The aim of the Chicago School Readiness Project is to improve low-income, preschool-aged children's chances of success in school. CSRP targeted young children's emotional and behavioral adjustment through a comprehensive, classroom-based intervention in Head Start.

Fuhua Zhai, Postdoctoral Research Scholar
Email: fuhua.zhai@nyu.edu                  Phone: 212 998 5209

Fuhua Zhai is a Postdoctoral Research Scholar working with Dr. Raver on the Chicago School Readiness Project at IHDSC. His research interests include Head Start and other early childhood education and care policies and programs, impacts of classroom-based intervention on disadvantaged children, cross-national comparative child and family policies, and statistical methods to estimate causal effects. He received his Ph.D. and M.Phil. degrees from the Columbia University School of Social Work; Master of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) School of Social Work; and bachelor's degree from China Youth University for Political Sciences Department of Social Work.

Rachel Pess, Research Assistant
Email: rap323@nyu.edu                              Phone: 212 998 5236

Rachel Pess is a full-time Research Assistant for the Chicago School Readiness Project at IHDSC. She holds a bachelor's degree in psychology with a minor in statistics from the University of Michigan. Before coming to CSRP, Rachel worked as an undergraduate research assistant in Dr. Fred Morrison's Pathways to Literacy lab.  Her research interests include childhood development and education.

Marian Tes, CSRP Project Coordinator
Email: mct300@nyu.edu                              Phone: 212 998 5647

Marian Tes is the Project Coordinator for the Chicago School Readiness Project at IHDSC. She holds a bachelor's degree in peace studies and history from Colgate University and is currently pursuing her master's in international education from NYU's Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development. Prior to joining CSRP, Marian worked as the Grants Coordinator for the Council of State Governments' Justice Center and has volunteered at various organizations including Orphans of Rwanda and AIDS Walk. Her research interests include comparative educational development, education in emergencies and educational reform.

Nicole Tirado Strayer, Research Assistant
Email: nstrayer@nyu.edu                            Phone: 212 998 5031

Nicole Tirado Strayer is a full-time Research Assistant for the Chicago School Readiness Project at IHDSC. She holds a bachelor's degree in anthropology with a concentration in feminist gender and sexuality studies from Wesleyan University. Before coming to CSRP, Nicole was a Social Worker at St. Luke's Child and Family Institute and has volunteered at various organizations including The Samaritans Suicide Prevention Hotline and the YWCA Come into the Sun Mentor Program. Her research interests include education and public health.