I am a Professor of Early Childhood Education in Curriculum Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana where I've been on faculty since 1993. Prior to this, I was a teacher and then an early childhood program director. I earned my M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Child Development at Florida State University. Currently, my primary research and teaching interests involve factors that influence the healthy overall growth, development, learning, and well-being of young children (birth to age 8); examining teaching beliefs and practices across cultures and contexts, and looking at factors that influence and ensure the well-being of early childhood professionals who care for our youngest citizens.