Loria Kim
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Biography
Loria Kim, (she/her/hers), M.Ed., is a 4th year Ph.D. candidate in Human Development and Family Studies at Michigan State University. She is interested in social-emotional development of infants and toddlers, anti-bias infant/toddler education, and preparation and support of the workforce to provide high-quality, equitable care and education for young children. Her interests in children and teachers developed as she worked as an infant/toddler teacher and teacher-mentor. Loria mentored assistant- and student-teachers in their interactions with children and families, and creating and implementing developmentally appropriate curriculum plans. While earning her Master’s in Early Childhood Special Education, Loria had opportunities to work with children with special support needs and their families, and learned about the complex factors influencing these families.
Her research currently focuses on early child educators’ stresses and well-being, and the administrative supports that could enhance teacher well-being, increase quality of care, and decrease burnout and turnover. She is also involved in multiple projects identifying pre-service teachers’ competencies for work with infants and toddlers, developing approaches to promote anti-bias curriculum through engagement of family voices, and using the science of child development to create a research-based and anti-bias infant toddler curriculum as a free and publicly available resource for educators working with diverse children of color in metropolitan areas. In Fall 2022, Loria received a dissertation grant from Administration for Children and Families to study administrative support and infant, toddler, and preschool educator well-being in collaboration with MiAEYC Advocacy Committee Chairperson and early childhood program directors from local communities.