Sharon Lynn Kagan is the Virginia and Leonard Marx Professor of Early Childhood and Family Policy, Co-Director of the National Center for Children and Families, and Associate Dean for Policy at Teachers College, Columbia University and Professor Adjunct at Yale University's Child Study Center. Recognized internationally and nationally for her work related to social policy for young children and their families, Dr. Kagan is Past President of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and a Past President of Family Support America. Currently, she is a member of over forty national boards or panels, and is conducting research on Head Start, child care, early learning standards, She is currently working around the globe with UNICEF to establish early learning standards in Armenia, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Ghana, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Paraguay, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Viet Nam. Dr. Kagan has served as chair of the National Education Goals Panel Technical Planning Group for Goal One,a member of the Clinton Education Transition Team, a Distinguished Fellow for the Education Commission of the States, and numerous National Academy of Sciences, foundation, and administration panels. Her research centers on public policies affecting the lives of young children and families, including child care and preschool programs, family-school relationships, and leadership in early childhood education. Dr. Kagan is the only woman in the history of American Education to receive its three most prestigious awards: the 2004 Distinguished Service Award from the Council of Chief State School Officers (CCSSO), the 2005 James Bryant Conant Award for Lifetime Service to Education from the Education Commission of the States (ECS), and the Harold W. McGraw, Jr. Prize in Education. Her publications include over 200 articles and 12 books.