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Buffett Institute Research Spotlights Early Literacy, Workforce Well-Being at 2026 Early Childhood Summit

By Erin Duffy

June 3, 2026

Five Buffett Early Childhood Institute staff members posing together at an event
Buffett Early Childhood Institute staff attended the CYFS Research Summit on April 28, 2026. From left to right: Kate Sutton, Michelle Sarche, Alexandra Daro, Renee Wessels, and James Desjarlais.

Buffett Early Childhood Institute staff and partners shared their research on early literacy, school support, partnering with Tribal communities on research, and more at the 2026 Early Childhood Research Summit.  

The April 28 event, hosted by the Nebraska Center for Research on Children, Youth, Families and Schools at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, highlighted the innovative early childhood research being conducted across the University of Nebraska System.  

The Buffett Institute was a co-sponsor.  

Institute-led breakout sessions or research posters included: 

  • Partnering with Tribal Programs and Communities to Advance Early Childhood Research with Michelle Sarche, senior director of Tribal research, policy, and partnerships.  
    • Her poster described the work of the Tribal Early Childhood Research Center and what has been learned from research grounded in community and program priorities, respect for Tribal sovereignty in research, and principles of Indigenous Research Methodologies.  
  • Burnout in ECE: Relationships with Age, Role, and Experience with Alexandra Daro, director of applied research; Kate Sutton, senior research specialist; and Paula Thompson, Cille and Ron Williams Community Chair for Early Childhood Education, University of Nebraska at Kearney.  
    • Their session presented the results of a study of 594 Nebraska Head Start educators that examined how personal characteristics and well-being predict burnout.  
  • LENA Grow in Head Start: Boosting Conversational Turns and Literacy with Daro, Sutton, Thompson, and James Desjarlais, research specialist.  
    • Their session highlighted a new study examining how implementing LENA Grow, an evidence-based coaching program, in Head Start classrooms impacts conversational turns between teachers and children, literacy behaviors, teacher wellbeing, and more.  
  • Evaluating the Smart Start Backpack Initiative: Supporting Kindergarten Transition with Amy Schmidtke, director of educational practice; Tonya Jolley, early childhood program administrator; and Danae Dinkel and Kailey Snyder from the University of Nebraska at Omaha.  
    • This session shared findings from an evaluation of the Smart Start Backpack Initiative, a take-home program designed to strengthen parent–child interactions and support kindergarten readiness.  

Other presenters and poster contributors included Buffett Institute Community Chairs Philip Lai (UNK), Julia Torquati (UNL), and Debora Wisneski (UNO), as well as several past and present Buffett Institute Graduate Scholars, including Ali Shull, John Rech, Weiman Xu, Yao Yao, and Matthew Brooks. 

Erin Duffy is the managing editor at the Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska and writes about early childhood issues that affect children, families, educators, and communities. Previously, she spent more than a decade covering education stories and more for daily newspapers.

2026 CYFS Research Summit Photo Gallery

Michelle Sarche, the Buffett Institute's senior director of Tribal research, policy, and partnerships, speaks in front of her research poster with UNL Community Chair Julia Torquati. 
Michelle Sarche, the Buffett Institute's senior director of Tribal research, policy, and partnerships, speaks in front of her research poster with UNL Community Chair Julia Torquati. 
Tonya Jolley (left), Buffett Institute early childhood program administrator, presented with Kailey Snyder (right), assistant professor from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, on the Smart Start Backpack Initiative. 
Tonya Jolley (left), Buffett Institute early childhood program administrator, presented with Kailey Snyder (right), assistant professor from the University of Nebraska at Omaha, on the Smart Start Backpack Initiative. 
Alexandra Daro, the Buffett Institute's director of applied research, co-presented research on burnout among Nebraska Head Start educators. 
Alexandra Daro, the Buffett Institute's director of applied research, co-presented research on burnout among Nebraska Head Start educators.
Past Buffett Institute Graduate Scholars, from left to right: Yao Yao, Weiman Xu, and Matthew Brooks. 
Other contributors included several past and present Buffett Institute Graduate Scholars, including, from left to right: Yao Yao, Weiman Xu, and Matthew Brooks. 
Philip Lai, a University of Nebraska at Kearney associate professor and Buffett Institute Community Chair, presenting his research
Philip Lai, a University of Nebraska at Kearney associate professor and Buffett Institute Community Chair, gave a presentation on the Knowledge Network for Early Childhood Workforce (KNEW) project.