Child Development Professor Awarded Year-Long Fellowship

Amanda Wilcox-Herzog, a professor of child development at Cal State San Bernardino, has been awarded a year-long faculty fellowship from the Simms/Mann Institute. She was honored at the Simms/Mann Think Tank on Nov. 3 in Beverly Hills. As a Simms/Mann Fellow, Wilcox-Herzog will learn about the latest neuroscience research on early child development. Focusing on the critical ages of 0 to 3 years, this research will go toward the design of childcare and psychology coursework at CSUSB. Wilcox-Herzog joined the CSUSB faculty in 1999 and has since developed numerous programs and curricula in the area of childhood development. These programs include “Early Childhood Quality Improvement Project” and the “Center for Quality Early Childhood Program.” She was also the CSUSB recipient of the 2011-2012 Golden Apple Award for excellence in teaching. She earned a bachelor’s from University of California, Irvine, a master’s degree in human development and a doctorate in early childhood development from Purdue University. CSUSB plays a vital role in training California’s early care and education workforce. However, the state is currently facing a shortage of highly trained and qualified caregivers. With her access to students, Wilcox-Herzog will be able to ensure that future care providers will be knowledgeable in early child development, ultimately enabling the 60 percent of children who enter early care by the time they are six months old to achieve life-long social and emotional well being. The Simms/Mann Institute, California Community Colleges and the California State University announced 13 recipients of the 2015 Simms/Mann Faculty Fellowship. Now in its third year, the program is an innovative public/private partnership offering professional development to select California Community Colleges and The California State University faculty. The 2015 Simms/Mann Think Tank will showcase international neuroscience researchers presenting on how early experiences and environment along with caring relationships shape brain architecture. It is also convening, for the first time, a select group of stakeholders from fields including education, business, philanthropy and medicine who directly impact policy and practice in early child development. A cornerstone of the Simms/Mann Think Tank, the Simms/Mann Faculty Fellowship selects faculty fellows who will each spend one year completing a project that translates neuroscience research into practical applications. Additionally, each faculty fellow will collaborate with an interdisciplinary cohort of professionals to focus on integrating the latest research into their classrooms. This is especially critical between the ages of 0-3 when a child’s developing brain is laying the foundation for adaptability and change. “The Simms/Mann Institute is committed to bringing researchers and educators together in an attempt to find innovative and sustainable solutions to the dramatic shortage of highly qualified early (aged 0-3 ) care and education providers,” said Victoria Mann Simms, founder and president of the Simms/Mann Family Foundation and the Simms/Mann Institute. “We need to train an early care and education workforce that is knowledgeable about child development, including the latest, most relevant neuroscience research.” “By enhancing academic supports, which include continued education for teachers, such as that received by the Simms/Mann Faculty Fellowship, we will make great strides in advancing the next generation of early care and education providers,” said Loren Blanchard, CSU executive vice chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs. “A key element in achieving this goal is to provide high-quality infant and toddler practicum experience on campus.”