Kimberly Nesbitt, Ph.D.

Dr. Kimberly Nesbitt is Primary Investigator, Early Childhood Initiative at the University of New Hampshire. She received her Ph.D. in Lifespan Developmental Psychology from North Carolina State University and was an Institute of Education Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow at Vanderbilt University. Her research focuses on the development of cognition in early childhood, with a focus on identifying instructional practices that enable young children from diverse backgrounds to learn and achieve in early educational environments. Her work is published in both psychological and educational journals including Child Development, Developmental Psychology, Journal of Educational Psychology, and Early Childhood Research Quarterly. Kimberly is the instructor for practicum courses in teaching and learning in early childhood settings and is the program coordinator for UNH’s accredited undergraduate teacher certification program in early childhood education.  She is dedicated to improving the quality of early childhood education in our community through collaborations with schools and community organizations across New Hampshire, including serving on numerous early learning and childhood committees for the state.