Marie Masterson, PhD, is a national speaker, child behavior expert, researcher, and educational consultant to professional organizations and state agencies. She currently works as the director of quality assessment at the McCormick Center for Early Childhood Leadership. Dr. Masterson is a former early childhood specialist for the Virginia Department of Education, professor in early childhood education at Dominican University and a Fulbright Specialist. She is an advocate for the human rights of children and serves on the national board of the US Alliance to End the Hitting of Children.