Editorial Committee

Wilma Robles de Melendez, Editor, Ph.D.

Florida

Wilma is a professor of early childhood education at the Fischler Graduate School of Education, Nova Southeastern University, in Miami, FL.

Diane Bales, Ph.D.
Georgia
Diane is a faculty member in the Department of Human Development and Family Science at The University of Georgia, with teaching and research interests focused on early childhood education from birth through age 8.

Zlata Stankovic-Ramirez, Ph.D.

Texas

Zlata is an Assistant Professor teaching Child Development in the school of Human Sciences at Texas Woman's University, Denton, TX. Her research interests include high-quality early childhood education focusing specifically on built environments young children encounter in their lives.

Dina Treff, Committee Chair

Georgia

Dina is the Lead Teacher of the Preschool Program at the Child Development Lab (CDL) at the University of Georgia. In 2017 GAEYC awarded Dina with the first-ever Peggy A. Gallagher Award for Inclusion of Young Children with Special Needs. In April 2018 Dina was one of fifty nationwide recipients to be awarded the 2018 Terri Lynne Lokoff/Children’s TYLENOL® Children’s Zyrtec® National Child Care Teacher Award. She is currently a Board Member for GAEYC, the state affiliate of NAEYC, and represents the ECE professionals of a thirteen county district, as a District Representative. Dina also writes children’s book reviews that are published in Dimensions, SECA’s publication.

Maria Rutherford, Ph.D., Editorial Liason

Kentucky

Dr. Maria is a professor of IEC at a local Bluegrass Community College. On a daily basis, she is lecturing to a diverse group early childhood professionals who are on different levels of professionalism, ethical backgrounds and a variety of cultures. Maria has been a higher education teaching professor for 18 years. She has served in early childhood education since 1997 and is in her 39th year of teaching.