people

Lindsay Weixler is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology and founding co-Director of the New Orleans Collaborative for Early Childhood Research. Her current work examines ways to increase families’ access to early childhood education and other critical programs, and the effects of early education on child and family outcomes. Dr. Weixler holds a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology and Master’s Degree in Statistics from the University of Michigan. She previously worked at the U.S. Department of Education, where she was a Presidential Management Fellow in the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Policy Development, and the Education Research Alliance for New Orleans, where she was Associate Director of Research.

Alica Gerry holds her Master’s in Public Policy, with a concentration in Early Childhood Policy, from the University of Minnesota’s Humphrey School of Public Affairs. She is a senior research analyst with the Early Childhood Policy Research Lab, where she leads qualitative research projects.

Tynesia Fields serves as the Program Manager for the Early Childhood Policy Research Lab, managing the administration and implementation of projects that investigate barriers to early childhood education program access for Orleans Parish families. She has worked in higher education for over 4 years engaging and building capacity with external partners to improve health equity. Tynesia attended Brown University, where she received her bachelor’s in Urban Studies and master’s in Public Affairs.