Faculty, Graduate Students, Staff
The CATs on the Move interdisciplinary team is comprised of UVM faculty from multiple academic departments. Professionals from the departments of Psychological Science, Exercise Science, and Education come together to provide comprehensive and developmentally appropriate physical activity programs for children in Vermont and beyond.
Betsy Hoza, Ph.D.
Bishop Joyce Chair of Human Development, Professor
Department: Psychological Science
Areas of Expertise: Areas of expertise: Assessment and treatment of childhood behavior disorders, especially ADHD; physical activity as a management strategy for preventing and managing childhood behavior problems.
Email: Betsy.Hoza@uvm.edu
Dr. Betsy Hoza, together with colleague Alan L. Smith, were the original founders of CATs on the Move. After 25 years of studying traditional evidence-based treatments for children with ADHD, Dr. Hoza’s work with families made her more and more cognizant of the need for a lifestyle management approach to ADHD treatment. Inspired by teachers who described a real need for greater physical activity opportunities in the school setting, she set out to study the possibility that aerobic physical activity could be used to manage ADHD symptoms. As this line of research developed, however, it became more and more apparent that physical activity might be used to promote better school functioning and mental health in all children, both typically-developing and those with ADHD. Her research now encompasses prevention of childhood behavior and mental health problems, as well as adjunctive management of existing disorders, through effective use of aerobic physical activity.
How she likes to stay moving: Biking with her two teenagers, running, swimming, and hiking!
Erin Shoulberg, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor
Department: Psychological Science
Areas of Expertise: Identifying factors that have the potential to mitigate maladaptive outcomes during childhood; applied statistical methodology
Email: Erin.Shoulberg@uvm.edu
How she likes to stay moving: Hiking, cross-country skiing, taking long walks while listening to podcasts!
Connie Tompkins, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department: Rehabilitation and Movement Science
Areas of Expertise: Prevention and treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity
Email: Connie.Tompkins@uvm.edu
With previous experience conducting physical activity interventions in elementary and middle schools, Dr. Tompkins was excited to expand on her work in preschools and work with her colleagues from Psychology and Education. In Kiddie Cats on the Move, Dr. Tompkins is responsible for monitoring the preschoolers’ physical activity using accelerometers at different times throughout the school year. The accelerometers are able to detect sedentary behavior and movement as well as the intensity of their activities over the course of their day at preschool. Dr. Tompkins loves being a part of the Kiddie CATs team and witnessing the preschoolers having fun while being physically active! Check out some of Connie's research with Kiddie CATs on the Move!
How she likes to stay moving: Running outside (only when it’s above 70 degrees), boxing, and bikram yoga!
Lori Erbrederis Meyer, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Department: Education
Areas of Expertise: Curriculum and Instruction; Disability and Inclusion; Early Childhood; Special Education
Email:Lori.Meyer@uvm.edu
Dr. Lori Erbrederis Meyer’s greatest joy is researching early childhood practices and curricula that increase the belonging, membership, development, and wellness of children with disabilities within inclusive classroom environments. Her interest in physical activity interventions began as a member of the Division for Early Childhood’s Recommended Practices Commission where she was co-liaison to the Environment Practices. These practices emphasize the importance of supporting access to and participation in learning experiences for children with disabilities, including opportunities for movement and physical activity. Inspired by these recommended practices, Dr. Meyer began to explore physical activity interventions that included children with disabilities. She was surprised by the limited amount of research that examined the physical activity outcomes of preschoolers with disabilities. As someone who enjoys cross-disciplinary partnerships to solve complex issues, she jumped at the chance to collaborate with fellow UVM faculty to create the Kiddie CATs on the Move program and study its impact on health and learning outcomes for children with disabilities and their families.
How she likes to stay moving: Biking in the summer, skiing in the winter, and long walks or runs during the seasons in between!
Marissa Dennis, M.A.
Graduate Student
Department: Psychological Science
Email: Marissa.Dennis@uvm.edu
Marissa has been involved in the CATs on the Move projects since 2015, when she worked as an undergradute research assistant in the Hoza lab and implemented the CATs on the Move program in a local elementary school. She worked in the Hoza lab for the rest of her undergraduate career. After graduating in May 2017, she continued her involvement with the CATs and Kiddie CATs on the Move programs post-graduation as a full-time research assistant. In that position, Marissa helped coordinate and manage the preschool research project and helped create Version 2 of the Kiddie CATs on the Move program manual as well as a new revision of the CATs on the Move program manual. She is currently a graudate student in the University of Vermont’s Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program under the mentorship of Dr. Hoza and serves as a teaching assistant for the Fit Kids Courses.
