Pitt Names New Chair of Psychology of Education Department

PITTSBURGH—Jerlean Daniel, associate professor in the University of Pittsburgh School of Education and cocoordinator of its Applied Developmental Psychology Program, has accepted the position of chair of the school's Department of Psychology in Education, effective July 1. Daniel succeeds Louis Chandler, who is retiring.

"Dr. Chandler has served the school extremely well, and his forthcoming retirement certainly leaves a large gap in the school's leadership and professional ranks," said Alan Lesgold, dean of the school, who made the announcement. "Dr. Daniel brings a wide range of experience to this position, and we are very fortunate that she has agreed to bring her experience and leadership talents to the chair position of her department."

Daniel, who works with Heads Up! Reading, an early literacy project sponsored by the National Head Start Association and the Council for Professional Recognition, spent the 2002-2003 academic year in Washington, D.C., at the National Head Start Office, providing advice on improvements in its early reading initiatives. She is a past president of the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), an organization of more than 100,000 early care and education professionals committed to enhancing the quality of early childhood programs, ages birth through eight years.

She has served as a center associate on the Early Literacy Project at Pitt's Learning Research and Development Center. This project developed the New Standards' Speaking and Listening Standards for preschool through third grade. Daniel also was a child care center director for 18 years, including eight years at the University Child Development Center.

In addition, she has been a board member, secretary, and president of the Pennsylvania Association of Child Care Agencies; president of the Pittsburgh Association for the Education of Young Children; and a member of NAEYC's governing board. Active in her local community, Daniel served as chair of the Early Head Start Advisory Committee and the Allegheny County Early Childhood Initiative.

Daniel earned the Bachelor of Science degree in political science, the Master of Science degree in child development, and the Ph.D. degree in education at Pitt. She received the Chancellor's Distinguished Public Service Award this year, the University's highest faculty honor for public service.

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