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

Assist as contributor to several projects and initiatives, including service on the USFSP Family Study Center’s Infant-Family Mental Health Center at Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital; serve as Research Project Manager for “Randomized Controlled Trial of Prenatal Coparenting Intervention for African American Fragile Families” (May 2016-Present).

Responsibilities:

  • Working closely with the PI, Co-PI, and Project Coordination

  • Develop research designs and protocols, data collection methods and strategies for data management.

  • Design, create and revise research instruments as necessary to ensure quality data that correlates with research objectives.

  • Create and maintain databases - Responsible for all phases of research database management, project documentation and randomization of cases.

  • Ensure data security and integrity.

  • Provide assistance with retention efforts (congratulations cards, newsletter content).

  • Train and oversee research assistants.

  • Primary regulatory specialist – oversee compliance with institutional rules and regulations related to research involving human subjects and human subject

  • File reports and amendments for IRB compliance.

  • Assist with data analyses, report preparation, writing and dissemination.

 

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.

                                  

2012-2016

Child Development Specialist - Self-Employed

Responsibilities:

  • Work with young children (birth to 6) and their families to promote the acquisition of skills necessary for them to be successful in preparing for school.

  • Identification of potential developmental delays that require additional support. These delays could be related to fine motor skills, literacy acquisition, problem solving, and high risk factors such as premature birth, multiple births, and learning disabilities.

  • Development of individualized plans for helping to encourage and support the child in overcoming delays and possible barriers to learning.

  • Continuous progress monitoring and consideration of alternative plans for improvement.

  • Private coaching and individual consultation, and group workshops on various child development topics.

 

2009 - 2012

Infant Toddler Developmental Specialist, Early Steps

Responsibilities: Providing 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 include early intervention direct service, parent/caregiver training, developmental screening/assessment, and collaborative consultation with other providers.

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2006 - 2008 

Research Assistant

George Mason University, Virginia             

Supervisor: Susanne Denham, Ph.D.

Responsibilities: Social and emotional assessment of children in pre-schools and kindergartens for a longitudinal study of social-emotional competence; Data entry and analysis.

 

2006 – 2007

Undergraduate Adviser

George Mason University, Virginia                             

Supervisor: Michael Hurley, Ph.D.

Responsibilities: Review of the requirements for the degree, any special options, and possible electives; identification of any deficiencies in the student's record and ways to correct them; and discussion and guidance towards future career and graduate school options.

 

2004 - 2005 

Developmental Psychology Internship

Children Psychological Services, Akko, Israel

Supervisor: Neal Blooshtein, M.A., Licensed Developmental Psychologist   

Responsibilities: Assisting a developmental psychologist during the fulfillment of his duties by performing observations, administration of developmental tests, and participation in staff meetings.

 

2003 - 2004

Research Assistant

University of Haifa, Israel       

Supervisors: Abraham Sagi-Schwartz, Ph.D., David Oppenheim, Ph.D.                                                                                     Responsibilities: Data collection, data entry, and data analysis for a longitudinal research project with adolescent girls and their mothers.

 

2002 - 2005   

Research Assistant

University of Haifa, Israel              

Supervisor: Solomon Wasser, Ph.D.

Responsibilities: Translation, preparation, and editing of scientific articles for journals in the area of evolutionary biology.

 

2002 - 2004       

Research Assistant,

University of Haifa, Israel              

Supervisor: Yaffa Yeshurun, Ph.D.                                                                                         

Responsibilities: Cognitive assessments of undergraduate students.

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2002-2003

Special Education Mentoring

Children Psychological Services, Akko, Israel

Supervisor: Neal Blooshtein, M.A., Licensed Developmental Psychologist

Responsibilities: Creation of a close relationship with the child, which stimulated a behavioral and academic improvement, and provided the child with a source of emotional feedback and support.

 

Teaching Experience

 

University of South Florida at Saint Petersburg, FL:

  • Research Methods in Psychology    PSYC3213

  • Cross Cultural Psychology              SOP 4723

 

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 – Present

Approved Medicaid Provider.

 

Publications

 

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.,  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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