts law,” and Public Chapter No. 744, otherwise known… Read More

By Jessica Holter What school and community systems and resources are necessary to create equitable conditions for students to excel? How do district policies and practices exacerbate or transform disparities in student opportunities and outcomes? How can schools build learning opportunities to support all students? These questions guide the research… Read More

By Jenna Somers In 2022, the U.S. State Department awarded a two-year, $2.5 million grant to Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development and the American University of Iraq–Baghdad to design and launch a new college of education and human development at AUIB focused on teacher training and… Read More

On June 29, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled in favor of Students for Fair Admissions in cases against the University of North Carolina and Harvard College for violating the Constitution’s equal protection clause in their admissions practices. The decisions overturned more than 40 years of precedent set… Read More

By Jenna Somers ChatGPT is here to stay, and educators need to adapt to their students using it—at least, that’s what news headlines have suggested for almost a year following ChatGPT’s unveiling. Much of the coverage has given voice to worries about the possibility that AI will hinder learning… Read More

Hankering for a warm crepe and coffee? Then bike over to Red Bicycle, now with two locations on the campus of Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. Hours of Operation: 6 Magnolia, ground floor: Monday – Friday, 7:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Peabody Library, ground floor: Monday –… Read More

By Jenna Somers Andres Pinedo How do young people develop an understanding of societal and systemic injustices, and how are they compelled to challenge those injustices? These questions lie at the center of new research published in Child Development that illuminates the interplay between youth participation in community-based… Read More

The Peabody Scholars program gives exceptional undergraduate students at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development the opportunity to contribute to the betterment of society through collaborations with organizations around the world in the form of summer service projects. These projects reflect the program’s larger mission to… Read More

In 2023, many states made major progress to address poverty, the child care crisis, birth outcomes, and more.   American families are struggling. A national funding cliff is making child care even less affordable and accessible, the Medicaid unwinding means dropped coverage for millions, and child poverty has doubled after… Read More

Cynthia Osborne Cynthia Osborne has been selected as a 2023 Aspen Institute Ascend Fellow, recognized for her leadership in working across sectors to support the well-being of children and families. Osborne is professor of early childhood education and policy as well as the founder and executive director… Read More

By Jenna Somers Meghan Burke Public schools’ resources for students with disabilities are critical tools for empowering their educations, especially when families have the knowledge to advocate for their children and partner with their children’s schools to create support plans. However, research suggests that some schools may be falling… Read More

By Jenna Somers From left to right: Balkis Boum and Nancy Dickson of the AUIB Project Design Team, Pallavi Reddy, Allison Webster-Giddings, Dean Camilla Benbow, Jason Fatz, and Associate Dean Xiu Cravens The American University of Iraq—Baghdad has hired three alumni of Vanderbilt’s Peabody College of education… Read More

By Jenna Somers Amy Booth; Photo by Anne Rayner; VU Little is known about the origins and development of scientific literacy and interests that emerge in early childhood, but according to Amy Booth, professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and… Read More

Department of Teaching and Learning Alyssa Wise Alyssa Wise Professor of Technology and Education Professor Wise is the new director of the Learning Incubator: A Vanderbilt Endeavor (LIVE). Her research combines the tools of data science, the theory of learning sciences, and the practices of human-centered design to… Read More

By Jenna Somers Autumn Kujawa A two-year, $1.45 million grant from the National Institute of Mental Health will support a study to test a novel therapeutic approach for preventing the emergence of anhedonia, a hallmark symptom of depression, in high-risk children. Autumn Kujawa, associate professor of psychology… Read More

  Erin Henrick Erin Henrick has been named a Carnegie National Faculty member by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. Henrick is a senior lecturer in the Department of Leadership, Policy, and Organizations at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. “Carnegie National Faculty… Read More

Kathryn Humphreys, associate professor of psychology and human development at Vanderbilt Peabody College, has won a 2023 Early Career Impact Award from the Federation of Associations in Behavioral & Brain Sciences. Read More

Dean Camilla Benbow and Jordanian educators Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College of education and human development hosted faculty, administrators, and staff from four Jordanian universities in a collaboration with International Research & Exchanges Board from May 8 to 12. The delegation was seeking to develop and implement a pre-service teacher education… Read More

By Jenna Somers Richard Welsh, associate professor of education and public policy Two recent studies indicate that school-level factors play a considerable role in racial disparities in school discipline. The first study, conducted primarily through a series of interviews, reveals disciplinary tensions between district leaders, school administrators, and… Read More

By Jenna Somers Will Doyle, professor of leadership, policy, and organizations In April, Will Doyle, professor of leadership, policy, and organizations, participated in a panel presentation attended by congressional staff in Washington, D.C., to discuss the possibility of federal-state partnerships to fund higher education at low or no… Read More