Founders of Early Steps:
Daniel S. Shaw
Current University of Pittsburgh PI
Dr. Daniel Shaw is the Director of the Center for Parents and Children and the Pitt Parents and Children Laboratory. He also serves as Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Pittsburgh, with joint appointments in the Schools of Education and Medicine, the Clinical and Translational Science Institute, and the Center for Social and Urban Research. Since receiving his Ph.D. in child clinical and developmental psychology from the University of Virginia in 1988, his primary interest has been studying the development and prevention of early problem behavior among at-risk children.
Melvin N. Wilson
Past University of Virginia PI
Dr. Melvin Wilson’s academic, research, and training activities generally focus on understanding contextual processes and outcomes and conducting parental interventions in low-income, ethnic minority families. Specifically, he has conducted analyses on young, low-income, unwed, and nonresident fathers and their involvement with their children. In addition, he is interested in developing intervention protocols aimed at helping young men meet family responsibilities and involvements. Dr. Wilson is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the University of Virginia.
In Memoriam, Thomas J. Dishion
Past University of Oregon/Oregon Research Institute PI
Dr. Dishion passed in June of 2018. His research work spanned the domains of developmental psychopathology, theoretical models of child and adolescent socialization, family and peer interaction methodology, child and adolescent substance use and problem behavior, adolescent depression, family-based intervention, behavior-change theory, prevention science, dynamic systems, social neuroscience, and translational research. Dr. Dishion’s work had a profound impact on these fields, restructuring what is known about child development, developmental psychopathology, and prevention science, and reshaping how that knowledge is translated into clinical and preventive interventions.
Current Principal Investigators:
Kathryn Lemery-Chalfant
Current Arizona State University Co-I (Data Analysis and Genetics)
Dr. Lemery-Chalfant has been a professor of psychology at Arizona State University for over 20 years. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon’s Clark Honors College in 1994, and obtained her Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1999. Her research focuses on how genes and environments work together to influence child and adolescent development, and she has published over 100 scientific articles on this topic. Dr. Lemery-Chalfant has been working with the Early Steps team since 2014 when we first collected youth saliva for genotyping.
Erika Westling
Current Oregon Research Institute PI
As a Research Scientist at ORI, Dr. Erika Westling’s research interests concern the intersection of contextual and individual factors that influence health behaviors in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, and how to leverage technology in the development of effective, evidence-based prevention and intervention programs. Dr. Westling works with colleagues to develop and evaluate school-based digital curricula targeting a variety of health and social behaviors, including tobacco/nicotine and cannabis use, vaping, physical activity, dental health, and bullying/victimization. She has been working with Early Steps since 2018, following the passing of Dr. Tom Dishion.
Jazmin (Jazi) Brown-Iannuzzi
Current University of Virginia PI
As an Associate Professor of Psychology and Public Policy, Jazmin Brown-Iannuzzi’s research seeks to understand why social group disparities may persist, and in some cases grow. In order to address this question, she uses her training in social psychology to investigate the psychological mechanisms which perpetuate group-based inequalities and the consequences of status-related disparities. Dr. Brown-Iannuzzi has worked with Early Steps since 2019(?) when Dr. Wilson stepped down from his lead role on the project.
Current Project Coordinators:
Margarita C. Caldentey
Current University of Virginia Coordinator
Margarita has a Bachelor’s in Business Administration and has been working with Early Steps since 2004.
Holly Chedester
Current Oregon Research Institute Co-Coordinator
Holly has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Sociology and has been working with Early Steps since 2022(?).
Erika James
Current Oregon Research Institute Co-Coordinator and Data Manager
Erika has (???) and has been working with Early Steps since 2022(?).
Bobbie A. Hall
Outgoing University of Pittsburgh Coordinator & Interviewer
Bobbie has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and has worked with Early Steps since 2023. Bobbie will be attending the University of Memphis Counseling Psychology PhD Program beginning in the Fall of 2025, studying low-income queer and multi-marginalized young adults.
Leah J Hunter
Incoming University of Pittsburgh Coordinator
Dr. Leah Hunter is a Certified School Psychologist and Licensed Psychologist. She also holds an appointment as Research Assistant Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research interests span sustainable intervention programs designed to promote school readiness skills in young children. She is interested in understanding education-adjacent outcomes in the study of parenting interventions, and in particular how parents from disadvantaged neighborhoods navigate their children’s early school experiences.Dr. Hunter graduated with a PhD in School Psychology from Penn State in 2019. She has worked at the University of Pittsburgh since 2021, and began working on Early Steps in 2025.
Current Research Staff:
Eleanor VanRheenen
Current University of Pittsburgh Research Assistant & Interviewer
Eleanor has a Bachelor’s in Psychology and has been working with Early Steps since 2024. She hopes to apply to Psychology PhD programs for Fall of 2026 admittance.
Calista (Callie) G. Benson-Williams
Current University of Pittsburgh Interviewer
Callie has a Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and has been working with Early Steps since 2024 when she joined Dr. Shaw’s lab as a Clinical/Developmental PhD student. Her work focuses on (???).
McKenna Barber
Current Mental Health Consultant
McKenna has a Masters in Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). McKenna joined the Early Steps team in 2024.
Carla Gerber
Current Mental Health Consultant
Carla has a Masters in Social Work and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She joined the Early Steps team in 2025, but is also the PI for Early-phase Schizophrenia: Practice-based Research to Improve Treatment Outcomes (ESPRITO) at ORI.
THANK YOU!
