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Developmental Psychologist Noted for adding nuance to early childhood development and developmental psychology as a whole

ü May 20th 1941, born Esther Stillman in Brooklyn NY, Passed away on December 29th, 2004 at Bloomington, IN

ü Graduated from Highschool in Livingston, NJ ü  Studied at Antioch College Ohio from 1959 to 1962 (where she met her husband David Thelen) ü Graduated from the U of Wisconsin in 1964 with a B.S. in Zoology ü Completed M.A. in Zoology at the University of Missouri (1973) Her thesis on the grooming behavior of Bracon hebetor suggested that there was a “a conflict between the ‘‘fixed action patterns’’ she was supposed to find and the actual variability of the real life behavior of these animals. She recounted years later that this conflict suggested to her that individual variability and context appeared necessary for complex behaviors to emerge. Careful observations over multiple time scales and levels of organization, and the embrace of complexity were themes that would become her legacy.Interestingly, Esther was also becoming interested in Developmental Psychology and wondered if Piaget’s ‘‘circular reactions’’ were connected to the stereotypes in other animals.” ü Completed Doctoral Work at Columbia in 1977. Her dissertation focused on rhythmical movements (stereotypies) in typically developing infants ü Worked at UofMissouri till 1985 then moved to the University of Indiana

ü She proposed that developmental milestones occurred as a result of interactions between the brain, the environment, the infant’s growing bodily awareness among other factors. ü Inspirational moments/Persons. ü Life Changing Moments. CAREER HIGHLIGHTS ü Important Events. Things that drawn attention of others-“She had a profound impact on the way people think about how kids develop," said Dr. John Spencer, a psychology professor at the University of Iowa, a friend and former colleague of Dr. Thelen's. "She really viewed development at the level of the organism, the whole child, and showed that it's not just the genes or the brain but all these things coming together." “ In a comparatively short career, spanning only 25 years, Esther's impact on the field is reflected in three books, an SRCD monograph, and over 120 scientific articles and book chapters. She served on the editorial boards of 15 scientific journals, gave countless invited lectures and was elected president of the International Society on Infant Studies (1996–1998) and president of the Society for Research in Child Development.”