The Center for Montessori Studies in conjunction with MTCNE was pleased to have the opportunity to host guest lecturer, Molly Harney, Ph.D. on the University of Hartford main campus June 28^th, 2019 at the Shaw Center.  Fifty-six students, trainers, and MTCNE support staff attended a half-day lecture presented by Dr. Harney on “Brain Development in the Context of Relationships and Environments”.  It was an extraordinary opportunity for our community on campus to hear from an early childhood specialist on brain development as she discussed the impact relationships and environments have on our youngest minds.  Dr. Harney highlighted the connections between Dr. Montessori’s groundbreaking work over a century ago and modern brain science.

Molly Harney, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the University of Minnesota Duluth. Her primary teaching responsibilities are in the Early Childhood Studies program. Her teaching focus is early brain development and early childhood special education. Her professional experiences include: early childhood education teacher, child care center director, consultant, community program director, technical college instructor, and university professor.

She has worked in a teen parent program, Head Start programs, corporate child care, and public school programs. Molly’s research in the areas of early brain development and the impact of quality child care has been presented both nationally and internationally. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Parent Education, a master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Early Childhood Studies and Cognitive Development.  Molly has spent the last three years working closely with Dr. Bruce Perry and is doing research on the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences on brain development.

The special resources Dr. Harney has shared with us are available through our Flyer Community App.  Once you have downloaded the app (here for instructions) and selecte Montessori Forward, go to the Resources section / Learning Tools tile.