People
RESPECT Across Nebraska is a collaboration among researchers and other professionals with broad expertise in early childhood education and teacher preparation and certification with diverse context and cultural backgrounds. RESPECT partners represent five institutions of higher education engaged in early childhood teacher preparation in Nebraska and three core partner organizations leading efforts to advance early care and learning in the state.
Leadership
Julia Torquati
Principal Investigator
Professor, Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Buffett Community Chair in Infant Mental Health
Lisa Knoche
Co-Principal Investigator
Research Associate Professor; Co-Director, Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools; Director, Nebraska Academy for Early Childhood Research, University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Personnel
Hana Sindi
Simin Kazemi Azghadi
Alexa Yunes-Koch
Victoria Johnson
Hayley Jackson Perez
Kathleen Knudsen
Team Members
Early Childhood Instructor Division Head; Paraeducator/Pre-Teacher Education vrajasekar@thenicc.edu | Read bio Faculty Member and Grant Writer, Academics- General Liberal Arts, Education Adjunct Faculty, Academics- Education Division Associate Professor, Teacher Education Professor, Teacher Education Associate Professor, Child, Youth & Family Studies kbuchheister2@unl.edu | Read bio Assistant Professor of Practice, Child, Youth and Family Studies Associate Professor, Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education amanda.morales@unl.edu | Read bio Lecturer, Teaching, Learning & Teacher Education nengenwedin2@unl.edu | Read bio Associate Professor, Child, Youth & Family Studies Associate Professor, Teacher Education dwisneski@unomaha.edu | Read bio Associate Professor, Early Childhood EducationMetropolitan Community College
Deanna Peterson
Nebraska Indian Community College
Viji Rajasekar
Patti Page
Eugene Hamman
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Paula Thompson
Jane Strawhecker
University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Kelley Buchheister
Christine Corr Kiewra
Amanda Morales
Nancy Engen-Wedin
Soo-Young Hong
University of Nebraska at Omaha
Debora Basler Wisneski
Kerry-Ann Escayg
Director of Nebraska Early Learning Initiatives Executive Director tgordon@NebraskaAEYC.org | Read bio T.E.A.C.H. Early Childhood® NEBRASKA Program Coordinator and Scholarship Counselor; Child Care WAGE$® Child Care Subsidy Administrator Administrator, Office of Accountability, Accreditation and Program Approval Administrator, Office of Early Childhood EducationBuffett Early Childhood Fund
Gladys Haynes
Nebraska Association for the Education of Young Children
Tracy Gordon
Julie Warford
Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services
Nicole Vint
Nebraska Department of Education
Brad Dirksen
Melody Hobson