Anne Cunningham, Professor of Human Development at UC Berkeley, is known for her research on literacy and development in early childhood education and beginning reading. She examines the cognitive and motivational processes underlying literacy acquisition and the interplay of context, development, and instruction. A former preschool teacher, Dr. Cunningham has spent over a decade supporting PreK teachers’ ability to support children’s literacy acquisition. She has been awarded several prestigious research fellowships, was a member of the National Early Literacy Panel (NELP) and currently serves as principal investigator of Teacher Quality: The Role of Teacher Study Groups as a Model of Professional Development in Early Literacy for Preschool Teachers.