Ruby Takanishi, the third of four finalists for the position of founding executive director of the Buffett Early Childhood Institute, will visit the University of Nebraska Feb. 27-28.
Takanishi is president of the Foundation for Child Development in New York City. She will attend open forums for faculty, staff, students and the public. The UNL session is 4 p.m., Feb. 27 at the Van Brunt Visitors Center. A session at the University of Nebraska at Omaha is 3:30 p.m., Feb. 28 in room 412 of Roskens Hall.
The forums are followed by a reception.
Takanishi’s long-term interest is how research on children’s development can inform public policy and programs. She studied psychology at Stanford University, graduating Phi Beta Kappa, and earned her master’s degree from the University of Michigan and Ph.D. from Stanford. She was the founding executive director of the Federation of Behavioral, Psychological and Cognitive Sciences; and director of the Office of Scientific Affairs of the American Psychological Association. Later, Takanishi was executive director of the Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development and assistant director for behavioral and social sciences and education in the President’s Office of Science and Technology Policy.
She has been widely recognized for her work. In 1998, she received the Distinguished Contributions to Research in Public Policy Award from the American Psychological Association, and in 2004 her colleagues honored her with the Fred Rogers Leadership Award in Philanthropy for Child, Youth and Families. Takanishi also has received the Distinguished Contributions to Public Policy for Children Award from the Society for Resarch on Child Development. She has served on a number of boards, including current service on the McKnight Foundation’s Educational Learning National Advisory Committee.
One additional finalist for the Buffett Institute executive director position will visit the University of Nebraska March 7-8. The first finalist, Carla Peterson, visited NU Feb. 1-2; the second, Susan Landry, visited Feb. 14-16.
The university invites feedback on any of the candidates at http://buffettinstitute.nebraska.edu/feedback.
— Melissa Lee, NU Central Administration
More details at: http://go.unl.edu/26q