Children's Development In Contexts: Theoretical shortcomings and advances

Presented by Cynthia García Coll, Ph.D.

This webinar was presented live on April 1st, 2022. If you were unable to attend the live event, you can view her slides here.

Webinar Presented by Cynthia García Coll, Ph.D.

The origins of the field of Child Development, closely related to evolutionary theories and advances in biology, dominated our field in the 20th century. But by the end of the century, empirical evidence and methodological advances have led us to a more nuanced understanding of the so-called nurtured-nature controversy. New theoretical models, devoted primarily to the understanding of minoritized populations and the variability observed in caregiving in cultural contexts, will be presented, as possible guides to understanding children's development in contexts.

Cynthia García Coll, Ph.D.

Cynthia García Coll, Ph.D., is currently an Adjunct Professor in the Pediatrics Department at the University of Puerto Rico Medical School and the Charles Pitts Robinson and John Palmer Barstow Professor Emerita, at Brown University. Prior to moving back to Puerto Rico in 2011, she was a Professor of Education, Psychology and Pediatrics for 30 years at Brown University. Her research focuses on the interplay of sociocultural and biological influences on child development, with particular emphasis on populations that live in at-risk conditions and/or are considered minorities. She has published over 160 peer reviewed articles, book chapters and books. She received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Puerto Rico, her master’s degree from the University of Florida and her PhD from Harvard University. Dr. García Coll has served on the editorial boards of many leading academic journals, including being the editor in chief of Child Development and Developmental Psychology. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science and has received awards from Tufts and Brown University, the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill , the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD), Progreso Latino and a Doctorate in Humane Letters, Honoris Causa from the Erikson Institute. She has been on the governing boards of the United Way of Rhode Island, the Rhode Island Community Foundation, SRCD, the Society for the Study of Human Development, the SRCD-Latino Caucus and the Foundation for Child Development. She also served as a member and chair of the Young Scholars Program at the WT Grant Foundation for eleven years. Her research has been funded by NIH, the McArthur Foundation, the WT Grant Foundation and the Spencer Foundation. She has three children and two grandchildren ( another on the way), and is an avid practitioner of Yoga, Mindfulness and Reiki.

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