Craig S. Bailey

Craig S. Bailey is an Assistant Professor at the Child Study Center in the Yale School of Medicine and Director of Early Childhood at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. His research focuses on social and emotional learning (SEL) in early childhood, bridging gaps between research and practice. He leads initiatives such as the Bridgeport and Hartford Early Childhood SEL Initiatives, funded by community foundations, to enhance SEL programming for educators and families. His federal grants include an Institute of Education Sciences efficacy trial for Preschool RULER and co-PI work on the SELOC-ES observation tool. He also collaborates on global projects like the China Early Childhood RULER Pilot, adapting SEL frameworks for international contexts. Bailey’s awards include recognition for top reviewing in psychology and contributions to SEL innovation.

Education: PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology (George Mason University, 2014), BS in Psychology (South Dakota State University, 2009). He serves on advisory boards for Christian Community Action and the Global Advisory Council. His research emphasizes emotional intelligence, teacher-child dynamics, and equity in SEL implementation. Current projects include developing assessment tools like the Student Emotion Regulation Assessment (SERA) and evaluating community-based SEL programs’ impacts on child and educator well-being.