Meet the Faculty and Staff
Carol Bersani - Director
Carol serves as pedagogical coordinator and director of the laboratory school. Her particular interest is in how teacher study groups impact student learning, teacher professional development and organizational change. Recent publications have focused on the function of child development laboratory school for professional development and ways of engaging parents as partners with teachers in the education of young children. She serves on the editorial board of the journal, Innovations in Early Education. Teaching areas include play, organizational development, and preschool education.
Felicia Black
Felicia has been a preschool teacher at the Child Development Center since 2001. Her research focus is building relationships and critical thinking skills through the support of outdoor experiences. She has presented her work at statewide conferences as well as undergraduate courses in Early Childhood Education. Felicia has taught undergraduate courses in the Early Childhood Education program in the areas of developmental reading and writing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education (CSU) and a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University.
Terri Cardy
Terri has been at the Child Development Center as preschool teacher since 2005. She has worked for the university since 2003 teaching Early Childhood Education courses and supervising student teachers. Her research interest is in building and sustaining a sense of community in a part-time classroom. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and her Master's in Early Childhood Education from Indian University of Pennsylvania. Her experience with young children is varied. She has been a Preschool Director, Toddler Program Supervisor, Preschool Teacher in a Head Start Program and in a public school, and a Developmental Specialist for an early intervention program.
Cynthia Cleary
Cynthia has been a toddler teacher at the Child Development Center since 2000. Her research focus is on the importance of rituals in the lives of toddlers. This has been an ongoing, collaborative study with a fellow teacher. Her work has been presented a number of times at the national, state, and local levels. Cynthia is also interested in studying the nature of play and how toddlers transform reality in their play. She enjoys working with pre-service teachers and has been a mentor teacher and a college instructor of student from the Early Childhood Education Department. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in French, a Master of Education degree with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Curriculum & instruction at Kent State University.
Nancy Condit
Nancy has been a teacher at the Child Development Center since 1994. She began as a preschool teacher and in 1998 became the Kindergarten teacher. Her research interest is in the use of technology as a tool for young children's learning. She has presented this work at national and state conferences and has also published this work in Innovations. In 2002, 2004, and 2005 Nancy was a cohort teacher at the SBC Ameritech Classroom and presented her work at the Ohio School Net Technology Conference in 2003 and 2005. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education (BGSU) and a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University.
Becky Frazier
Becky has been the studio teacher at the Child Development Center since 2001. Her focus is on the many ways in which varied media support the expression and communication of questions, ideas and feelings for children and adults. She is also interested in children's deep relationships that inspire and inform symbolic invention. Her research includes the study of listening and engagement in forming learning collaborations among teachers and children. Becky's interest in the role of the studio teacher in early childhood education has afforded her many opportunities to present workshops across the state and at national conferences. She recently completed a statewide exhibit that reflects the professional development work of forty interconnected study groups. She holds Bachelor degrees in Fine Arts and Art Education from Ohio State University and a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University.
Carolyn Galizio
Carolyn has been a preschool teacher at the Child Development Center since 1995. She is committed to researching children's theories as they learn together within a caring community. In the summer of 2004, Carolyn presented at a conference supporting children with Autism at Kent State alongside Dr. Lisa Audet, sharing principles of the Reggio Emilia approach in Early Childhood Education. She was also fortunate enough to share this work with a delegation of educators from Korea, as well as several graduate classes. Carolyn's work is part of an exhibit that opened in November 2004 in Columbus and is now traveling with Ohio Voices for Learning: A Reggio Inspired Study Group for Early Childhood Educators. In 2004, Carolyn also attended the first Making Learning Visible Institute at Harvard University where she shared a small piece from the exhibit. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education and is completing requirements for her Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education, both from Kent State University.
Pam Hutchins
Pam began her relationship with the Child Development Center in 1992 as a student teacher and was hired as the summer preschool teacher in 1995. She started her current position as Co-Coordinator of the Children's Program in the fall of 1995. Since 2000, she has also been an instructor for the Early Childhood Education program in the area of child development enabling her to work more closely with the university students. She is currently interested in studying the value of outdoor environments for young children. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Individual and Family Studies and Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education, both from Kent State University.
Laurie Kidwell
Laurie taught Kindergarten at the Child Development Center for two years and then retired to raise a family. In 1997, she returned to teach preschool at the Child Development Center. Laurie's research focus is on the children's use of symbolic languages and the use of portfolios as an assessment tool in preschool classrooms. Her work has been presented at several statewide conferences as well as many undergraduate Early Childhood Education courses. Laurie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education, both from Kent State University.
Julie Kwon
Julie is the Child Development Center's Family Services Coordinator. In this position, her focus is primarily on family involvement in the school community by orienting new families, working with the Center Family Connection (CFC). Julie was born and raised in Seoul, Korea and immigrated to Orange County, California in 1987 with her family. She holds a Bachelor of Education degree in Special Education from Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA and a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from California State University Fullerton in Fullerton, CA. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate degree in Counselor Education from Kent State University and hopes to graduate in May 2008. Julie has a background in teaching regular and special education grades K-12 and specializes in working with young children as well as children with special needs. Julie also has an extensive interest in children with autism. Julie has relocated from Orange County and is adjusting to the many changes that Ohio has offered. Upon graduation, Julie hopes to return to California in pursuit of working with immigrant families with special needs children, and becoming a professor.
