Christy Tirrell-Corbin

Dr. Christy Tirrell-Corbin is a Clinical Professor in the Department of Human Development and Quantitative Methodology at the University of Maryland. She currently serves as the founding Executive Director of the Center for Early Childhood Education and Intervention (CECEI), Director of the Early Childhood General/Special Education teacher education program, and Co-Director of the Trauma Sensitive Pedagogy project. Her research focuses on trauma-sensitive pedagogy, early childhood policy, and culturally responsive curricula in low-resourced communities. Dr. Tirrell-Corbin has secured over $15 million in grants for initiatives including curriculum design, trauma-informed schools, and teacher training.

Her professional background includes foundational work in foster care and adoption in New York City. She has led numerous high-impact projects such as Maryland’s Infant Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation Program evaluation and the Young Readers Program implementation study. Dr. Tirrell-Corbin also contributes to national initiatives through consulting roles with PBS, National Geographic, and Sesame Workshop.

Grants & Impact: Overseeing multi-million dollar grants targeting early childhood education equity, trauma-informed practices, and inclusive classroom environments. Recent projects include the Maryland Early EdCorp workforce pipeline initiative and the Trauma Informed Research Partnership in Central/South American immigrant communities.

Labs & Teams: Directs CECEI, a hub for innovative early childhood interventions and policy research. Collaborates with state agencies, foundations, and educators to translate research into actionable practices.