Dr. Karrie Snider arrived at UCM in 2016 with a strong background in early childhood education as a former classroom teacher, administrator, teacher educator, and researcher across PK-8th grade education in rural, suburban, and urban settings. Her degrees include a BA in Early Childhood Education and a BA Elementary Education from Northwest Missouri State University, an MA in Curriculum and Instruction and an Interdisciplinary PhD in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership/Education, Policy, Leadership and Foundations from the University of Missouri - Kansas City; each with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education. Before coming to UCM, Dr. Snider began her role in higher education at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Education in 2007. She has shared research on a variety of topics, including teacher-child interactions and factors that influence teaching and learning. She is an editor, author, and researcher on many projects pertaining to the implementation of The Project Approach: www.projectapproachkc.org. Most recently she was the Principal Investigator of the Missouri Child Care Licensing Alignment Study which examined Missouri's child care licensing regulations in relation to Missouri's bordering states and best practice standards. She is past-President of the Missouri Association for the Education of Young Children (MoAEYC).