Lab Staff
Dr. Patty Clarkson
Director
pkclarks@calpoly.edu
Patty Clarkson is an early education professional who has over 30 years of experience as an administrator, principal, director, teacher, seminar leader and consultant. Patty received her doctorate degree in Educational Leadership (with an emphasis in Early Childhood Education) from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She received a BS in Psychology and Human Development and a MA in Education Administration from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. Patty’s research interests include the impact of college lab programs in supporting student’s constructivist views. Patty co-authored A Developmental Approach to Educating Young Children (Corwin, 2010) and a case study featuring the Learning Lab in More Than A Motto (Volume 1, 2017). In addition to directing the Lab program, Patty also teaches the CD230 Lab course as well as various other Child Development/Early Education courses. Patty continues to consult throughout the state with schools and early education programs in areas of staff development, quality practices, operational guidelines, and licensing regulation support.
Kari Applegate
Early Childhood Master Teacher
kapple02@calpoly.edu
Kari has been the Master Teacher at the Learning Lab since September of 2012. She obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in child development (CD) from Cal Poly and her Master’s in early childhood education (ECE) from Fresno State University. In between degrees, Kari experienced many different areas of the CD and ECE fields including teaching, early intervention, and preschool program consulting on inclusion and behavior. She was also program coordinator for state CD programs for Community Action Partnership. She enjoys helping children discover and grow a love for learning!
Laura Deichen
Early Childhood Teacher
ldeichen@calpoly.edu
Laura has been an early education teacher for the Learning Lab since December of 2022. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Simpson University, and an AA in Early Childhood Education from Shasta College. Laura has extensive experience in early education as a site supervisor, lead teacher, after-school teacher and inclusion support facilitator for Head Start in Orange County. She enjoys creativity in all its forms, but especially loves textile arts. Camping, hiking, books, and cooking keep her grounded; while her four adult children encourage her to reach high.
Dr. Carol Trautman
Early Childhood Teacher
trautman@calpoly.edu
Carol joined the Learning Lab team in January of 2024. Her experience includes preschool and elementary teaching in general and special education settings. She received a Ph.D. in Psychological Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) with a focus on social communication and language acquisition. She holds an M.A. in Early Childhood Special Education from George Washington University and a B.A. in Early Childhood Education from the University of Florida. While at UTD, she assisted in training graduate students in the speech language pathology program. Carol retired from the Texas Education Agency and is happy to be working with young children, students, and professionals at Cal Poly.
Child Development Faculty
|
Name |
Office Location |
|
Phone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jennifer Jipson | 47-24C | 805-756-2033 | |
| Denise Daniels | 47-21D | ddaniels@calpoly.edu | 805-756-2106 |
| 47-21B | jjovanov@calpoly.edu | 805-756-2611 | |
| Linda Lee | 47-21Q | llee10@calpoly.edu | 805-756-6131 |
| 47-21P | jkaczoro@calpoly.edu | 805-756-2077 | |
| Natasha Duell | 47-21D | nduell@calpoly.edu | 805-756-2004 |