Dr. Marika Ginsburg-Block is an Associate Professor in the School of Education at the University of Delaware. Her research focuses on school-based interventions for vulnerable youth, family literacy practices, and mechanisms influencing student achievement. She has held roles including Coordinator of the graduate program in school psychology (2003–2009) and currently co-directs the federally funded Project GROW, which advances school mental health services and equity-focused practices in Delaware. Dr. Ginsburg-Block earned her Ph.D. in School Community and Clinical Child Psychology from the University of Pennsylvania (1998), followed by academic roles at the University of Minnesota and the University of Delaware. Her teaching includes counseling, psychopathology, and mental health consultation, alongside supervising school psychology internships. Her research emphasizes understanding how family environments, particularly low-income and minority families, contribute to early literacy and language development. Key projects include developing measures of family literacy practices and evaluating interventions targeting preschoolers’ vocabulary and phonological awareness. Project GROW, funded by the U.S. and Delaware Departments of Education, integrates cross-university efforts to enhance mental health service provision in high-need schools. The initiative also promotes inclusive practices and data-driven decision-making within multi-tiered support systems (MTSS). Her work bridges theory and practice, with contributions to peer-assisted learning strategies, community partnerships in education, and culturally responsive interventions. She has authored over 30 articles on topics ranging from parenting stress to academic motivation, emphasizing equity and evidence-based practices.
