Doctoral milestone

20 years of teaching students about kids

On November 8, Eliot-Pearson celebrated the 20th anniversary of its doctoral programÑthe first in applied child development in the nation.

The evening included a panel of students and alumni discussing their experiences in the department. "What I found were people who talked about children, knew about children and discussed issues that weren't out there in the literature yet," said panelist Nancy Terres, G99.

Doctoral candidate Robin Einzig, a 20-year veteran of early childhood education, said, "Eliot-Pearson allowed me an opportunity to reinvent myself within the field that I'd been in all my life." Alumna Jackie Chen noted that the program's emphasis on theory, practice and reflection "helped me to internalize, to articulate and to know what I really believed."

Richard Ely, G93, moderated the panel, which also included Bethany Roditi, G88.

Three faculty emeritae attended the eventÑSylvia Feinburg, Charna Levine and Evelyn Pitcher, who is the founding chair of the department.