Lisa Ferguson, MAT ECE
Early Math and Literacy, and Play
As an early childhood education professional with over 25 years’ experience, Lisa brings an academic voice to our work with a focus on language and literacy, early math development, and play. Lisa has served as a classroom teacher, university instructor, instructional coach, professional development facilitator, and conference presenter. She also worked with the U.S. Department of Education as a demonstration teacher for national training videos. Lisa currently works as a Teacher Educator at Erikson Institute in Chicago where she supports early childhood administrators and teachers across the country. Lisa also serves on the board of Reach Out and Read Illinois. She is a co-author of Bringing Baby Home, developed in partnership with the Illinois Department of Public Health and the Chicago Mayor’s Office, and the sole author of The B.L.E.S.S. Family Resource. Lisa received a Master of Arts in Teaching in Early Childhood Education from National-Louis University. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Jon, and they have two adult children.
Crystal Elliott-O'Connor, MAT ECE
Early Learning and Family Support
Crystal has been in the field of early childhood education for nearly 30 years. Beginning her career as an assistant teacher in a nursery classroom, Crystal has served in various capacities including Kindergarten teacher, Training Coordinator, and Director of a Head Start Training Center on Chicago’s west side. Additionally, she serves pre-service teachers as an adjunct instructor on the community college and university levels. Currently Crystal is launching a new early childhood training and professional development consulting practice, Get Back 2 Basics! Crystal holds a Master of Teaching in Early Childhood Education from National Louis University. Training, professional development, and public speaking to advance the cause of early care and education, are her greatest passions.
Mariana Glusman, MD
Pediatrics
Mariana has dedicated her career to decreasing health and educational disparities among low income children. She is an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine and an attending pediatrician at Ann and Robert H. Lurie Children’s Uptown clinic where, for the past 22 years, she has cared for a diverse, multilingual, medically complex, underserved patient population. She is the current president of the Illinois Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She is nationally recognized for her work with Reach Out and Read (ROR), a program that partners with pediatricians to promote early literacy development and is currently. Mariana is the author of “I Love You Like Sunshine: How Everyday Play and Bedtime Stories Grow Love Connections and Brainpower,” a book for newborns and their caregivers, with over 55,000 copies in distribution in hospitals, clinics, libraries, and community programs nationwide.
Lauren Solarski, MSEd, PhD
Early Learning and Child Development
Lauren is currently a full-time Mama to her adventurous 6 and 2-year-old, and part-time Professor of child development and teacher education. She brings experience as an award-winning, certified PreK-2 teacher, an early childhood researcher, and an instructional coach. Lauren earned a PhD in Child Development from Erikson Institute in conjunction with Loyola University, and a Masters in Education and Social Policy from Northwestern University. She is a frequent presenter at local and national conferences. Her work has been published in Young Children and NAEYC’s Focus on Developmentally Appropriate Practice: Equitable and Joyful Learning in Kindergarten. She also shares ideas for caregivers to mathematize everyday moments on Instagram @mathWITHmama.
