December 11, 2007

Eric Mayes appointed associate director of the Merrill-Palmer Skillman Institute at Wayne State University

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Eric Mayes

Eric Mayes has been appointed associate director of the Merrill-Palmer Skillman Institute (MPSI), and executive director of its Child Development Lab at Wayne State University. He also is an adjunct assistant professor at WSU.

Laura McCloskey, director of the Merrill-Palmer Skillman Institute, announced the appointment following an extensive national search.

Prior to joining MPSI, Mayes was an adjunct professor at Howard University and Dean of Students at an elementary and middle school in Washington, DC.

"Dr. Mayes\' return to Michigan, to give back to children of this State, will benefit our university and the community. He has the rigorous educational background and the experience to translate his vision into concrete results," McCloskey said.

Mayes graduated from Howard University in 2006 with a Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the Department of Human Development and Psychoeducational Studies. He held several positions during his tenure including president of the Educational Psychology Student Association; graduate assistant in the Office of Retention, Mentoring and Support Programs; research assistant in the School of Education’s Office of the Dean; and technology assistant in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction.

He has participated in national and international conferences, seminars and symposiums and is a recipient of Howard University’s prestigious Trustee scholarship.

Mayes has studied and researched internationally as a research intern at Burfut School, in the Gambia-West African, studying curriculum development and assessment practices of a K through 6 Village school; and predoctoral intern in Salvador, Bahia at the Steve Biko Cultural Institute, where he worked with students learning English as a second language/foreign language.

His current research focuses on the interaction of culture and language on human growth and development, specifically in the areas of learning and cognition.

Mayes’ achievements extend back to his student career at the University of Michigan, where he earned his bachelor’s degree in 1998 and master’s in Education Technology in 2000. In 1997, he served as the captain of the University of Michigan’s national championship football team.

In the area of community service, he has volunteered for the Special Olympics as a team captain; D.A.R.E. program (Kalamazoo, Mich.); University of Michigan’s Motts Children’s Hospital; City of Hope Cancer Center; and West Side Cubs— Police Athletic League’s football team in Detroit.

The Merrill Palmer Institute, founded in 1916, has a long history of producing research in the area of child development and providing training and education to scientists in the field. The institute served as a model for child development laboratories across the country, playing a role in the development of national standards for the federal Head Start Program. Incorporated into Wayne State University in 1982, Merrill-Palmer was merged in 2006 with the Skillman Center for Children and Families. The shared vision of the institute is to promote the well-being of children, especially in urban settings.

Wayne State University is a premier institution of higher education offering more than 350 academic programs through 11 schools and colleges to more than 33,000 students.

Contact

Tom Reynolds
Phone: (313) 577-8093
Email: treynolds@wayne.edu

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