Gina Cook, assistant professor of child development, has been named a Simms/Mann Faculty Fellow.
Gina Cook, assistant professor of child development at California State University, Stanislaus, has been named a recipient of a 2015 Simms/Mann Faculty Fellowship.
The fellowship, conducted by the Los Angeles-based Simms/Mann Institute, is a public/private partnership offering professional development to CSU and California Community College instructors in the fields of early childhood education, psychology and nursing.
The 13 fellows were introduced Nov. 3 during a program and think tank session at the Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills. Each member of the group will spend one year working on a project that translates neuroscience research into practical applications. Additionally, each fellow will collaborate with other professionals in early childhood development to discover methods of integrating their findings into the classroom.
“I am very excited about this opportunity,” Cook said. “This fellowship will allow me to better understand the latest neuroscience research in the areas of infant/toddler development and birth-3 early childhood education. This will inform my teaching, further my research interests, and allow me to make connections with other faculty and researchers.”
Cook said the fellowship will not be taking her away from her work at Stanislaus State. In addition to the initial think tank session, there are meetings tentatively scheduled for January and May 2016, and Cook said the bulk of her project will be completed over the summer. Cook will be presenting her project at next year’s think tank.
This is the third year of the Simms/Mann Institute Fellowship. The first two groups of fellows were accepted exclusively from the community college system.
“By enhancing academic supports, which include continued education for teachers … we will make great strides in advancing the next generation of early care and education providers,” said Loren Blanchard, the CSU’s 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.”