Post-Doctoral Fellows

Dr. Annelise Pesch

Annelise is a Postdoctoral Fellow working with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek on the expansion of Playful Learning Landscapes to Santa Ana, California in collaboration with Drs. Andres Bustamante and June Ahn at the University of California-Irvine. She received her PhD in Developmental Psychology from the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota under the supervision of Dr. Melissa Koenig. Her dissertation examined how preschoolers’ epistemic and interpersonal trust in teachers impacted learning in classroom contexts. She is interested in understanding the components of interactions that support children’s learning, with the goal of bridging gaps between research and real-world application.

annelise.pesch@temple.edu

Dr. Katelyn Fletcher

Katelyn is a Post-Doctoral Fellow currently working with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek to bring Playful Learning Landscapes into Bright Horizon preschool centers. She received her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from New York University under the supervision of Dr. Catherine Tamis-LeMonda. Katelyn’s dissertation investigates how physical and social features of the environment shape early language learning and play. She is passionate about collaborating with communities to integrate the science of playful learning into everyday activities and places.

katelyn.fletcher@temple.edu

Dr. Elias Blinkoff 

Elias is a Postdoctoral Fellow working with Dr. Kathy Hirsh-Pasek to implement the Active Playful Learning (APL) framework in schools across the United States. APL applies evidence from the science of learning to engage teachers in collaborative professional coaching on an educational approach that combines understanding of students’ backgrounds with knowledge of how children learn best and the breadth of skills students require for success in the classroom and beyond. Elias received his Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from Temple University under Dr. Hirsh-Pasek. His dissertation used mixed methods to explore effects of APL coaching on kindergarten teachers and their students across the State of New Hampshire. Prior to arriving at Temple, Elias received his B.A. in Psychology and Educational Studies from Swarthmore College and mentored 7^th-grade students in the School District of Philadelphia through City Year.