Susan Sarver joined the Buffett Institute in 2014 as director of workforce planning and development. The workforce program takes on the critical issues that affect the quality and quantity of early childhood professionals in Nebraska, such as professional preparation and qualifications, workforce compensation, funding, and public commitment. As part of this work, the Institute convened the Nebraska Early Childhood Workforce Commission, which in 2020 released its report and recommendations. The workforce program’s focus now is on achieving the goals co-created with the commission. Sarver’s research has been devoted to studying rural families living in poverty as well as continuity between parents and teachers. She is on leave as an associate professor of child, youth, and family studies at the University of Nebraska ΜΆ Lincoln, where she provided leadership for undergraduate programs in early childhood education. Sarver received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Washington & Lee University in Virginia, and a master’s degree and Ph.D. in child and family development from the University of Georgia.
Research Interests
- Studying rural families living in poverty
- Continuity between parents and teachers