U of U Family and Consumer Studies

Cheryl Wright

Department Chair and Associate Professor
Adjunct Associate Professor in Teaching and Learning
cheryl.wright@fcs.utah.edu


Phone:   Fax:   Office:
801.581.7712   801.581.5156   228 Alfred Emery Building
Ph.D., Human Development and Family Studies, Oregon State University

Awards
  University of Utah Distinguished Teaching Award, 2005

University of Utah Distinguished Service Award, 2002

Bennion Center Public Service Professor, 1992
 

Research Interests:
  Dr. Wright is an early childhood educator interested in the family's influence on young children's creative and cognitive development. She directed the FCS Child and Family Development Center for 20 years and is actively involved in child care policy at the state and national levels. She is the coordinator of Interdisciplinary Early Childhood  Programs (FCS & Teaching and Learning Department).  She is currently the FCS Department Chair.

Dr. Wright is a member of the National Association for the Education of Young Children, the National Association of Child Development and Lab Schools, the National Association of Early Childhood Educators and the National Association for Gifted Children.
 

Selected Publications:
  • Wright, C., Bacigalupa, C., Black, T., & Burton, M.  Windows into Children's Thinking, Early Childhood Education Journal, in press, 2007.
  • Wright, C.  Funding Dilemmas, Advances in Early Childhood Education, 12, 165-180, 2004.
  • Diener, M., Wright, C., Julian, J. & Byington, C.  A Pediatric Literacy Program for Low Socioeconomic, Culturally Diverse Families.  Journal of Research in  Childhood  Education, 2003.
  • Diener, M., Nievar, A., & Wright, C.  Attachment Security Among Mothers and Their Children in Poverty.  Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 49, 2, 154-181, 2003.
  • Wright, C., George, T., Burke, R., Gelfand, D. and D. Teti. Early Maternal Depression and Children's Adjustment to School. Child Study Journal 30 ,2, 2001.
  • Cole, W., Diener, M., Wright, C. and L. Gaynard. Healthcare Professionals' Perception of Child Life Specialists. Children's Healthcare 30,1, 1-15, 2001.
  • Wright C., Diener, M. and S. Kay. School Readiness of Low-income Children at Risk of School Failure. Journal of Children and Poverty, 6 ,2, 99-117, 2000.
  • Wright, C. Learn from me: When schools fail to meet the needs of intellectually gifted boys. Perspectives on Early Childhhod Gifted Education, 1, 94-106. 1999.
 

Grants:
  • Wright,  C.  Intervening with Struggling Young Readers, subcontracted with U. Reading Clinic (K. Brown), Utah Board of Regents ($88,048) 2003-2008.
  • Wright, C. & Diener, M. Success by Six Evaluation Project, United Way, ($40,000) September, 1998-2000.
  • Diener, M. & Wright, C. Reach Out and Read Evaluation, funded by Primary Children's Foundation, ($10,000) January, 1998.
  • Wright, C. Development of a Multi-Level Child Care Evaluation: Phase 1: Assessment, Utah State Department of Workforce Services, ($8,430) October 1997-January 1998.
  • Wright, C. State Wide Infant-Toddler Child Care Training, Level I and II, and Director Training, Utah Department of Community and Economic Development ($51,895) January 1997 - October 1998.
 

Classes:
  • FCS 2610 Understanding Children
  • FCS 2620 Child Development Practicum
  • FCS 2621 The Whole Child
  • FCS 5170 Creativity and Cognition In Young Children
  • FCS 5962  Maximizing Human Potential (summer workshop)