Since 2023, graduates of Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development have won five consecutive research awards from the Association of Child Life Professionals.
The nine award-winning graduates earned their master's degrees in Child Studies at Vanderbilt and were students in the Children's Healthcare, Illness, Legacy, and Loss (CHILL) Lab, led by Jessika Boles, assistant professor of the practice in the Department of Psychology and Human Development, and co-author on the winning papers.
The Association of Child Life Professionals gives out one Professional Research Award and one Student Research Award each year to "celebrate research initiatives that contribute to theory and practice within the field of child life." Vanderbilt research teams swept both awards in 2025 and 2024 and received the 2023 professional award.
Vanderbilt's master of education in Child Studies offers two tracks: a clinical and developmental research track, for students who plan to enter doctoral programs and research positions, and an applied professional track, for students who plan to become child life specialists, behavior analysts, child development specialists, and non-profit professionals.
Elise Cofer, MEd'21; Maile Jones, MEd'20; and Briana Keller, MEd'24; three awardees from the past five cycles, shared insights from their experience in Vanderbilt's Child Studies program and how it has impacted their careers.
M.Ed. Applied Child Studies
Deputy Director, Eunie's Buddies Tennessee
2024 Professional Research Award
"Fitting the Pieces Together": The experiences of caregivers of children with medical complexity
Co-authors: Elise (Hirt) Cofer, Alyssa Wright, Allysa Kehring, Yinuo Wang, Vanessa Toraño, Jessika Boles
Why did you decide to join Vanderbilt's Child Studies program?
I knew that I wanted to pursue a career as a Certified Child Life Specialist, specifically providing support to families of children with disabilities. The Vanderbilt Child Studies program stood out to me for several reasons. I immediately knew I would feel supported throughout my experience by all the professors and advisors in the program, especially the director of the applied track, Vicki Harris. She helped to enroll me in a dual emphasis track, with pediatric healthcare and severe disabilities as my focus.
I also had the opportunity to work as a research assistant within the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, choose which classes to enroll in, give some input in field work placements, and contribute to research and literature. The sky is truly the limit within this program!
What stands out to you about your time in the program?
My practicum field work placements were in areas directly related to my interests, including schools for students with medical complexity and visual impairments. I also completed a placement at one of our local children's hospitals to develop and implement a targeted training for healthcare providers caring for children with disabilities. I loved that I could put into practice exactly the material I was learning in my courses.
During my second year in the program, which coincided with the COVID-19 restrictions, I designed and carried out a research study to identify the unique needs of caregivers of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. I recognized a lapse in the literature on this topic and approached my advisor, Jessika Boles, about how to make this happen. I have never designed a research study, and she helped me to feel very capable of doing so. I learned so much throughout this process, not only about the unique needs of caregivers but about the process of creating and publishing research.
Research is something that I was initially intimidated by when I entered the program, but Dr. Boles helped to make it not only manageable, but enjoyable. I presented my findings at the annual Child Life Conference in 2024. The session was well attended and crafted lots of conversations between child life professionals from around the country. It has allowed me to connect with people throughout the years who have come across the paper and want to discuss our findings and how to further this area of literature.
How has your Vanderbilt education supported you in your career following graduation?
The Child Studies program at Vanderbilt set me up for professional success! Following my graduation from the program, I was accepted to a child life internship and then offered a job in the exact placement that I hoped for as a Certified Child Life Specialist.
After working in that role for a couple of years, I transitioned to a more community-based role with a non-profit very close to my heart. I provide family support to parents who have children with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities via intentional mentorship and resource sharing.
My experience at Vanderbilt not only gave me the educational foundation for my professional career, but it also has helped me connect with similar organizations and professionals in our community. My fellow graduates of the Child Studies program have connections around the country and are constantly empowering the lives of children and families in their professional space. I am so grateful for my experience within the Child Studies program!
