AEM Blue
Kathy Thornburg, Ph.D.

Dr. Kathy Thornburg offers more than 45 years of experience, including working with states in the development of early childhood systems via providing TA for states that received Race to the Top - Early Learning Challenge Grants and Preschool Development Grants. In addition, she is working to provide states information based on lessons learned from the military child development system.

After retirement from the University of Missouri, where she directed the Child Development Lab and the Center for Family Policy & Research, Dr. Thornburg served as Assistant Commissioner for the Missouri Department of Education. Since starting her academic career, Dr. Thornburg has contributed more than 100 research articles, book chapters, and books—including a book on Early Head Start families, Keepin’ On: The Everyday Struggles of Young Families in Poverty. Her research and public policy efforts continue to relate to early childhood programs, teacher training, school readiness, and parenting education. Dr. Thornburg has a doctoral degree in Child Development/Early Childhood.