Hope K. Gerde, PhD, is the Director of the Institute for Early Childhood Development & Education at Texas A&M University and a Professor in the College of Education and Human Development. Dr. Gerde earned her Ph.D. in Child Development and Family Studies from Purdue University and teaches courses in early childhood development, curriculum design, intervention design and development, and family engagement. Her federally-funded program of research investigates young children’s language and literacy development and how families promote language and literacy at home and in their communities.