Did you know that more than 200 people help carry out the mission of the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG), including investigators, staff, faculty fellows, postdocs, and visiting scholars? Through our FPG Profile series, we’re introducing you to these amazingly dedicated people and the incredible work they're doing here at the Institute to fulfill both our mission to transform children's lives through innovation in research, practice, and policy, and our vision to be a hub of excellence for understanding and impacting child development.

Learn more about the people at FPG with this roundup of some of our more recent profiles.

FPG Profile: Denise J. Bennett
Denise J. Bennett, MA, is a technical assistance (TA) specialist and a member of the web team with the Early Childhood Technical Assistance (ECTA) Center within the Trohanis Technical Assistance Projects at FPG. A UNC School of Journalism graduate, Bennett’s career in communications, public relations, and cultural diversity has spanned more than 35 years in the non-profit, private, public, and governmental sectors.

FPG Profile: Kellen Reid
Kellen Reid is a technical assistance specialist with the Early Childhood TA (ECTA) Center within the Trohanis Technical Assistance (TA) Projects at FPG. After attending medical school and pursuing a Master of Public Health (MPH) with a focus on program planning and evaluation, Reid found his way to the Institute where he furthers FPG’s mission through his interactions with state EI/ECSE staff that build their capacity to analyze and use data for program improvement and to develop and implement high-quality policies and practices, among many other things.

FPG Profile: Lena Harris
Lena Harris, MSW, is an implementation specialist at FPG. She is currently working on the Build Up project, which is part of The Impact Center at FPG, which is a collection of people and projects dedicated to supporting the use of effective implementation practices with a focus on prevention and well-being strategies for children, youth, and families. Harris loves having the space and ability to think about high level challenges that affect North Carolina’s capacities and infrastructure to effectively support its children and families.

FPG Profile: Jessica Amsbary
Jessica Amsbary, PhD, is a technical assistance specialist at FPG where she engages in research and development related to STEM innovations for young children with disabilities and supporting provider and family use of evidence-based practices for toddlers with autism. Her primary research is focused on family support initiatives related to very young children with autism and other developmental delays and applying principles of implementation science to ensure early interventions are meeting the needs of families and their children.

FPG Profile: Nissa Towe-Goodman
Nissa Towe-Goodman, PhD, is a research scientist at FPG. Her research examines the interplay between the early family environment and the development of regulatory skills, and the implications of regulatory deficits for children's adaptation and mental health. This work has focused on the ways in which parenting and family violence influence early emotional, physiological, and behavioral self-regulation, how children's regulatory deficits may influence family functioning, and methodological approaches to assess regulation and parenting in at-risk contexts.

FPG Profile: Capri McDonald
Capri McDonald, MA, is an implementation specialist for the Implementation Capacity for Triple P (ICTP) project within the Impact Center at FPG. Before beginning her role at the Institute, she worked for six years as a technical assistance provider and implementation coach, supporting childcare providers in implementing health and safety best practices and implementing an evidence-based obesity prevention program.

FPG Profile: Rebekah Hornak
Rebekah Hornak, MA, is an implementation and communication specialist for the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN), the SISEP Center, and the Effective Implementation Cohort (EIC) at the FPG. With a background in K-12 education as a teacher and principal, and as a regional service agency executive director of instruction, Hornak joined FPG in October 2021.