The Children's Equity Project Team
Meet the Children’s Equity Project team at Arizona State University, including experts in early childhood policy, education equity, Head Start, disability, mental health, language justice, and family engagement.
The Children’s Equity Project (CEP) at Arizona State University brings together researchers, policy experts, educators, and partners working to advance equity in early childhood education and learning systems. Our team has expertise across early childhood policy, Head Start, disability and inclusion, mental health, language justice, family engagement, educational equity, child development, and related areas of research and policy.
Meet the CEP researchers, faculty, staff, advisors, and partners behind our research, policy analysis, technical assistance, and resources for children, families, educators, and policymakers.
CEP Team
Shantel Meek, PhD (she/her)
Founding Executive Director & Professor of Practice
Children's Equity Project, Arizona State University
Dr. Meek is a Professor of Practice and the Founding Executive Director of the C…
Janniqua Dawkins-Bruening, MBA (she/her)
Assistant Director of Operations
Children's Equity Project, Arizona State University
…
Eric Martinez (he/him)
Senior Marketing & Communications Specialist
Children’s Equity Project, Arizona State University
Eric Martinez is the Senior Marketing & Communications Speci…
Rosemarie Allen, PhD (she/her)
Associate Research Professor & Senior Advisor
Children's Equity Project, Arizona State University
Dr. Rosemarie Allen is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education at Metropo…
Lisa Gordon (she/her)
Senior Director of Training, Technical Assistance & Professional Development & Professor of Practice
Children's Equity Project, Arizona State University
Lisa Gordon has worked in early c…
Tunette Powell, PhD (she/her)
Director of Parent & Family Partnerships & Research Assistant Professor
Children's Equity Project, Arizona State University
Dr. Tunette Powell is a powerful storyteller and educa…
Brittany Alexander, PhD (she/her)
Research Assistant Professor for Early Childhood
Children's Equity Project, Arizona State University
Dr. Brittany Alexander is an early childhood equity and policy researcher at the…
Xigrid Soto-Boykin, PhD (she/her)
Director of Language Justice & Learning Equity & Research Assistant Professor
Children's Equity Project, Arizona State University
Dr. Xigrid Soto-Boykin's passion for leverag…
Darielle Blevins, PhD (she/her)
Research Assistant Professor
Children's Equity Project, Arizona State University
Dr. Darielle Blevins' goal is to use an intersectional approach to elevate communities’ voices in resea…
Eric Bucher, EdD (he/him)
Research Assistant Professor
Children's Equity Project, Arizona State University
Eric Bucher, Ed.D., is a research assistant professor of early childhood policy at the CEP and speciali…
Mario Cardona J.D. (he/him)
Professor of Practice
Children's Equity Project, Arizona State University
Mario is an accomplished executive leader with nearly 20 years of high-level experience in law and policy. He has…
Afua Ameley-Quaye, M. Arch (she/her)
Graduate Research Assistant
Children's Equity Project, Arizona State University
Afua's work focuses on the interaction of children and the physical learning environment, and its e…
CEP Partners
Iheoma U. Iruka, PhD
Senior Advisor
Children’s Equity Project, Arizona State University
Research Professor and Founding Director
Equity Research Action Coalition at Frank Porter Graham Child Development…
Kristine Andrews, PhD
Co-Founder and Senior Director
Ideas to Impact
Dr. Kristine Andrews is co-Founder and Senior Director of Ideas to Impact, a social science policy and research consulting firm. Lived experiences…
Sheresa Boone Blanchard, PhD
Associate Professor
Department of Human Development and Family Science, East Carolina University
Dr. Sheresa Boone Blanchard is an Associate Professor at East Carolina University in the d…
Dianna Carrizales-Engelmann, PhD
Director of Administration
College of Education Leadership, University of Oregon
Dr. Dianna Carrizales-Engelmann is Director of Administration for the College. She has published in th…
Dina C. Castro, PhD
Director
Boston University Institute for Early Childhood Well-Being
Dr. Dina C. Castro is Director of the Boston University Institute for Early Childhood Well-Being and Professor in the Department…
Kelly L. Edyburn, PhD
Senior Researcher
Education Northwest
Dr. Kelly L. Edyburn (they/elle) is a bilingual (Spanish/English) child and community psychologist and Senior Researcher at Education Northwest. Dr. Edyburn…
Richard Fabes, PhD
Professor
