Announcing DEC's New Executive Board Members

Division for Early Childhood welcomes Dr. LaShorage Shaffer, the new Vice President; Dr. Hsiu-Wen Yang, the new Treasurer; Dr. Jennifer Francois, the new Secretary; and Dr. Ann M. Mickelson, the new Member-at-Large! All new executive board members will begin their terms July 2022.

Dr. LaShorage Shaffer - Vice President

Dr. Shaffer is originally from Chicago, IL, and attended public school on the Southside prior to attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She earned three degrees from the university, including a doctorate in Special Education. Dr. Shaffer is currently an Associate Professor in Early Childhood/Early Childhood Special Education at the University of Michigan-Dearborn. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in early childhood, early childhood special education, and special education in the Department of Education. Dr. Shaffer strongly believes in providing both pre-service and in-service professionals with the educational knowledge, pedagogy, and the ability to develop a strong philosophical stance which are core components of supporting children with and without disabilities and their families.

As a member of DEC, she has had opportunities to serve the membership at the state and national levels. She currently serves on the Executive Board as the Secretary, a member of the Membership Committee, Personnel Preparation Committee, Equity Leadership Team, Co-Chair the Personnel Standards Statement Committee, EI/ECSE Standards Products Team, YEC Reviewer, and the Michigan DEC Outreach Chairperson. In these roles, she has extended the vision of DEC by keeping members abreast of state and national activities and initiatives relevant to the field.

Dr. Hsiu-Wen Yang - Treasurer

Dr. Hsiu-Wen Yang is a technical assistance specialist and research investigator at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She received her master’s degree in Occupational Therapy from the National Taiwan University and her PhD degree in Special Education from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Her research interests include early intervention, family-centered practices, parent coaching, inclusive practices, and social-emotional development. Currently, Dr. Yang is a fellow at the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations (2020-2022). She is also a member of the DEC International Committee and Publications & Products Advisory Committee.

Dr. Jennifer Francois - Secretary Dr. Jennifer Francois is the Director for the Kansas Institute of Early Childhood Education and Research (KIECER) at Kansas State University and Research Coordinator for the Kansas Childcare Training Opportunities (KCCTO). She is also a Professor of Practice in the department of Applied Human Sciences where she teaches courses in the Early Childhood Education program. Prior to joining the K-State faculty, Dr. Francois spent 9 ½ years working in an administrative position for a not-for-profit that served children with disabilities and their families. She is currently the state of Kansas Recommended Practices Ambassador for the Division of Early Childhood. She is actively involved in local and state level organizations, including the Riley County Inter-Agency Coordinating Council, the Kansas Division for Early Childhood and the Kansas Early Childhood Recommendations Panel. Her research focuses on pre-service preparation and professional development in early intervention and early childhood special education, social-emotional development, and language acquisition in children.

Dr. Ann M. Mickelson - Member-At-Large

Dr. Ann M. Mickelson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education and Child Development at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her research and service center on personnel preparation in Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education with a particular interest in collaborative models of teacher preparation and licensure including blended models. She gravitates toward opportunities to nurture meaningful inclusion and authentic partnerships with families and providers such as through Participatory Action Research. As a former early interventionist, Dr. Mickelson also engages in research and professional development within early intervention and explores interdisciplinary preparation across professional disciplines.