Advisory Board

Digital Kids has assembled a top-notch Advisory Board composed of experts from the industry (Dr. Michael Levine from the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop), and in the fields of child development and education (Dr. David Uttal from Northwestern University). and quantitative analyses (Dr. Kevin Grimm from the University of California, Davis). This Advisory Board is available for consultation on any project, both as a whole or individually. Here are their bios:

Dr. Michael Levine

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Dr. Levine is the Executive Director of the Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and oversees the Cooney Center's efforts to catalyze and support research, innovation, and investment in educational media technologies for young children. Prior to joining the Center, Michael served as Vice President of New Media and Executive Director of Education for Asia Society, managing the global nonprofit organization's interactive media and educational initiatives to promote knowledge and understanding of Asia and other world regions, languages and cultures.

Previously, he oversaw the Carnegie Corporation of New York's groundbreaking work in early childhood development, educational media, and primary grades reform and was a senior advisor to the New York City Schools Chancellor, where he directed dropout prevention, afterschool, and early childhood initiatives. Michael has been a frequent adviser to the U.S. Department of Education and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, writes for public affairs journals, and appears frequently in the media. He was named by Working Mother magazine as one of America's most influential leaders in shaping family and children's policy and serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including We Are Family Foundation, Ready To Learn, Talaris Institute, and Teach For America. He is also currently a senior associate at the Edward Zigler Center in Child Development and Social Policy at Yale University. Michael received his Ph.D. in Social Policy from Brandeis University's Florence Heller School and his B.S. from Cornell University.

Dr. David Uttal

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Dr. Uttal is a professor of psychology and education at Northwestern University. His research interests include cognitive development, spatial cognition, symbolic development, mathematical thinking, and education. Along with teaching undergraduate psychology, he leads a research laboratory of undergraduate, graduate students, and post-docs investigating a range of topics including maps, symbols, learning and museums, and natural sciences. David has published numerous articles and books, which can be accessed on his website. David received his Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Michigan.

Dr. Kevin Grimm

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Dr. Grimm is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Davis. He received his B.A. in Mathematics and Psychology with a concentration in Education from Gettysburg College in 2000, my M.A. and Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA (2001-2006). At the University of Virginia he studied structural equation modeling and longitudinal data analysis (e.g., growth curve analysis, longitudinal mixture modeling, longitudinal measurement, and dynamic models) with Jack McArdle and John Nesselroade. After completing his Ph.D., he worked with Bob Pianta as a research associate in the Center for the Advanced Study of Teaching and Learning (CASTL) at the University of Virginia.

Kevin’s research interests include multivariate methods for the analysis of change, multiple group and latent class models for understanding divergent developmental processes, and cognitive/achievement development. He teaches undergraduate and graduate quantitative courses at UC-D including Applied Psychometrics, Item Response Theory, Structural Equation Modeling, and Statistical Analysis of Psychological Data. He also teaches at workshops sponsored by the American Psychological Association's Advanced Training Institute and the Longitudinal Research Institute.