College of Education and Human Development

Center for Early Education and Development

Our staff

Ann Bailey Ann Bailey

  • Director

Ann Bailey, PhD, has more than 25 years of experience in the field of education and special education, specifically in technical assistance and dissemination at regional and national levels, as well as teaching, evaluation, research, and training…

Ann Bailey

Emily Beckstrom Emily Beckstrom

  • RBPD Program Specialist

Emily Beckstrom, MS, oversees relationship-based professional development (RBPD) work in the TARSS program.

Emily Beckstrom

Ashley Bonsen Ashley Bonsen

  • Curriculum Specialist

Ashley Bonsen, MA, has spent her entire professional career working in education at various levels. She has worked with learners of all ages, from infants and young children to adults in higher education.

Ashley Bonsen

Melissa Donovan Melissa Donovan

  • TARSS Training Specialist

Melissa Donovan has dedicated nearly 20 years to the early childhood field, serving in a variety of roles that support educators, trainers, and program leaders.

Melissa Donovan

Kristina Erstad-Sankey Kristina Erstad-Sankey

  • Associate Director

Kristina Erstad-Sankey, MSW, oversees early childhood program quality work at CEED, including supporting early childhood coaches, educators, and administrators in a variety of settings (Head Start, licensed child care, and school districts) to expand…

Kristina Erstad-Sankey

Maria Gabrielli Maria Gabrielli

  • Project specialist

Maria Gabrielli supports projects and operations for the department through communication, organization and technology. She manages CEED’s instructional and registration platforms and develops efficient, collaborative processes department-wide

Maria Gabrielli

Mary Harrison Mary Harrison

  • Associate Director of Infant Mental Health and Reflective Practice

Mary Harrison, PhD, LICSW, IMH-E®, leads training programs in infant mental health and reflective practice for professionals in child welfare, early care and education, early childhood special education, and other disciplines.

Mary Harrison

Molly Hughes Molly Hughes

  • Mentor FCC Project Specialist

Molly Hughes, MA, joined the TARSS team after spending over 25 years in the field in a variety of direct care settings.

Molly Hughes

Anna Landes Benz Anna Landes Benz

  • Curriculum Specialist

Anna Landes Benz focuses on curriculum and professional development design. She loves researching, writing, and resource creating. She has worked in higher education curriculum development and instructional design since 2017.

Anna Landes Benz

Tamara Masters Tamara Masters

  • TARSS Project Manager

Tamara Masters, PhD, has worked in the early childhood field for 20 years in various roles including classroom teaching, home visiting, instructional coaching, training, and higher education.

Tamara Masters

Michele Mazzocco Michele Mazzocco

  • Research Associate

Michele Mazzocco, PhD, is a professor in the Institute of Child Development. Her research spans studies with children ages two to 15 years as well as adults.

Michele Mazzocco

Mary McEathron Mary McEathron

  • Research Associate and Lead Evaluator

Mary McEathron, PhD, has 20 years of experience evaluating state and local programs with an emphasis on useful evaluations that support learning and program improvements.

Mary McEathron

Alyssa Meuwissen Alyssa Meuwissen

  • Research Associate

Alyssa Meuwissen, PhD, specializes in supporting adults who support children, whether they work in an early childhood education environment, the child welfare field, or other related professions.

Alyssa Meuwissen

Margarita Milenova Margarita Milenova

  • Program Quality Manager

Margarita Milenova, PhD, is the Classroom Scoring Assessment System (CLASS®) and Early Childhood Environmental Rating Scales-3 (ECERS-3) anchor at CEED.

Margarita Milenova

Meredith Reese Meredith Reese

  • Research and Evaluation Assistant

Meredith Reese works on multiple evaluations of statewide programs that support the early childhood workforce.

Meredith Reese
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Our partners

We’re committed to collaboration within the University of Minnesota and our local and national communities.

    University of Minnesota partners
    • Child Development Laboratory School
    • Institute on Community Integration
    • Department of Family Social Science
    • Urban Research and Outreach-Engagement Center
    • Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare
    • Department of Educational Psychology
    • Department of Pediatrics
    • Department of Applied Economics
       
    Statewide partners
    • Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families 
    • Minnesota Department of Health
    • Minnesota Department of Education
    • Minnesota Association for Family and Early Educators
    • Minnesota Association for Children’s Mental Health – Infant and Early Childhood Division 
    • Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association
    • Minnesota Coalition for Targeted Home Visiting
    • Minnesota Head Start Association
    • Northside Achievement Zone
    • Child Care Aware Minnesota
    • Community Action Program for Ramsey and Washington Counties
    • Think Small
    • Start Early Funders Coalition
    • Families First Minnesota
    • Center for Inclusive Child Care
    • The Family Partnership
    • Greater Minneapolis Crisis Nursery
    • Hmong Early Childhood Coalition
       
    Nationwide partners
    • Alliance for the Advancement of Infant Mental Health
    • The Administration for Children and Families
    • The Families and Work Institute

    Read more about our staff

    Explore articles that our staff have written about parenting, reflective practice, the early childhood field, and more! Plus, catch up on our latest accomplishments.

    Meet Maria Gabrielli Meet Maria Gabrielli

    Maria Gabrielli joined the CEED team as project/program specialist in 2025. In this Q & A, she talks about the career path that brought her to CEED and her role in the organization.

    Giving children the skills to repair relationships Giving children the skills to repair relationships

    Repair is the act of attempting to acknowledge hurt, take responsibility, and work at rebuilding trust after a disagreement or conflict within a relationship.

    Recent staff accomplishments Recent staff accomplishments

    Learn about some of our stand-out accomplishments over the past few months.

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