Allison Krasner, M.A.
Graduate Student
Department: Psychological Science
Email: Allison.Krasner@uvm.edu
Allie Krasner is a graduate student in the University of Vermont’s Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program working on the CATs and Kiddie CATs on the Move projects. Allie first became involved in the CATs projects in the spring of 2016 when she was an undergraduate student at UVM. After graduating, she became a full time research assistant on the project, helping to coordinate and implement research assessments at the preschools sites and work on developing new versions of the CATs and Kiddie CATs curricula. She is currently a graudate student in the University of Vermont’s Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program under the mentorship of Dr. Hoza and serves as a teaching assistant for the Fit Kids Courses.
Hannah Scott, B.A.
Graduate Student
Department: Psychological Science
Email: Hannah.Scott@uvm.edu
Hannah is a graduate student in the University of Vermont Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program working on the Kiddie Cats on the Move project. Hannah joined the team during the fall of 2020 after graduating from Simmons University with a BA in Psychology. She serves as a teaching assistant for the Fit Kids Applied Research courses.
How she likes to stay moving: Hiking, biking, skiing, paddle boarding, and swimming!
Anita Martin, M.S.
Graduate Student
Department: Rehabilitation and Movement Science
Email: Anita.Martin@uvm.edu
Anita is a doctoral student in the University of Vermont Interprofessional Health Science Ph.D. program. After graduating from UVM with a MA in Physical Activity and Wellness Science, Anita joined the team in fall of 2020 and is currently under the mentorship of Dr. Tompkins. As part of Kiddie Cats on the Move, Anita helps with monitoring physical activity at the preschool using accelerometry.
How she likes to stay moving: Hiking, running, and playing soccer!
Mathilde Scarlata, B.A.
Graduate Student
Department: Psychological Science
Email: Mathilde.Scarlata@uvm.edu
Mathilde is a graduate student in the University of Vermont's Clinical Psychology Ph.D. Program under the mentorship of Dr. Betsy Hoza. She currently works on the Kiddie CATs on the Move project as a graduate research assistant, and serves as a teaching assistant for the Fit Kids courses. Mathilde joined the Hoza Lab in the fall of 2022 after graduating from the Schreyer Honors College of the Pennsylvania State University where she earned her Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
How she likes to stay moving: long walks, running, and swimming in Lake Champlain!
Bethany Hunt, B.A.
Graduate Student
Department: Psychological Science
email: Bethany.Hunt@uvm.edu
Bethany is a graduate student in the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at the University of Vermont. She supports the Kiddie CATs on the Move research project as a graduate research assistant, and serves as a teaching assistant for the Fit Kids courses. Bethany graduated from Kenyon College in 2017 with a BA in Psychology and English. Before joining the Hoza Lab in Fall 2022, Bethany held separate post-baccalaureate research positions at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and Dartmouth College.
How she likes to stay moving: Hiking, adopting new winter hobbies, and long treks from her car to Dewey Hall
CATs on the Move Alums
Caroline Martin Ph.D.
Caroline Martin was a Clinical Psychology doctoral student at the University of Vermont working on the CATs and Kiddie CATs on the Move projects. Caroline joined the team during the fall of 2015. She served as a teaching assistant for the Fit Kids Applied Research courses, coordinated the implementation of all research assessments at the preschool sites, and was involved in the development of the Kiddie CATs on the Move curriculum.
How she likes to stay moving: Running, hiking, biking, and swimming!
Hannah Cook, B.S.
Hannah was a full-time research assistant in the Hoza lab from 2018-2020. She graduated from Oberlin College in 2018 with a degree in biochemistry. Hannah now attends the University of Vermont Medical School.
How she likes to stay moving: Playing soccer, running, and hiking!
Ireland Judge, B.A.
Ireland was a full-time research assistant working on the Kiddie CATs on the Move project from 2020-2022. She graduated from UVM in 2020 with a degree in Psychology. Ireland first became involved with CATs and Kiddie CATs on the Move projects in the fall of 2018 as a student in the Fit Kids class. She continued her involvement with CATs on the Move during the fall of 2019, implementing the program in a local elementary school and working as an undergraduate research assistant in the Hoza lab.
How she likes to stay moving: Running, hiking, biking, and skiing in the winter!