Susanne A. Denham, PhD, is Emeritus University Professor of Psychology at George Mason University. She is an applied developmental psychologist with particular expertise in children's social and emotional development. Dr. Denham has conducted extensive research on emotional competence, especially in preschoolers—how it influences children’s social and academic functioning, its assessment, and how parents and teachers foster it. Before joining the faculty of George Mason University in 1985, Dr. Denham worked as a school psychologist for 11 years. She is editor of the journal Early Education and Development and past coeditor of Social Development.