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-doctoral researcher at Temple University under Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Katelyn leads work on a playful learning intervention at a network of early care and 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 sensitivity to misinformation, and the development of question-asking. As a post-doctoral researcher with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, she focused on the international adoption of 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.
Charlotte Wright is a research associate working with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek to examine parental attitudes and involvement in children’s learning through play. She received her Bachelors from Tufts University, an M.S. in Early Childhood Education from Boston University, and M.Ed. in International Educational Development with a concentration in Early Childhood Policy and Planning from Columbia University, under the guidance of Dr. Sharon Lynn Kagan. Charlotte is particularly interested in the “schoolification epidemic” and studying how a child’s right to play can be best defended, and is working to develop recommendations for how policies can support parental engagement in children’s learning through play. Charlotte is also a digital content creator for the Table.
Katherine Ziska is a research assistant and social media manager at NYU, where she helps create study stimuli, collect data, and manage recruitment for the Princeton and NYU Discoveries in Action (PANDA) digital research platform. She holds a Bachelors from the University of Chicago and is completing a Masters in Cognitive Development from NYU, where she focuses 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 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 016
Grace Monks, J.D.
Episode information forthcoming!

Episode 017
Angelia Gangemi, M.D.
Episode information forthcoming!