Associate Professor

HDFS Undergraduate Honors Program Coordinator

Associate Professor

Human Development & Family Science

Research topics

Early Childhood & Learning Human Development & Family Studies Social, Cultural & Family Contexts

Biography

Dr. Rachel Thibodeau-Nielsen earned her PhD in Developmental Science and Cognitive Psychology with a minor in statistics from the University of Alabama in 2017.  Dr. Thibodeau-Nielsen’s research focuses on enhancing children’s school readiness and overall well-being by identifying mechanisms and developing interventions to improve cognitive and socio-emotional skills among preschoolers, particularly those who experience adversity in early childhood. Her primary interest is to examine play as a mechanism for development in early childhood. Her work shows that imaginative or pretend play — which involves cooperation, flexible thinking, shared emotions and support among peers and adults — can lay the foundation for the skills children need to be successful in school, work, and life.

Affiliations

Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD)

The Magic House, St. Louis Children’s Museum

Areas of expertise

• • School readiness
  • Early childhood
  • Children’s play
  • Executive function