T. Denny School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University
Dr. Richard A. Fabes is the John O. Whiteman Dean's Distinguished Professor at Arizona State University. He also is…
Veronica A. Fernandez, PhD
Research Scientist
University of Miami
Dr. Veronica A. Fernandez is currently a Research Scientist at the University of Miami. Her research focuses on understanding and improving the qualit…
Eugene E. García, PhD
Professor Emeritus
Arizona State University
Dr. Eugene García is Professor Emeritus at Arizona State University. He served as Professor and Vice President for Education Partnerships at ASU…
Walter S. Gilliam, PhD
Executive Director
Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska
Walter S. Gilliam began serving as the executive director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute in 2023, su…
Mary Louise Hemmeter, PhD
Professor
Department of Special Education, Vanderbilt University
Dr. Mary Louise Hemmeter is a professor of Special Education at Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on effective inst…
Neal Horen, PhD
Director
Early Childhood Division, Georgetown University Center for Child and Human Development
Dr. Neal Horen is a clinical psychologist who has focused on early childhood mental health for the last…
Oscar Jiménez-Castellanos, PhD
Executive Director
The Center for Educational Leadership
Dr. Oscar Jiménez-Castellanos is the Chair of the Department of Education and Murchison Endowed Professor of Education at Trinit…
Ngozi Lawal, M.A.
Independent Contractor
Ngozi Lawal, M.A. was formerly the Project Director for the Center for the Study of Social Policy’s Prenatal to 3 Initiative, which aimed at increasing the number of children on tr…
Michael L. López, PhD
Vice President
Education and Child Development NORC, University of Chicago
Dr. Michael López is Vice President for Education and Child Development at NORC at the University of Chicago, where he…
Carol Lynn Martin, PhD
Professor
T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Family Dynamics, Arizona State University
Dr. Carol Lynn Martin is Cowden Distinguished Professor in the T. Denny Sanford School of Social and Fa…
Kent McIntosh, PhD
Professor
Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences, University of Oregon
Dr. Kent McIntosh is a Professor in the Department of Special Education and Clinical Sciences at the University…
Amittia Parker, PhD, LMSW, MPA
Senior Policy Associate
National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety at Georgetown University
Dr. Amittia Parker, LMSW, MPA provides training and technical assistance for th…
Deborah F. Perry, PhD
Director of Research and Evaluation, Research Professor
Center for Child and Human Development, Georgetown University
Dr. Deborah F. Perry is the Director of Research and Evaluation and a profes…
Ryan Pontier, PhD
Assistant Professor
School of Education & Human Development, Florida International University
Dr. Ryan Pontier is an Assistant Professor in the School of Education & Human Development at Flo…
Hakim Rashid, PhD
Professor
School of Education, Howard University
Dr. Hakim M. Rashid is a Professor and former Chairman of the Department of Human Development and Psychoeducational Studies in the School of Educatio…
Vilma Reyes, PhD
Director of Training
University of California, San Francisco
Dr. Vilma Reyes is the Director of Training at University of California, San Francisco in the Child Trauma Research Program. Since 2009,…
Elizabeth Ricks, PhD
Assistant Professor
School of Education, Howard University
Dr. Elizabeth Ricks is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Human Development and Psychoeducational Studies at Howard University.…
Eva Marie Shivers, J.D., PhD
Director
Indigo Cultural Center
Dr. Eva Marie Shivers, J.D. is the executive director of Indigo Cultural Center, a non-profit action research firm located in Phoenix, AZ. Dr. Shivers' wor…
D. Camille Smith, Ed.S., M.S., CPD, CCCE
Educational Psychologist
National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
D. Camille Smith, Ed.S., M.S., CPD, CCCE i…
Takiema Bunche Smith
Executive Director
Center on Culture, Race & Equity
Takiema has worked for over two decades in support of children, families and educational programs and systems through her work as a teacher…
Adai Tefera, PhD
Assistant Professor
Disability and Psychoeducational Studies Department, The University of Arizona
Dr. Adai Tefera (she/her/hers) is currently an assistant professor in the Disability and Psychoeduca…
Dawn A. Yazzie, M.A.
Early Childhood Mental Health Consultant and Expert Mentor
Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation
Dawn A. Yazzie, M.A., works as an Early Childhood Mental…