Jodi Monaco
Jodi has been a toddler teacher at the Child Development Center since 1995. Her research interest is in how very young children develop a sense of place at school and in the out of doors. Her work on this topic along with research on the importance of rituals in the lives of toddlers has been presented at several national, state, and local conferences. Jodi is also researching how toddlers communicate their knowledge and curiosity while deeply engaged with materials such as clay or paint. She teaches undergraduate courses in preschool education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, a Master of Arts degree in Student Personnel, and a Master of Education degree with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education all from Kent State University, with additional graduate coursework graduate coursework in Early Childhood Special Education.
Caroline Perjessy
Caroline is the Student Supervisor at the Child Development Center. She is in her second year of doctoral work for Counselor Education and Supervision. She holds a BA in Psychology and an MSEd in Community Counseling, both from Youngstown State University. Caroline has a background in advocacy and mental health, having worked in outpatient mental health agencies and crisis intervention. Her research interest areas include supervision, career counseling, and professional development amongst counselors.
Julie Stoll
Julie has been working at the Child Development Center part time a Co-Coordinator of the Children's Program since 2001. She is a full time non-tenure track faculty for the Early Childhood Department teaching in the areas of preschool math and science, primary mathematics, and preschool education. She has presented work at national and state conferences in the area of preschool mathematics. Her current research focus is how teachers create a classroom culture for inquiry and critical thinking. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University and is currently pursuing a Doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Kent State University.
Rochelle Thomas
Rochelle has been the receptionist at the Child Development enter for six years. She has been with Kent State University for 18 years. Rochelle is at the front desk as people enter the building.
Cindy Vesia
Cindy has been a preschool teacher at the Child Development Center since before the center had a home of its own. She was given the opportunity to help plan the building that is now the home of our beautiful school. She feels a great sense of pride because she took part in making the dream of our school become a reality. Since 2000, Cindy has been a member of the Kent Reggio which meets on a weekly basis to study together. She had the privilege of traveling to Reggio Emilia, Italy in 2000 where she spent ten days studying the infant/toddler centers and preschools with 250 educators from the United States and six other countries. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University. Cindy supervises Early Childhood student teachers who are placed at various sites each semester.
Meet the Faculty and Staff
Carol Bersani - Director
Carol serves as pedagogical coordinator and director of the laboratory school. Her particular interest is in how teacher study groups impact student learning, teacher professional development and organizational change. Recent publications have focused on the function of child development laboratory school for professional development and ways of engaging parents as partners with teachers in the education of young children. She serves on the editorial board of the journal, Innovations in Early Education. Teaching areas include play, organizational development, and preschool education.
Felicia Black
Felicia has been a preschool teacher at the Child Development Center since 2001. Her research focus is building relationships and critical thinking skills through the support of outdoor experiences. She has presented her work at statewide conferences as well as undergraduate courses in Early Childhood Education. Felicia has taught undergraduate courses in the Early Childhood Education program in the areas of developmental reading and writing. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education (CSU) and a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University.
Terri Cardy
Terri has been at the Child Development Center as preschool teacher since 2005. She has worked for the university since 2003 teaching Early Childhood Education courses and supervising student teachers. Her research interest is in building and sustaining a sense of community in a part-time classroom. She obtained her Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education from Clarion University of Pennsylvania and her Master's in Early Childhood Education from Indian University of Pennsylvania. Her experience with young children is varied. She has been a Preschool Director, Toddler Program Supervisor, Preschool Teacher in a Head Start Program and in a public school, and a Developmental Specialist for an early intervention program.
Cynthia Cleary
Cynthia has been a toddler teacher at the Child Development Center since 2000. Her research focus is on the importance of rituals in the lives of toddlers. This has been an ongoing, collaborative study with a fellow teacher. Her work has been presented a number of times at the national, state, and local levels. Cynthia is also interested in studying the nature of play and how toddlers transform reality in their play. She enjoys working with pre-service teachers and has been a mentor teacher and a college instructor of student from the Early Childhood Education Department. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in French, a Master of Education degree with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education, and is currently pursuing a doctorate degree in Curriculum & instruction at Kent State University.
Nancy Condit
Nancy has been a teacher at the Child Development Center since 1994. She began as a preschool teacher and in 1998 became the Kindergarten teacher. Her research interest is in the use of technology as a tool for young children's learning. She has presented this work at national and state conferences and has also published this work in Innovations. In 2002, 2004, and 2005 Nancy was a cohort teacher at the SBC Ameritech Classroom and presented her work at the Ohio School Net Technology Conference in 2003 and 2005. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education (BGSU) and a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University.
