Curriculum Vitae

Yana Segal Sirotkin, M.A., Ph.D.

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Phone:                                   (727) 314-1429

Fax:                                        (727) 362-1347                                               

E-Mail:                                   yana@parentingexpert.org                 

Languages:                            English, Russian, Hebrew, Spanish

                                              

 

Education

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2006 – 2010 

Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology     

George Mason University, VA, USA

Dissertation title: Contemporary and Longitudinal Relations between Preschoolers’ Emotion Regulation and Their Social Behavior.

Advisor: Dr. Susanne Denham                                                                                              

 

2004 – 2007      

M.A. in Developmental Psychology                   

University of Haifa, Israel

Thesis title: Parenting styles, emotional communication, and conflict among adolescent girls and their mothers

Advisors: Dr. David Oppenheim and Dr. Nina Koren-Karie

                                   

2001 - 2004    

B.A. in Psychology and Communication (double major)            

University of Haifa, Israel

           

Employment

 

2016 – Present

Research Project Manager, USF St. Petersburg College of Arts and Sciences

As a Research Project Manager at USF St. Petersburg's College of Arts and Sciences, I have coordinated multiple family-focused research initiatives examining parent-child relationships, infant mental health, and effective coparenting strategies. My work has included managing studies at Johns Hopkins All Children's Hospital and implementing interventions to support families during challenging times, including the COVID-19 pandemic. This research experience provides me with evidence-based insights into effective parenting practices across diverse family structures.

 

2016 – 2020

Courtesy Assistant Professor

Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg.

 

2017- Present

Adjunct Instructor

Department of Psychology, University of South Florida, Saint Petersburg.

As an instructor of Child and Adolescent Development, Developmental Psychology, Cross-Cultural Psychology, Research Methods, and Abnormal Child Psychology at USF, I've helped countless students understand the complexities of childhood development and behavior. This combination of research expertise and teaching experience allows me to offer scientifically-grounded yet practical guidance tailored to your family's unique needs, helping you navigate parenting challenges with confidence.

                                  

2012-2016

Child Development Specialist - Self-Employed

I worked with young children (birth to age 6) and their families to build essential school readiness skills while identifying potential developmental concerns in areas such as fine motor skills, early literacy, and problem-solving abilities. For each family, I created individualized support plans that addressed unique developmental needs—including those related to premature birth, multiple births, and learning differences—while continuously monitoring progress and adapting strategies to ensure optimal growth. My approach combined evidence-based developmental science with practical implementation strategies, delivered through private coaching sessions, personalized consultations, and interactive workshops on various child development topics, all designed to empower parents as their child's most effective advocates and teachers.

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2009 - 2012

Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist, Early Steps

I provided developmentally-appropriate services to children with special needs and their families in order to meet goals identified in the family's Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP).  Services included early intervention direct service, parent/caregiver training, developmental screening/assessment, and collaborative consultation with other providers.

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Professional Certifications

 

2018 – Present

Registered Circle of Security Parent (COS-P) Facilitator

 

2011 - Present

Certified Trainer HOT DOCS (Helping Our Toddlers, Developing Our Children's Skills) Parent Training Program by USF Health, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Development.

 

2009 – 2015

CMS Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist.

 

2009 – 2020

Approved Medicaid Provider.

 

Publications

 

McHale, J. P., Stover, C., Dube, C., Sirotkin, Y., Lewis, S., & McKay, K. (2023). Randomized controlled trial of a prenatal focused coparenting consultation for unmarried black fathers and mothers: One‐year infant and family outcomes. Infant Mental Health Journal, 44(1), 27-42.

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McHale, J.P., Smith Stover, C., Dube, C., Segal Sirotkin, Y., Lewis, S., & McKay, K. (2022). A Culturally Grounded Prenatal Coparenting Intervention: Results of a Randomized Controlled Trial with Unmarried Black Parents. Journal of Family Psychology, 36(4), 479.

 

McHale, J. P., & Segal Sirotkin, Y. (2019). Coparenting in diverse family systems. In M. Bornstein (Ed.), Handbook of Parenting (3rd. Ed.). New Jersey: Erlbaum (pp. 125-154)

 

McHale, J., Negrini, L. & Sirotkin, Y. (2019). Coparenting. In M. Bornstein, M. Arterberry, K. Fingerman & J. Lansford (Eds.). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Lifespan Human Development. New York: Sage Publications.

 

McHale, J., Sirotkin, Y. & Negrini, L (2019). Coparenting. In B. Fiese. M. Celano, K. Deater-Deckard, E. Jouriles & M. Whisman. (Eds.) APA Handbook of Contemporary Family Psychology (Volume 1, Chapter 27). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association Press.

 

Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., Sirotkin, Y. S., Brown, C., & Morris, C. (2015). “No-o-o Peeking”: Preschoolers’ executive control, social competence, and classroom adjustment. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 29(2), 212-225.

