FPG Institute

Decorative graphics and text reading: "Disparities in Education and Learning"

FPG is dedicated to investigating and addressing disparities in education and learning and establishing programs to positively impact academic achievement. Learn about our work addressing disparities in education and learning: go.unc.edu/t6GFk

Kristen Harrison

FPG Faculty Fellow Kristen Harrison, whose research has steadily focused on the impact of media messages on body perceptions, also generally studies the behavioral and psychological effects of media consumption, especially on children and adolescents. go.unc.edu/Gc65L

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Explore our areas of expertise today!

Work at FPG spans many disciplines from education and psychology to social work and public health. We use the information gleaned from our research to enhance policy and improve practice.

Take a tour of our areas of expertise today: go.unc.edu/Ca4b6

Decorative graphics and text reading: "Disparities in Education and Learning"

FPG is dedicated to investigating and addressing disparities in education and learning and establishing programs to positively impact academic achievement.

Learn about our work: go.unc.edu/t6GFk

Learn about our impact: fpg.unc.edu/our-impact

An asian mother and daughter read a picture book together in a children's library.

Across our website, you can see examples of the crucial work being done at FPG by our scientists, specialists, and scholars over a broad range of disciplines. This wide-ranging work significantly impacts children and families throughout North Carolina, the United States, and around the world.

Lucelmo Lacerda wearing a University of North Carolina hoodie.

FPG is pleased to welcome Lucelmo Lacerda, PhD, a visiting scholar who will be working with FPG Senior Research Scientists Sam Odom, PhD, and Ann Sam, PhD. We recently spoke with Lacerda to learn more about his work and his path to FPG—here’s what he had to say. fpg.unc.edu/news/fpg-wel...

Jean Jarrett

Jean Jarrett, a graduate student in the department of health sciences speech and hearing sciences at the UNC School of Medicine, was recently named the winner of the 2025 James J. Gallagher Dissertation Award from the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.

Decorative graphics and text reading "Child Health and Development"

To reach their full potential, children need high-quality health care and services—especially in life’s early years. FPG's scientists study many aspects of child health and development—from prenatal health to infant brain development to stress management in adolescents.

Learn more: go.unc.edu/z3R7S

Decorative graphics. Image contains text: Autism & Developmental Disabilities"

Supporting individuals with developmental disabilities such as autism, as well as their caregivers and service providers, is central to the work of FPG. Learn about our work in the field of autism and developmental disabilities: fpg.unc.edu/areas-of-wor...

The award honors the legacy of the late Jim Gallagher, FPG director from 1970 to 1987 and provides a $4,500 stipend. Learn more: fpg.unc.edu/news/jean-ja...

Jean Jarrett

Jean Jarrett, a graduate student in the department of health sciences speech and hearing sciences at the UNC School of Medicine, was recently named the winner of the 2025 James J. Gallagher Dissertation Award from the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute.

Jessica Amsbary

FPG is proud to announce Jessica Amsbary as the recipient of the 2025 Abecedarian Award. The Abecedarian Award honors a FPG staff member's early career research that is scientifically rigorous and addresses an issue of significant social concern. fpg.unc.edu/news/2025-ab...

FPG is a special place because of the people who work here. Everyone is committed to making a real difference, and it is inspiring to be part of a team that works together to create meaningful change for children and families.

Victoria Waters is an educational consultant at FPG. She has worked on many projects at FPG, including STEMIE, AFIRM, Inclusive STEM PreK Playgroups, HEELS2Prep, all of which are designed to support educators and families in improving children’s outcomes. fpg.unc.edu/news/fpg-pro...

Harrop’s program of research broadly focuses on the experiences and profiles of autistic females across the lifespan. While for many years her research focused mostly on children, it has progressed to also include both young and older women.

"My work has evolved over time. I always tell my students that they should be open to where your research will take you because mine is not where I thought it would go."

Clare Harrop, a faculty fellow at FPG, says she was drawn to FPG because it represents child development research at its best. She said that being a faculty fellow has opened her eyes to the breadth of FPG’s work, which goes beyond research and into dissemination and policy work. go.unc.edu/Em9d5

Jessica Amsbary

FPG is proud to announce Jessica Amsbary as the recipient of the 2025 Abecedarian Award. The Abecedarian Award honors a FPG staff member's early career research that is scientifically rigorous and addresses an issue of significant social concern. fpg.unc.edu/news/2025-ab...

A man with short hair and a beard holds his hands to his chest while addressing a support group

New Publication! FPG Senior Research Scientist Diana Fishbein, PhD, recently published "A Translational Framework for Personalizing Intervention Models to Prevent Substance Use Disorder," in the journal Addiction Neuroscience. go.unc.edu/Tf4j8

A school bus drives down a rural dirt road. A mountain range can be seen in the distance.

