Faculty
Marie Saracino, Ph.D
Professor
msaracino@sfasu.edu
(936)468-2192
Area of Specialization
- Infant and Child Development
- Family Development & Public Policy
- Adult Aging and Development
Areas of Expertise
- Child Development
- Life-Span Development
- Family Development and Relationships
- Resiliency in Children and Families
- Family Stress and Coping Styles
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, Kansas State University
- Master of Science, Kansas State University
- Bachelor of Science (Highest Honors), University of Hawaii at Manoa
Dr. Saracino serves as the coordinator for the Child Development and Family Living Program, she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on-line. Dr. Saracino also serves as a graduate student advisor for Human Science majors who have an emphasis in Child Development and Family Living.
Brandon Burr, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
burrbk@sfasu.edu
(936) 468-2975
Area of Specialization
- Couple and Marital Relationships
- Contextual Influences on Family Relationships
- Relationship Education Advances
Areas of Expertise
- Couple and Marital Satisfaction Correlates
- Family Stress and Ecosystemic Perspectives on Families
- Community—University Partnerships (dissemination of information)
Education
- Doctor of Philosophy, Oklahoma State University
- Master of Science, Oklahoma State University
- Bachelor of Science, Brigham Young University
Dr. Burr is interested in the development of healthy couple relationships, the advancement of relationship education programs, and the manner in which contextual factors influence relationships. Dr. Burr is also interested in the manner in which different environmental factors influence child development. Dr. Burr teaches undergraduate classroom and on-line course in Child Development and Family Living.
Phyllis Gilbert, M.Ed., M.S.
Lecturer, Program Coordinator, Center for Economic Education
pgilbert@sfasu.edu
(936)468-2449
Area of Specialization
- Early Childhood
Areas of Expertise
- Infant/Child Development
- Economic Education
- Early Childhood Education
Ms. Gilbert is interested in integrating economics into the K-12 curriculum, political and
economic issues, and financial literacy. She
teaches undergraduate courses and is the CDFL faculty internship supervisor.
Education
- Master of Education, Stephen F. Austin State University
- Master of Science, Stephen F. Austin State University
- Bachelor of Science, Stephen F. Austin State University
Tara Newman, Ed.D, CFLE
Assistant Professor
tanewman@sfasu.edu
(936) 468-6720
Areas of Specialization
- Early Childhood Education
- Democratic Classroom Environments
- Socio-emotional Development
- Human Interaction
Areas of Expertise
- Positive Guidance and Socio-Emotional development
- Active learning and cognitive development
- Learner Outcomes and Assessment
- Parenting Issues
Dr. Newman has been working with children and their families for 16 years in a variety of capacities. Beginning as a caregiver for children in early childhood programs, she soon began working as a parent educator. Later, as a public school teacher, Dr. Newman taught at all grade levels (K-12) in ESL and Bilingual classrooms.
Education
- Doctor of Education, Stephen F. Austin State University
- Master of Education, Stephen. F. Austin State University
- Bachelor of Science, Stephen F. Austin State University