Becky Frazier
Becky has been the studio teacher at the Child Development Center since 2001. Her focus is on the many ways in which varied media support the expression and communication of questions, ideas and feelings for children and adults. She is also interested in children's deep relationships that inspire and inform symbolic invention. Her research includes the study of listening and engagement in forming learning collaborations among teachers and children. Becky's interest in the role of the studio teacher in early childhood education has afforded her many opportunities to present workshops across the state and at national conferences. She recently completed a statewide exhibit that reflects the professional development work of forty interconnected study groups. She holds Bachelor degrees in Fine Arts and Art Education from Ohio State University and a Master of Education in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University.
Carolyn Galizio
Carolyn has been a preschool teacher at the Child Development Center since 1995. She is committed to researching children's theories as they learn together within a caring community. In the summer of 2004, Carolyn presented at a conference supporting children with Autism at Kent State alongside Dr. Lisa Audet, sharing principles of the Reggio Emilia approach in Early Childhood Education. She was also fortunate enough to share this work with a delegation of educators from Korea, as well as several graduate classes. Carolyn's work is part of an exhibit that opened in November 2004 in Columbus and is now traveling with Ohio Voices for Learning: A Reggio Inspired Study Group for Early Childhood Educators. In 2004, Carolyn also attended the first Making Learning Visible Institute at Harvard University where she shared a small piece from the exhibit. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education and is completing requirements for her Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education, both from Kent State University.
Pam Hutchins
Pam began her relationship with the Child Development Center in 1992 as a student teacher and was hired as the summer preschool teacher in 1995. She started her current position as Co-Coordinator of the Children's Program in the fall of 1995. Since 2000, she has also been an instructor for the Early Childhood Education program in the area of child development enabling her to work more closely with the university students. She is currently interested in studying the value of outdoor environments for young children. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Individual and Family Studies and Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education, both from Kent State University.
Laurie Kidwell
Laurie taught Kindergarten at the Child Development Center for two years and then retired to raise a family. In 1997, she returned to teach preschool at the Child Development Center. Laurie's research focus is on the children's use of symbolic languages and the use of portfolios as an assessment tool in preschool classrooms. Her work has been presented at several statewide conferences as well as many undergraduate Early Childhood Education courses. Laurie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education, both from Kent State University.
Julie Kwon
Julie is the Child Development Center's Family Services Coordinator. In this position, her focus is primarily on family involvement in the school community by orienting new families, working with the Center Family Connection (CFC). Julie was born and raised in Seoul, Korea and immigrated to Orange County, California in 1987 with her family. She holds a Bachelor of Education degree in Special Education from Gonzaga University in Spokane, WA and a Master of Science degree in Counseling Psychology from California State University Fullerton in Fullerton, CA. She is currently pursuing a Doctorate degree in Counselor Education from Kent State University and hopes to graduate in May 2008. Julie has a background in teaching regular and special education grades K-12 and specializes in working with young children as well as children with special needs. Julie also has an extensive interest in children with autism. Julie has relocated from Orange County and is adjusting to the many changes that Ohio has offered. Upon graduation, Julie hopes to return to California in pursuit of working with immigrant families with special needs children, and becoming a professor.
Jodi Monaco
Jodi has been a toddler teacher at the Child Development Center since 1995. Her research interest is in how very young children develop a sense of place at school and in the out of doors. Her work on this topic along with research on the importance of rituals in the lives of toddlers has been presented at several national, state, and local conferences. Jodi is also researching how toddlers communicate their knowledge and curiosity while deeply engaged with materials such as clay or paint. She teaches undergraduate courses in preschool education. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology, a Master of Arts degree in Student Personnel, and a Master of Education degree with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education all from Kent State University, with additional graduate coursework graduate coursework in Early Childhood Special Education.
Caroline Perjessy
Caroline is the Student Supervisor at the Child Development Center. She is in her second year of doctoral work for Counselor Education and Supervision. She holds a BA in Psychology and an MSEd in Community Counseling, both from Youngstown State University. Caroline has a background in advocacy and mental health, having worked in outpatient mental health agencies and crisis intervention. Her research interest areas include supervision, career counseling, and professional development amongst counselors.
Julie Stoll
Julie has been working at the Child Development Center part time a Co-Coordinator of the Children's Program since 2001. She is a full time non-tenure track faculty for the Early Childhood Department teaching in the areas of preschool math and science, primary mathematics, and preschool education. She has presented work at national and state conferences in the area of preschool mathematics. Her current research focus is how teachers create a classroom culture for inquiry and critical thinking. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from Bowling Green State University and a Master of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University and is currently pursuing a Doctorate degree in Curriculum and Instruction at Kent State University.
Rochelle Thomas
Rochelle has been the receptionist at the Child Development enter for six years. She has been with Kent State University for 18 years. Rochelle is at the front desk as people enter the building.
Cindy Vesia
Cindy has been a preschool teacher at the Child Development Center since before the center had a home of its own. She was given the opportunity to help plan the building that is now the home of our beautiful school. She feels a great sense of pride because she took part in making the dream of our school become a reality. Since 2000, Cindy has been a member of the Kent Reggio which meets on a weekly basis to study together. She had the privilege of traveling to Reggio Emilia, Italy in 2000 where she spent ten days studying the infant/toddler centers and preschools with 250 educators from the United States and six other countries. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Master of Education degree in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University. Cindy supervises Early Childhood student teachers who are placed at various sites each semester.