Deepening her commitment to maximizing children’s learning potential through interventions and resources, Hsiu-Wen Yang, PhD, recently led a project focused on advancing outcomes for multi-language learners in rural, agricultural communities. go.unc.edu/x3ANd

Learn more: fpg.unc.edu/news/nc-trac...

Samantha Schilling

The PriCARE study (short for "Child Adult Relationship Enhancement in Pediatric Primary Care"), led by Samantha Schilling, a pediatrician at the UNC School of Medicine and a faculty fellow at FPG, is trying to help parents navigate the challenges of parenthood through evidence-based workshops.

Headshots of Aerryan Bentley, Kamora Coleman, Kyleigh Creighton and Amaya Jeffers. Image contains text: "FPG Welcomes 2025 McKinney Scholars"

FPG is excited to welcome its 5th cohort of McKinney Scholars. The Marvin H. McKinney Scholars Program in Research, Practice, and Policy was established to offer hands-on research experience in child development to undergraduate students attending North Carolina's HBCUs.

#sprconf25 #impsci #imppractice | The Impact Center at FPG, UNC-CH 📣 Rebecca Roppolo will join a roundtable discussion at the Society For Prevention Research 2025 Annual Meeting on May 28 in Seattle, WA! Session title: Can We Leverage Artificial Intelligence and Mac...

📢 Rebecca Roppolo will join a roundtable discussion at the Society For Prevention Research 2025 Annual Meeting on May 28 in Seattle, WA! tinyurl.com/mujyd58f #sprconf25

A group of eight people sit around a table in discussion.

A panel of family advocates sits at a table in front of an audience.

A group of attendees pose in front of an Inclusion Institute banner.

Inclusion Institute co-chairs and volunteers pose in front of a conference banner.

Day two of the 25th International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute has been very productive and full of great discussion.

Please let us know what stood out to you in the comments!

#FPGInclusionInstitute

So you want to increase your country’s birth rate? Experts say it’s tough As the Trump administration floats potential incentives to bring up the U.S. birth rate, experts tell PBS News that increasing a country’s birth rate is a heavy lift — if it’s possible at all.

Better access to adequate childcare is more likely to impact falling U.S. birth rates than proposed lump sum payments, says CPC Director Karen Benjamin Guzzo.
www.pbs.org/newshour/nat...

A group of children and a service dog sit on the floor of a library with an adult reading to them. Image contains text: "International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute. Improving outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families. 25 years."

It's day 2 of the 2025 #FPGInclusionInstitute!

Today's sessions covers a broad range of topics including how belonging impacts children's behavior, peer-mediated interventions for autistic children, and so much more!

Schedule: inclusioninstitute.fpg.unc.edu/schedule/

A group of attendees pose in front of an Inclusion Institute sign. They hold various photo booth props.

Brian Boyd stands at a lectern and holds his hands up in celebration while addressing the Inclusion Institute attendees.

Chih-Ing Lim stands at a lectern in front of a presentation screen and addresses the attendees of the Inclusion Institute. Paula Grubbs stands to her left.

Pam Winton stands at a lectern in front of a presentation screen and waves to the attendees of the Inclusion Institute.

Day one of the 25th International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute has been amazing! Thank you to keynote speaker Jordyn Zimmerman for an incredible presentation.

Let us know what your favorite part of the first day of the Inclusion Institute has been in the comments.

#FPGInclusionInstitute

3 young children smile and hug in an early care/education setting. Image contains text: "25 years. International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute. Improving outcomes for young children with disabilities and their families."

The 25th International Early Childhood Inclusion Institute starts today! We are excited to welcome everyone—whether in-person or online—to celebrate 25 years of the Inclusion Institute with us. Find the full schedule: inclusioninstitute.fpg.unc.edu/schedule/

#2025InclusionInstitute

A female teacher sits with a pre-K aged boy and reads a children's book.

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UNC Research is foundational reading instruction.

Learn more about our research: tri.fpg.unc.edu

Since 2005, Targeted Reading Instruction (TRI), a program provided by FPG, has worked with teachers and students in rural counties across NC and the US to strengthen classroom reading instruction.

A young boy runs in a schoolyard while holding an inflatable globe.

Research is at the heart of all that we do at FPG. Through rigorous study design, data collection, & analysis, we seek to improve children's lives, support families, & inform public policy.

Visit our impact page for spotlights on some of our 60+ current projects: fpg.unc.edu/news/fpg-mak...