Child Study Center Staff

The Child Study Center has an expansive full-time staff of experienced, engaged educators. Each classroom has a Lead Teacher, Teacher, and Assistant Teacher who support children throughout the day. As a training institution, we also strive to hire and train several part-time beginning teachers each year - who may be new to the field or find their way to us after other career paths. As a laboratory preschool, we host 20-30 student teachers each semester on regular, part-time schedules who are either enrolled in an education/psychology practicum or looking to learn and train with our master teachers. All teachers at the Center collaborate to prepare an engaging and affirming environment that supports the developmental needs of each child. Faculty Director, Maureen Morgan, and Program Administrator, Annie Cohen, oversee the staff.

Maureen Morgan - Faculty Director

Maureen has been in the field of Early Education and Special Education for thirty years. She is inspired by young children and is eager to pass her experience on to others who have an interest in the lives of young children. She firmly believes that children learn through play and that schools and communities need to place more value on the role of play in early education settings. As Faculty Director of the Child Study Center, Maureen works with her staff to provide the highest possible standard of early childhood education, informed by research in child development and education. We are a model preschool that offers rich opportunities for children, their families, and the Wellesley College Community. As one of the oldest College Laboratory Schools in the country, we support multiple supervised student internships, observations, and student and faculty research each academic year.

Maureen actively supervises research and teaching and supports the active learning needs of the Psychology Department and many other departments and programs across the college. Balancing this with her role in the Education department, she is in the unique position to work directly with children, mentor teachers and student teachers, and engage with Wellesley students and faculty on a daily basis. Maureen’s academic interests center on inclusionary education settings and communities, social-emotional learning in children from birth to age 8, and successful anti-bias, anti-racist teaching and learning in preschool through grade 3. Maureen has been a teacher or an administrator in corporate settings, campus-based settings, and public schools.

When not at Wellesley, Maureen is a statewide coach for Instructional Leadership for Continuous Improvement in early education settings in local communities. She is a Special Education Advocate for children and families in schools, and she enjoys spending time with her husband, young adult sons, and her 2-year-old Boston Terrier.

Wendy Gonsenhauser - Lead Teacher, Youngest Classroom

Wendy has been working in Early Childhood Education for over 25 years, directing, teaching, and developing new programs for children ages 2-6. Prior to her time as Lead Teacher in the Youngest Classroom, she was Lead Teacher in the Middles Classroom at the CSC for three years, then Assistant Director for six years. Her experience in independent preschools in the greater Metro West area spans a diverse range of populations. Wendy trains educators through professional development workshops and larger forums, such as NAEYC and MAAEYC conferences. Wendy received her Bachelor’s Degree in Art Education from SUNY, College at Buffalo, and her Master’s Degree in Expressive Therapies from Lesley College. She has done post-graduate work in Special Education at SUNY, College at Buffalo, and Early Childhood Education at MassBay Community College. Wendy is married and has two adult daughters. She enjoys family walks with her dog, visiting art museums, traveling, yoga, pilates, and music.

Emily Cooperman - Lead Teacher, Middles Classroom

Emily has been working with young children for over 20 years. She completed her undergraduate and Master's degrees in Child Development at Tufts University. While in graduate school, she worked with hospitalized children in the Child Life Department at Tufts Medical Center, providing play opportunities to normalize their experience and make medical procedures less stressful. Emily taught at Harvard's Botanic Gardens Children's Center before moving on to Lesley Ellis School, where she helped to create an anti-bias curriculum for young children. In her free time, Emily enjoys reading, seaglassing, and baking with her two daughters.

Jen Clifton - Lead Teacher, Oldest Classroom

Jen has over 20 years of experience in the field of Early Childhood Education and a Master's Degree in Education from Smith

College. Jen began her career teaching first grade in Portland, Maine. She then became Lead Teacher and Program Manager at the University of Southern Maine Child and Family Centers and Adjunct Faculty in the Early Childhood Education Department at Southern Maine Community College. Jen has been the Lead Teacher in the Oldest Classroom since 2010. In her free time, Jen enjoys reading, traveling, spending time in nature, and being with friends and family.