(MURRAY, Ky.) – The Murray State University Department of Psychology will welcome Dr. Jennifer Washburn as the featured speaker for its fall Dr. and Mrs. Gary Brummer Colloquium Series on Monday, Oct. 20, at 5:30 p.m. in Wrather Auditorium.
Washburn will present “Parent Perspectives on Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS): Understanding the Home-School Connection in Child Development.” The event is free and open to the public.
The presentation will address a critical question facing parents and educators: What happens when behavioral expectations at home don’t align with those at school? Washburn will share findings from her qualitative research study examining how mothers experience PBIS programs in elementary schools and how parent-school collaboration can improve children’s social and emotional development.
“Murray State’s Department of Psychology and its friends and alumni look forward to the Brummer Colloquium each fall and spring semester,” said Dr. Becky Nastally, assistant professor of psychology and member of the Brummer Colloquium committee. “We invite innovative researchers with some tie to our discipline that are doing socially relevant work, and this fall we are excited to have Dr. Jennifer Washburn.”
Nastally noted that Washburn’s research on connecting school professionals and parents to provide better social, emotional and behavioral intervention in public schools is vital for all students.
The presentation will explore themes of equilibrium and disequilibrium between home and school systems, communication challenges, and potential improvements, offering practical insights for educators, parents and policymakers.
Washburn brings more than 25 years of experience to the discussion. A doctoral-level developmental psychologist and nationally recognized advocate for early childhood education, she currently serves as founder and executive director of iKids Childhood Enrichment Center in Benton, Kentucky. Her background spans teaching, research and policy leadership.
The Dr. and Mrs. Gary Brummer Colloquium Series in Psychology was established through a generous gift from Dr. Gary Brummer and his wife, Sharon. The series features speakers from diverse research areas in psychology twice yearly during fall and spring semesters.
For more information about the colloquium series or the Department of Psychology, visit murraystate.edu/psychology.
