LOS ANGELES, SACRAMENTO and LONG BEACH, Calif., Oct. 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Simms/Mann Institute, California Community Colleges and The California State University today announced 13 recipients of the 2015 Simms/Mann Faculty Fellowship. Now in its third year, this program is an innovative public/private partnership offering professional development to select California Community Colleges and The California State University faculty in the fields of early childhood education, psychology and nursing, for example.

On November 3^rd, 2015, the Institute will host the third annual Simms/Mann Think Tank at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, CA.  The 2015 Simms/Mann Think Tank will showcase international neuroscience researchers presenting on how early experiences and environment along with caring relationships shape brain architecture. It is also convening, for the first time, a select group of stakeholders from fields including education, business, philanthropy and medicine who directly impact policy and practice in early child development. 

A cornerstone of the Simms/Mann Think Tank, the Simms/Mann Faculty Fellowship selects Faculty Fellows who will each spend one year completing a project that translates neuroscience research into practical applications. Additionally, each Faculty Fellow will collaborate with an interdisciplinary cohort of professionals to focus on integrating the latest research into their classrooms. This is especially critical between the ages of zero to three when the developing brain is laying the foundation for adaptability and change.

"The Simms/Mann Institute is committed to bringing researchers and educators together in an attempt to find innovative and sustainable solutions to the dramatic shortage of highly qualified 0-3 early care and education providers," said Victoria Mann Simms, Ph.D. "We need to train an early care and education workforce that is knowledgeable about child development, including the latest, most relevant neuroscience research."

"Those of us in California Community Colleges have a great responsibility to meet the needs of our families, communities and workplaces by ensuring that our students graduate ready to provide the highest quality care to children ages 0-3," said California Community Colleges Chancellor Brice W. Harris. "The Simms/Mann Institute powerfully demonstrates the vital role that community colleges play as a place of learning and for translating research into practice."

"By enhancing academic supports, which include continued education for teachers, such as that received by the Simms/Mann Faculty Fellowship, we will make great strides in advancing the next generation of early care and education providers. A key element in achieving this goal is to provide high-quality infant and toddler practicum experience on campus," said Loren Blanchard, Executive Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs at The California State University.  

The 2015 Simms/Mann Faculty Fellows will be presented during the Simms/Mann Think Tank. Since its inception, 12 faculty in the fields of early care and education have participated in the Simms/Mann Faculty Fellowship, representing eight California Community Colleges. This year's Fellowship was expanded to include The California State University faculty, as well.

This year's Simms/Mann Faculty Fellows and the schools they represent are as follows:

• Treshawn Anderson, Assistant Professor and Family Studies, California State University Long Beach
• Gina Cook, Assistant Professor, Child Development, California State University Stanislaus
• Kimberly D'Anna-Hernandez, Assistant Professor, Psychology, California State University San Marcos
• Kristina de Korsak, Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Studies, Sonoma State University
• Sarah Garrity, Assistant Professor, Child and Family Development, San Diego State University
• Donna Greene, Associate Professor, Early Childhood Education, College of the Desert
• Adrienne Seegers, Professor, Child Development, Columbia College
• Cynthia Sheaks-McGowan, Professor, Child Development, Moorpark College
• Sujatha Venkataraman, Adjunct Faculty, Child Development, Skyline College
• Alison Ventura, Assistant Professor, Kinesiology, California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo
• Annie White, Assistant Professor, Early Childhood Development, California State University Channel Islands
• Amanda Wilcox-Herzog, Professor, Child Development, California State University San Bernardino
• Cheryl Williams-Jackson, Tenured Faculty, Child Development, Modesto Junior College

About Simms/Mann Institute
The Simms/Mann Institute for Education and Community Development was established in 2011 to address the complex issues facing families today. Technological advances, rapid globalization, and unpredictable economic conditions have fostered a competitive, over-stimulating, and stressful environment that threatens the healthy development of children and families in our communities. The Institute is unique in its philanthropic efforts by being positioned at the nexus of authentic, real-world solutions. www.simmsmanninstitute.org

About California Community Colleges
The California Community Colleges is the largest system of higher education in the nation. It is composed of 72 districts and 113 colleges serving more than 2 million students per year. Community Colleges supply workforce training, basic skills courses in English and math, and prepare students for transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The Chancellor's Office provides leadership, advocacy and support under the direction of the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges.

About the California State University
The California State University is the largest system of senior higher education in the country, with 23 campuses, 47,000 faculty and staff and more than 460,000 students. Half of the CSU's students transfer from California Community Colleges. Created in 1960, the mission of the CSU is to provide high-quality, affordable education to meet the ever-changing needs of California. With its commitment to quality, opportunity, and student success, the CSU is renowned for superb teaching, innovative research and for producing job-ready graduates. Each year, the CSU awards more than 100,000 degrees. One in every 20 Americans holding a college degree is a graduate of the CSU and our alumni are 3 million strong. Connect with and learn more about the CSU at CSU Social Media.

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SOURCE The Simms/Mann Institute

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