Invited Speakers

Subject to change.

Imagination and Media

• JaNay Brown-Wood, Author and Scholar
  On advocating for diverse and representative children’s books
• Anne Lund, PBS Kids
  On bolstering children’s learning through television shows, apps, and other educational tools
• Yalda Uhls, University of California, Los Angeles
  On bridging research and practice about children’s media

Moderated by Jacqueline D. Wooley, University of Texas at Austin

Non-Human Play

• Jill Katka, Louisville Zoo
  On designing playful environments for primates in zoos
• Gordon Burghardt, University of Tennessee
  On characterizing play behavior in “non-playing” species such as reptiles
• Vincent Janik, University of St. Andrews
  On studying communication, behavior, and play in dolphins

Moderated by Jeffrey J. Lockman, Tulane University 

Physical Play and Play Space Design

• David Flanigan, Yalp Interactive Playgrounds
  On designing and building interactive playgrounds
• Meghan Talarowski, Studio Ludo
  On studying children’s playful behavior on playgrounds
• Bo Stjerne Thomsen, LEGO Foundation
  On using play with LEGOs to learn in childhood

Moderated by Andres Bustamente, University of California, Irvine

Play and Imagination across Cultures

• Suzanne Gaskins, Northeastern Illinois University
  On studying children’s everyday lives and play in Yucatec Mayan villages in Mexico
• Helen Davis, Harvard University
  On characterizing children’s play and learning in the Kunene region of northern Namibia and southern Angola
• Lisa Norris, ACER Foundation
  On conducting educational research on Little J and Big Cuz, television programs for Indigenous children in Australia

Moderated by Artin Göncü, University of Illinois, Chicago 

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE INVITED SPEAKERS