M.Ed. Applied Child Studies
Child Life Specialist, Children's Hospital Colorado
2025 Professional Research Award
Co-authors: Maile T Jones, Elena Albanese, Jessika Boles
2023 Professional Research Award
Hospitalized children's perceptions of legacy: "A symbol of yourself that you leave behind"
Co-authors: Jenna Dunbar, Maile Jones, Jessika Boles
2021 Professional Research Award
Co-authors: Maile T. Jones, Marissa Kirkendall, Leslie Grissim, Sarah Daniels, Jessika Boles
2021 Student Research Award
Parent/Caregiver Perceptions of Legacy in a Pediatric Hospital: A Qualitative Study
Co-authors: Maile Jones, Jessika Boles, Jenna Dunbar, Jessica Cook
Why did you decide to join Vanderbilt's Child Studies program?
I knew early in life that I wanted a career that involved working with children. I learned about child life during undergrad, studying psychology and health and wellness. I was immediately drawn to the child life field after finding out about it, but I also didn't want to limit myself to a single pathway.
Vanderbilt's Child Studies program stood out because it offered a broad, interdisciplinary foundation of child development alongside child life-specific coursework, preparation and experiences. I was drawn to this program because it would expose me to a variety of disciplines, perspectives and professional opportunities. Vanderbilt allowed me to explore child life while also taking courses across disciplines, learning from diverse faculty and building coursework and a degree that would remain applicable no matter how my career evolved.
What stands out to you about your time in the program?
One of the most formative experiences I had in the program was the unexpected deep dive into research and how it reshaped my understanding of scholarship. Early coursework emphasized evidence-based practice (shoutout to that grueling summer course with Vicki Harris), and although I initially chose the applied track with little interest in research, that quickly changed.
In my first semester, I chose to do an independent study with Jessika Boles at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital to fulfill my research credit course program requirement. I had the opportunity to help Jessika with data collection and recruitment for her study focused on the concept of legacy. Through that experience, I learned that research isn't confined to test tubes and lab coats; it can mean listening to patients and families, asking meaningful questions, and generating evidence that directly improves clinical care. That experience completely reshaped my understanding of research and shifted my graduate study trajectory, leading to deeper involvement in child life research and eventually joining Vanderbilt's Stress and Coping Lab under Bruce Compas.
The mentorship, hands-on learning experiences, and opportunities I received from Vicki, Jessika, and Bruce, fundamentally changed how I approach both practice and inquiry.
How has your Vanderbilt education supported you in your career following graduation?
My Vanderbilt education gave me the tools to be a thoughtful, informed advocate in my field. It taught me how to critically evaluate current practices, ask better questions, collaborate across disciplines, and challenge existing approaches to working with children and families. The emphasis on learning from others and grounding care in evidence has shaped how I approach my work-not only as a clinician, but as a contributor to ongoing efforts to strengthen and improve child- and family-centered care through research and quality improvement projects.
M.Ed. Clinical and Developmental Child Studies
Ph.D. student in educational psychology at the University of Alabama
2025 Student Research Award
Co-authors: Briana P. Keller, Laina Heacock, Emily Rothenberg, and Jessika Boles
2024 Student Research Award
Legacy in pediatrics: A concept analysis
Co-authors: Briana Keller, Terrah Akard, Jessika Boles
What stands out to you about your time in the program?
My experience in the CHILL lab with Jessika Boles. It wasn't just about getting to work on some cool projects and seeing the real-world effects of our research (though I definitely did that!). Having a mentor who continually pushed me to grow was honestly transformative. I came to Vanderbilt with almost no research experience, and by the time I graduated, people were referring to me as "the next leading researcher in the [child life] field." That kind of growth takes more than hard work alone: it also takes a mentor who sees your potential and supports you, in every way they can.
How has your Vanderbilt education supported you in your career following graduation?
When I started my Ph.D. program, I already felt confident in designing, conducting, analyzing, and publishing research. That's made it possible for me to collaborate with other researchers across disciplines and to explore some highly specialized areas I wouldn't have otherwise. I'm still a student and I still have plenty to learn, but I wouldn't be anywhere close to where I am today if not for my experience in the CHILL lab. It set the foundation for my future studies and for my career.
