I am Professor of Family and Human Development at Utah State University and received my Ph.D. in child developmental psychology from Iowa State University in 1981. My research program focuses on child care quality, preschool children’s development of mathematics understanding, child development in the developing world, and women’s and girls’ leadership. From 1989 to 2002 I worked with Pastoral del Niño in rural Paraguay on a mother/child health and stimulation program for children from birth to age 5 years. I am deeply committed to doing all I can to better the lives of women and children in my state and around the world. In the late 80s/early 90s I helped establish the Utah Office of Child Care by legislative action and the Northern Utah Child Care Resource and Referral organization. I have helped Senator Orrin Hatch write child care block grant legislation. I am the founding director of the Center for Women and Gender (CWG) at Utah State University .I consulted for several years on an educational project for preschoolers, school-aged children, and mothers in Rwanda. I have a non-profit foundation “The USA Meg Foundation” that helps support this project. In 2013 CWG was nationally recognized as the “Emerging Center” by the National Council for Research on Women (NCRW); I received the “Trailblazer 2013 Making a Difference for Women and Girls,” award from NCRW. Throughout my career my research and administrative work have focused on the development of sustainable projects, offices, and organizations. I have served as major professor and research advisor for more than 40 masters and doctoral students including several students who completed their research projects in Paraguay or Rwanda. My administrative roles at Utah State University have included Vice Provost, Associate Dean, Dean, and Associate Director of the Agriculture Experiment Station. I bring more than $2,000,000 a year in external grants to USU; all of the projects focus on women, mothers, and children. I have a strong avocational interest in music and play several instruments in semi-professional settings. I enjoy outdoor activities and winter sports.