معرفی
Caitlin Lombardi is an Associate Professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Sciences at the University of Connecticut. She co-directs the Applied Research on Children (ARC) Lab, which focuses on promoting child development and family well-being through evidence-based policies and programs. Her work examines how social policies, early care systems, and family resources influence children’s cognitive, socioemotional, and health outcomes, particularly for low-income and immigrant families.
Dr. Lombardi holds a Ph.D. in Applied Developmental and Educational Psychology from Boston College and completed a postdoctoral fellowship there. Before academia, she worked as a legislative staffer for U.S. Senator Patrick Leahy, shaping health and social policies. She teaches courses on child development, policy, and research methods.
Her research is funded by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Administration for Children and Families (ACF), and Connecticut’s Office of Early Childhood. Notable grants include a $10M state-funded project to evaluate early childhood programs and a mixed-methods study on immigrant family well-being under restrictive policies. Key awards include the University of Connecticut’s Research Excellence Program (2019-2020) and the Annette U. Rickel Dissertation Award (2012).
Dr. Lombardi’s work bridges academia and practice. She collaborates with policymakers and community organizations to translate findings into actionable policies. Her lab’s ARC Lab supports graduate students in applied developmental research, with recent projects analyzing Early Head Start services, family-childcare provider interactions, and immigrant family stressors.
