Meet the Team at the Table



Katelyn Fletcher, Ph.D., received her Bachelors from Cornell and her doctorate from NYU, where she studied under the mentorship of Dr. Catherine Tamis-LeMonda. Her work through graduate school focused on infant and toddler language learning and play and the supportive role of caregivers in early life development. As a post-doc at Temple University with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Katelyn leads work on a playful learning intervention at a network of early learning centers across Philadelphia. Broadly, she is interested in how young children's social relationships and early environment shape their learning and set the stage for healthy development throughout life. Katelyn is also a co-host for the Table.
Hailey Gibbs, Ph.D., received her Bachelors from Salisbury University and her doctorate from the University of Maryland, where she focused on young children's understanding of the relation between evidence and knowledge building, selective trust, and the development of question-asking. As a post-doc with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, she focused on playful learning practices and how differences across cultures shape early learning experiences. She is now a Senior Policy Analyst in Early Childhood Policy at the Center for American Progress - a non-partisan think-tank based in Washington, DC, where she studies a range of issues central to child and family policy. Hailey is also a co-host for the Table.
Katherine Ziska is a lab manager at the University of Michigan, where she is researching how children think about AI and voice assistants like Siri with Dr. Ying Xu.
She holds a Masters from NYU where she focused on how adult input affects children’s understanding and normative intuitions about natural kinds.
She has a background in comparative psychology and a passion for science communication and educational outreach, engaging the public in the power of science learning, and how research shapes our understanding of the world. Katherine is also a script researcher and content creator for the Table.

Episode 001
Join us for our opening episode, January 2022, where we talk about the greatest hits in research and policy from 2021 and Dr. Andy Ribner tells us about kids' digital media use... and math?

Episode 005
Join us for Episode five, where Dr. Jill Gandhi from the Center on Poverty and Social Policy tells us all about the incredible work scholars and advocates are doing examining how poverty shapes children's and families' lives -- and how we can use policy as a tool to end it.

Episode 009
In Episode 009, Dr. Angelia Puzio takes us on a journey to create a new culture of care, that demystifies deeply rooted gender stereotypes, encourages boys to join HEED careers, and undercuts the brilliance bias to allow people to be human.

Episode 002
Join us for episode two, where we chat with Dr. Sam Melvin about the childcare landscape, the superheroes that are early childcare educators, programming quality, and what it means to be a kid today.

Episode 006
In our sixth installment, we're joined by Dr. Kristen Stack, a school psychologist, who takes us on a journey through the life and tells us all about student supports (especially during a difficult time, like the pandemic), evals, and... umpires?

Episode 010
In Episode 010, we are joined by Jodi Miller, Ph.D. student extraordinaire, who created a student wellness platform called WellCheq that's becoming a national phenomenon. Join us for a conversation about wellness, teachers, and the importance of checking in on the people around us.

Episode 003
Tarah Threadgill
Join us for our first ever Teachers' Take, where we get the inside scoop about on-the-ground K-12 education from a superhero herself, high-school English and Theater teacher, Ms. Tarah Threadgill.

Episode 007
In Episode 007, we are joined by board-certified nurse-midwife, Bridgette Holmes (MSN, CNM) who tells us about new motherhood and takes us on a heartwarming dive into the life of a midwife, family-centered policies, and all things mom/baby.

Episode 011
Episode 011 is all about social connection --the importance of building relationships cannot be overstated, not only for our mental health, but for the neurological underpinnings that shape our experience of the world. Join us for a conversation with Dr. Rose Perry about Social Creatures and much more.

Episode 004
Join us for episode four, where we are joined by PhDad extraordinaire, Dr. Kevin Wong, who tells us all about the three multis: multilingualism, multiracialism, and multiculturalism.

Episode 008
Join us for Episode 008, where Dr. Melissa Kline Struhl walks us through all things open and collaborative science - preregistrations, open source, data sharing, and more (plus a celebration of now open federal research and the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act.

Episode 012
Olga Pagan
Episode 012 rounds out the year with a phenomenal discussion with educator-researcher extraordinaire, Olga Pagan, about culturally-relevant pedagogy, student-centered learning, and how we can bring anti-racism into the classroom to foster connection, empathy, and academic achievement.

WHAT A YEAR!
Our first year on the airwaves has been a wild ride - and we owe it all to you, curious listeners. We were able to connect with some incredible voices, reach learners all over the globe, and bring the science and policy of child development outside of the academic box. We are truly grateful to share our passions with you. Stay tuned for more in 2023!

BONUS CONTENT, YOU SAY?
You didn't think we'd leave you hanging, did you?
Curious listeners, it is a brand new year, we are are thrilled to be back on the airwaves with a special bonus episode reflecting on our 2022 auditory journey, lessons learned, and what's to come in 2023.


Episode 014
Join us for our first official episode of 2023, dear listeners, where we are joined by Maya Portillo, of the Center for Early Learning Funding Equity, to take us through how child care is funded, and how we can work to improve equitable access to enriching early learning experiences.

Episode 018
Kieara Reed
In June, we were joined at the Table by Ms. Kiera Reed, who chatted with us from the other side of the globe where she is currently an international teacher! She shared with us the ins and outs of international education, her experiences in her school, and some insights into how relationships in education are much the same everywhere.

Episode 015
In our March episode, we are joined by the phenom, Rex Yin, who shared some fantastic insights into what constitutes high-quality preschool, the ins and outs of community-based advocacy, the power of healing centers, and how to rethink our approach to social problems at the system level.

Episode 019
Dylan Van Duyne
Our July episode with Dylan Van Duyne was a dive into equity, where we learned all about the rich data he collects through his work as an equity training specialist. Through this work, Dylan has become a leader in teaching others about the power of community, understanding the self, and being a true accomplice in the fight for social justice.

Episode 016
April's episode was such a treat -- and a departure from our usual content! Meet Grace Monks, J.D., an assistant public defender who works in juvenile justice. Tune in to learn about how families and communities are impacted by the justice system and the mysteries of forensic science.

Episode 020
Lauren Giruoard-Hallam
Tune into our August episode to hear from Lauren Giruoard-Hallam, an expert in how children interact with and learn from novel technologies, like the internet and voice assistants. Growing up in the digital age cannot be easy, but researchers like Lauren are showing us the possibilities for how we can use these technologies, and what children already understand about digital literacy.

Episode 017
In our May episode, we were joined by Dr. Angelica Gangemi, a Cornell alum and current Resident Physician in Internal Medicine-Pediatrics at ChristianaCare & Nemours Children's Hospital, who taught us all about pediatrics, life as a resident, and holistic health care for children and families.

Episode 021
Dr. Molly Scott
September's episode got playful - We were joined by Dr. Molly Scott who took us behind the scenes of the Active Playful Learning collaborative, and shared some insights into the human side of community-based research, reminding us how important it is to meet people where they are, to remember the impact of our research, and that Bluey is an amazing show.