Dr. LaRen Morton is a skilled social science researcher with over six years of experience connecting research, policy, and practice to improve outcomes for children and families. Her research examines how environments shape children’s learning and well-being. She has developed a portfolio of education, child development, policy, and research and evaluation projects for federal offices under the Administration for Children and Families such as Office of Head Start (OHS), and academic institutions. Using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches, Dr. Morton’s research expertise includes understanding the influence of the school, home, neighborhood, and sociopolitical factors on children’s academic, social, and emotional outcomes.
Dr. Morton’s experience includes serving as American Association for the Advancement of Sciences (AAAS)/Society for Research in Child Development (SRCD) Policy Fellow in the Office of Planning Research and Evaluation (OPRE) at the U.S.Department of Health and Human Services. Her work at OPRE spanned across Early Head Start/Head Start, child care, coordinated services, and workforce development. While in this role Dr. Morton supported program evaluation, led the development of federal funding announcements, collaborated with program offices such as the Office of Head Start (OHS) and the Office of Child Care (OCC), and ensured the implementation of federal research agendas. Previously, as a research analyst at the University of Georgia, Dr. Morton conducted extensive research on child and family development, assisted in stakeholder engagement, and engaged in community-based research efforts.
Dr. Morton received her PhD in Human Development and Family Science with a certificate in quantitative research methods from the University of Georgia, where she also earned a Master of Science in Human Development and Family Science. She also holds a B.S. in Family Science from the University of Maryland, College Park.
