Dr. Cynthia A. Wiltshire, Principal Investigator

Cynthia A. Wiltshire is an Assistant Professor of Early Childhood Education in the Department of Teacher Education at the University of Texas at El Paso. Dr. Wiltshire’s work examines the relationships that exist between teachers and children in early childhood education classrooms. Specifically, her work investigates associations between teacher stress, teacher warmth, and children's outcomes in cognitive and socioemotional development.

A graduate of the University of Virginia (BA, Biology), New York University (MA, Childhood Education), and Teachers College, Columbia University (MS, Neuroscience & Education), Dr. Wiltshire completed her doctoral degree in Early Childhood Education from Teachers College, Columbia University in May of 2021.

Dr. Wiltshire is most proud of the 20 years prior to receiving her doctorate which were spent in classrooms as an educator to children between the ages of 2 and 18. These years as a classroom teacher afforded her the opportunity to recognize the most critical years of brain architecture and learning occur long before kindergarten entry. Moreover, these years illuminated the criticality of the teacher-child relationship and the necessity to focus  the research questions and goals of The Wiltshire Lab on, both, teachers and children.