 

Sirotkin, Y. S., Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., & Zinsser, K. (2013). Keep calm and carry on: The importance of children’s emotional positivity and regulation for success in Head Start. NHSA Dialog: The Research-to-Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field, 16(2), 113-119.

 

Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., Sirotkin, Y. S., & Zinsser, K. (2013). Head Start preschoolers' emotional positivity and emotion regulation predict their social-emotion behavior, classroom adjustment, and early school success. NHSA Dialog: The Research-to-Practice Journal for the Early Childhood Field, 16(2), 18-33.

 

Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., Mincic, M.M., Kalb, S. C., Way, E., Wyatt, T., & Segal, Y. (2012). Social-emotional learning profiles of preschoolers' early school success: A person-centered approach. Learning and Individual Differences, 22, 178–189. doi: 10.1016/j.lindif.2011.05.001

 

Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., Thayer, S. K., Mincic, M., Sirotkin, Y.S, & Zinsser, K. (2012). Observing preschoolers’ social-emotional behavior: Structure, foundations, and prediction of early school success. Journal of Genetic Psychology, 173, 246-278. doi: 10.1080/00221325.2011.597457

 

Denham, S.A., Bassett, H.H., Mincic, M., Way, E., Wyatt, T., & Segal, Y. (2012). Social-Emotional Learning Profiles of Preschoolers' Early School Success: A Person-Centered Approach. Special Issue on Student Emotion of Journal of Learning and Individual Differences, 22, 178-189.

 

 

Conference Presentations

 

Sirotkin Segal, Y., Ragni, B., Stover Smith, C., & Mchale, J. (2025). Infant Triadic Emotion Regulation: Relations with coparenting and exploration of gender differences. Symposium presentation at the 22nd European Developmental Psychology Conference, Vilnius, Lithuania.

 

Sirotkin Segal, Y., Ragni, B., Stover Smith, C., & Mchale, J. (2025). Coparenting and Infant Triadic Emotion Regulation: Associations with Parental Depression and Negative Emotionality. Symposium presentation at the Biannual Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development, Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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Sirotkin, Y., McHale J., Stover, C., & Coates, E. (2023). Infant eye gaze, emotion regulation and coparenting during triadic interactions of unmarried Black parents. Presented in symposium at the World Association for Infant Mental Health Congress. Dublin, Ireland.

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Sirotkin Segal, Y.,  D‘Souza, N., Wiemken, P., Nickas, M., Umlah, E., Barrios, K., & McHale, J., (2019, March). Infant Emotion Regulation during Triadic Interactions with Their Unmarried Parents. Poster to be presented at the 65th Annual Meeting of the Southeastern Psychological Association (SEPA). Jacksonville, FL.

 

Sirotkin Segal, Y.,  Wiemken, P., D‘Souza, N., Nickas, M., Kimer, C., & McHale, J., (2019, March). Infant Emotion Regulation during Triadic Interactions with Both Parents at 3 and 12 months. Poster to be presented at the 2019 Biennial Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD). Baltimore, MD.

 

Bassett, H. H., Zinsser, K., Segal Y., & Denham, S. A. (2012, June). Head Start Preschoolers' Emotional Positivity and Emotion Regulation Predict their Classroom Adjustment, Social Behavior, and Early School Success. Poster presented at the Head Start’s 11th National Research Conference, “Research on Young Children and Families: Effective Practices in an Age of Diversity and Change". Washington, DC.

 

Mincic, M. S., Segal, Y., Way, E., Warren, H. K., & Morris, C. A. S. (2007, May). Attachment, Parent-Child Emotion Communication, and Middle Schoolers’ Propensities to Forgive. Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the Society for Prevention Research. Washington, D.C.

 

Segal, Y., Perna, A. M., Bassett, H. H., & Denham, S. A. (2009, April). Relations between Preschoolers’ Self-Regulation in Structured Assessment and Social-Emotional Competence in Naturalistic Settings. Poster presented at the Biannual Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. Denver, CO.

 

Perna, A. M., Segal, Y., Bassett, H. H., Kalb, S. C., & Denham, S. A. (2009, April). Investigation of Gender and Center Differences in Preschoolers’ emotion and Behaviors with Their Classroom Peers over Time. Poster presented at the Biannual Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. Denver, CO.

 

Denham, S. A., Bassett, H. H., Wyatt, T. M., Kalb, S. C., Mincic, M. S., Perna, A. M., Segal, Y., Morris, C. A. S., Brown, C. A., Warren, H. K. (2009, April). How Preschoolers Social and Emotional Competence Predicts Their School-Readiness: Development of Competency-Based Assessments. Poster Symposium presented at the Biannual Meeting of the Society for Research in Child Development. Denver, Co.

 

 

Editorial Experience

 

 Ad Hoc Reviewer: Journal of Child and Family Studies

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