Meet our teamS!

Simple Interactions is a collaborative effort of teams at three institutions: The Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College, Harvard Graduate School of Education, and University of Pittsburgh. Below you can learn more about the teams and our work!

FRed rogers Center

DAna Winters, pH.D.

DIRECTOR OF SIMPLE INTERACTIONS
AND ACADEMIC PROGRAMS
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR OF CHILD AND FAMILY STUDIES

Dr. Dana Winters is the Director of Simple Interactions and Academic Programs, and assistant professor of child and family studies, at the Fred Rogers Center. She contributes significantly to expanding the use of Simple Interactions as an approach for adult-child and adult-adult interactions across multiple contexts to​ serve children and the adults who help them. She leads the team at the Fred Rogers Center to use Simple Interactions to support child-serving professionals across early childhood and other developmental contexts.
​
​dana.winters@stvincent.edu
​

ANNIE WHITE, PH.D.

SENIOR RESEARCH ASSOCIATE
​

Contributes to ongoing Simple Interactions
research and professional learning efforts
across contexts, including a specialization
​in out-of-school and informal learning.​

​annie.mcnamara@stvincent.edu

EMMA LEE, M.ED.

SENIOR PROGRAM
ASSOCIATE

Supports practice, policy, and research
efforts around early childhood contexts
for Simple Interactions initiatives.
​
​emma.lee@stvincent.edu

KATE LUCHINI

MEDIA AND DESIGN 
SPECIALIST

Creates and designs innovative marketing
materials, and artistically enhances program
materials for electronic and print media
for the Simple Interactions Project and
the Fred Rogers Center.
​
katherine.luchini@stvincent.edu

HARVARD GRADUATE SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

JUNLEI LI, PH.D.

SAUL ZAENTZ SENIOR LECTURER
​IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION​

Dr. Junlei Li is the Saul Zaentz Senior Lecturer of Early Childhood Education at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. He is the creator of the Simple Interactions Tool. He has explored the use of Simple Interactions across a wide range of settings, from orphanages to classrooms, and is committed to understanding and supporting the work of helpers – those who serve children and families on the frontlines of education and social services.. In his work Dr. Li is focused on informing practice and system change with the science of human interactions.

Junlei_li@gse.harvard.edu

UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH

TOM AKIVA, PH.D.

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR,
​SCHOOL OF EDUCATION

Dr. Tom Akiva engages in both practice and research around Simple Interactions. Specializing in out of school time and informal learning settings, Dr. Akiva's team at the University of Pittsburgh School of Education offers professional development around the SI approach and engages in research to deepen our understanding of how and why SI works.

​tomakiva@pitt.edu