Kathleen M. Sheridan

Kathleen M. Sheridan is an Associate Professor and Chairperson in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), College of Education. Her work focuses on early STEM literacy, professional development for early childhood educators, online learning in higher education, and kindergarten readiness. She holds a PhD in Child and Family Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and an MA in Elementary Education from Washington University in St. Louis.

Education:

• PhD in Child and Family Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison
• MA in Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education, Washington University in St. Louis

Research Interests: Sheridan’s research emphasizes scalable online professional development programs for early childhood educators, particularly in math and science. She has developed initiatives like Early Math Counts and Early Science Matters, which provide free resources to overcome geographical and financial barriers. Her work also explores teacher presence in online courses and kindergarten readiness through projects like The Ready Child.

Grants and Leadership:

• Principal Investigator for grants from CME Group Foundation, Caplan Foundation, and the US Department of Education.
• Co-Chair of UIC’s Teacher Recognition Program.
• Past President and current Secretary of the Illinois Association for Early Childhood Teacher Educators.

Awards:

• 2017-2018 Teaching Recognition Award, UIC.

Advocacy and Outreach: Sheridan serves on the American Psychological Association’s Accreditation Site Team and collaborates with community organizations to promote early childhood education. Her projects Engineering Explorers and The Ready Child aim to empower families and educators through accessible resources.