UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute

Anhedonia, the inability to anticipate or experience pleasure, can emerge during adolescence and often precedes the onset of more severe psychopathology such as mood disorders and psychosis. FPG Faculty Fellow Aysenil Belger and colleague Danielle Roubinov, an associate professor in the UNC DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, will lead an innovative study of the predictors of anhedonia in young people. #psychiatry #childdevelopment

Mark your calendars to save these dates! The 25th International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute will take place May 13-15, 2025. And registration for the event opens January 7, 2025! Honoring Our 25 Year History—Reflecting, Celebrating, and Advancing This year, we are celebrating 25 years of bringing together individuals with disabilities, families, practitioners, policymakers, and many other leaders in the field to learn and share ideas, experiences, and expertise on evidence-informed early childhood inclusive practices and policies. And we are thrilled to announce that Jordyn Zimmerman, a passionate educator and disability advocate, will be our keynote speaker! Learn more on our conference website: https://lnkd.in/dejmGm95 #FPGInclusionInstitute #Inclusion #EarlyChildhood

Nathan Jorgensen, PhD, is a postdoctoral research associate for the Equity Research Action Coalition. He has extensive training in quantitative methodology and advanced statistical modeling. His research focuses on how cultural systems shape identity and social development across the lifespan. He is also interested in historical and socio-political perspectives on psychological theory and research. Learn more: https://go.unc.edu/Hn29Z #Equity #Research #ChildDevelopment

Executive functions play a role in future academic achievement, interpersonal skills, and emotion regulation. To understand how to best measure these skills in young children, FPG Advanced Research Scientist Laura Kuhn and colleagues compared three performance-based measures of executive functions that have been developed for preschoolers. The results of that work were published in “A Comparison of Three Executive Function Batteries in a Preschool-Aged Sample." #ExecutiveFunction #Research

Megan Bookhout, Ph.D. is a research scientist with the National Implementation Research Network at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG). As part of our FPG profile series, we recently spoke with Bookhout to learn more about her work at FPG. Read her profile using the link in the comments. #Implementation #Research

The mission of the STEM Innovation for Inclusion in Early Education (STEMIE) Center at FPG is to improve access and participation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) learning opportunities for young children with disabilities and intersecting identities. Understanding the importance of identifying disparities in STEM education, a STEMIE team recently examined the literature and published their findings.

The James J. Gallagher Award is given annually to two employees of UNC’s Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG) in recognition of their contributions and dedication to the FPG community. This year, FPG is pleased to recognize both Technical Assistance Specialist Jessica Amsbary and Research Associate Sarah Wackerhagen for their outstanding service to the Institute. #ChildDevelopment #TechnicalAssistance #Research

Anhedonia, the inability to anticipate or experience pleasure, can emerge during adolescence and often precedes the onset of more severe psychopathology such as mood disorders and psychosis. FPG Faculty Fellow Aysenil Belger and colleague Danielle Roubinov, an associate professor in the UNC DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY, will lead an innovative study of the predictors of anhedonia in young people. #psychiatry #childdevelopment

Paula Grubbs, PhD, is a technical assistance specialist at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG). While she spends a large amount of time working with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance Center (ECTA), Grubbs also works on the Kindergarten Sturdy Bridge and the NC Data Governance projects. As part of our FPG profile series, we recently spoke with Grubbs to learn more about her work at FPG. #TechnicalAssistance #Kindergarten

FPG Faculty Fellow Kara Hume has merged her passion for exercise and supporting neurodivergent communities by building a fitness program for people of varying abilities.