Kay Sanders

Kay Sanders is a Professor of Education & Child Development and serves as Associate Vice President and Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at Whittier College. She holds a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a Ph.D. from UCLA's Graduate School of Education. Her research focuses on racial/ethnic socialization processes in child care for low-income racial, ethnic, and language minority children, particularly how cultural experiences shape social and emotional development. Sanders is a Co-Principal Investigator on a national child care data study analyzing cultural congruency's impact on kindergarten outcomes.

Education History:

• B.A., University of Michigan
• Ph.D., UCLA Graduate School of Education

Research Interests:

• Cultural influences in early childhood education
• Social-emotional development pathways
• Equity in child care systems

Awards:

• Spencer Fellowship (2000-2003)
• NIMH Training Fellowship (2003-2004)
• Irvine Fellowship in Child Development (2004)

Grants/Leadership:

• Co-PI for HHS-funded national childcare data analysis project
• Research Fellow at National Center for Research on Early Childhood Education

Labs/Teams: Active contributor to early childhood education research networks through her DEI leadership role and collaborative research initiatives.