Eleanor D. Brown | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| Occupations | Clinical psychologist and academic |
| Academic background | |
| Education | B.A. in Psychology (Education Concentration) Ph.D. in Psychology (Clinical Concentration) |
| Alma mater | Haverford College (2000) University of Delaware (2005) |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | West Chester University (WCU) |
Eleanor D. Brown is a clinical psychologist and an academic. She is a professor of psychology at West Chester University (WCU),where she directs the Early Childhood Cognition and Emotions Lab (ECCEL) and co-directs the Research on Equity via the Arts in Childhood (REACH) Lab. [1]
Brown is most known for her research on children experiencing stress and trauma related to poverty and racism,as well as on arts-based interventions. Her work has emphasized the diversity among families facing adversity and identified ways to leverage family and community strengths to support children's well-being. She has collaborated with community partners,including Settlement Music School,to explore how music and the arts can promote equity. [2] [3]
Brown received her B.A. in Psychology with a Concentration in Education from Haverford College in May 2000. She completed her Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a specialization in Child Development and Children Facing Risk at the University of Delaware in August 2005. [4]
Brown began her career in clinical work as a Child and Family Therapist at the Family Support Network at WCU and later as a Cognitive Therapist at the Center for Cognitive Therapy at UPenn. Since 2006,she has worked as an Early Childhood Consultant and Child and Family Therapist at ECCEL. [1]
Brown became a research fellow and later a consultant for Ronald Seifer's Early Childhood Research Center at Brown University Medical School (2004–2010). She has been the director of the ECCEL at WCU since 2005, [5] and the co-director of REACH since 2020. [6]
Brown joined WCU as an assistant professor in 2005,became an associate professor in 2010,and has been a full professor since 2015. [1] From 2006 to 2012,she was the president of the Faculty Senate. [7] She co-founded and facilitated the WCU CARES (Campus Allies Regarding Emotions of Students) program from 2008 to 2012. [8]
Brown was co-president of the Philadelphia Chapter of the Association for Psychology of Women from 2011 to 2021,and served on the Arts and Pre-K Advisory Committee for the Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance (2016–2019). [9]
Brown has studied children's development,poverty,racism,marginalized groups,and models of change,focusing on Head Start,arts,mindfulness,and anti-racism training. She partnered with Settlement Music School's Kaleidoscope Arts Enrichment Preschool,leading a series of studies on the impact of the arts, [2] with her research on arts and cortisol in economically disadvantaged children funded by the NEA Art Works Research grants program. [10] In 2010,her findings showed that children in arts classes achieved significantly higher gains in receptive vocabulary compared to peers at a nearby preschool. [11] Subsequent research in 2013 revealed that Kaleidoscope students experienced 60% more positive emotions during arts activities than those in traditional classrooms,along with improved emotional regulation. [12] In 2017,participation in arts classes was linked to reduced cortisol levels in economically disadvantaged children,indicating lower stress. [13] Furthermore,in 2018,her work confirmed that Kaleidoscope students demonstrated greater school readiness than those in a non-arts-integrated Head Start program,underscoring the potential of arts integration to enhance educational opportunities for disadvantaged children. [14]
Brown's investigation found that daily poverty-related stress is associated with negative parent mood,varying with the presence of a stable partner,underscoring the importance of social support in low-income families. [15] Another study linked this stress to parental coping strategies and learned helplessness in young children attending Head Start,highlighting how parental coping can mitigate the negative developmental impacts of poverty. [16] Her research has indicated that elevated cortisol levels during preschool are related to executive functioning difficulties in children facing poverty-related stress,emphasizing the need for targeted interventions. [17] Another study suggested that more playtime and sleep time are linked to lower stress levels for children attending Head Start preschool,suggesting ways parents;may promote their children's well-being. [18]
Her work on the relationship between emotional intelligence and stress regulation in preschoolers demonstrated that improving emotional knowledge could help lower stress hormone levels. [19] [20] She also examined the role of arts education in fostering emotional growth,reducing stress,and enhancing social skills,particularly for children facing economic hardship. [21] [22]
Brown's research has been featured in media outlets such as Pacific Standard , [23] [24] [25] and ScienceDaily . [26]