Dr. Karen Bierman, Ph.D.

Karen Bierman is an Evan Pugh University Professor, Professor of Psychology and Human Development and Family Studies, and Director of the Child Study Center at The Pennsylvania State University. Her 30+ year research career has focused on social-emotional development and children at risk, with an emphasis on the design and evaluation of school-based programs that promote social-emotional competence and school readiness.

She has directed several longitudinal studies evaluating the long-term impact of early school-based and family-focused preventive interventions designed to reduce aggression (Fast Track) and enhance school success (Head Start REDI). She also directs a predoctoral training program in the interdisciplinary educational sciences.

Bierman’s research has been funded by NICHD, IES, NIMH, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, W.T. Grant Foundation, and W. K. Kellogg Foundation. She has served as an educational advisor to a number of organizations devoted to improving early education for disadvantaged children, including Head Start and Sesame Street.

Karen Bierman - My Why from MindEDU on Vimeo.