Faculty Spotlight - Dr. Katherine (Kat) Cheng

Dr. Katherine (Kat) Cheng

Dr. Cheng’s work investigates how family-school partnerships can support emotions, emotion regulation, relationships, and motivation, which contribute to a child’s lifespan development and health. She identifies practices and interventions that can enhance youth well-being, and thereby improve educational achievement, retention, and social mobility. Moreover, they offer directions for practice and interventions. Kat’s research examines how early care educators can create nurturing, emotionally supportive classroom environments that foster motivated learning behaviors and positive relationships in our nation’s youngest learners. For preschool children from low-income backgrounds, experiencing affectionate, warm, and open communication with teachers leads to higher scores on preschool motivated learning behaviors, which are foundational for school readiness upon entry into formal schooling. Kat has also conducted research showing that when students have the skills to maintain a good balance by valuing their future goals while also regulating their emotions, they are healthier, with lower chronic stress, and sustained well-being.

Where I draw my inspiration

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I am greatly inspired by my mother who is a survivor of many different expectations. She was sandwiched between two generations, one with very traditional values and another that couldn’t wait for liberation. She has done it all; serving her in-laws, looking out for her parents as the eldest daughter, bearing two children while getting a PhD, working her entire adult life, retiring in her sixties, and loving on her grandbabies since. When I lose hope, I look up to her journey and carry on. I know that one day my daughter will look up to mine as well.

What obstacles or opportunities have you experienced related to being a woman or to your gender identity?

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I was born as a second daughter to an only son who has four sisters, in a very conservative large family. In some sense, I was a child who disappointed the family at birth, since I wasn’t a boy (something about carrying the family name, etc.). Luckily, my parents believed that there would be nothing I couldn’t do with an education, and they never had a third child, nor did they see limitations for me due to my gender. For that I am grateful and carry those aspirations to this day.

Having a family later in life has made me appreciate all kinds of journeys that women go through. I believe finding purpose through the pathway that uniquely makes most sense to YOU will be the most meaningful.

What encouragement and advice would you give to women in your profession especially those trying to build a career?

• The journey from point A to point B may not be as straight forward as you imagined, but whatever the curvilinear pathway is, you will get there! Hope for the best, anticipate setbacks, but never stop fighting the good fight.
• Surround yourself with strong women (there are plenty in the College of Education!), and whenever you can, don’t forget to lift other people up.
• Hold your partner and/or the men in your life accountable, there is no reason why they will not rise to the occasion ;)