Lauren Slusser graduated with an MA in Cognitive Studies from the Department of Human Development in May 2017. Please read Lauren's endeavors after graduating from TC below: 

After graduating from TC in May 2017, I moved to LA with the dream of creating my own preschool television series.  In the Children's Media Analysis & Evaluation masters program with Dr. Jamie Krenn, I had developed a curriculum and storyboard for a coding show for girls.  I wanted to make a colorful show that combined the logic of programming with pro-social skills like healthy tech habits and community engagement. My Cognitive Science classes gave me the foundation I needed in child development, media, and instructional design to tailor the show for a preschool audience.  In my program, I also had the opportunity to test the show with a classroom of children to show that they really could learn coding this way.  Over the past few months, I've presented my show pitch and research to Nickelodeon, DreamWorks, Hasbro, and the Jim Henson Company.  The executives I've met with are all excited to see a pitch that is so grounded in research, and they're all super curious about the data from my classroom testing.  I've also been thrilled to discover how widely recognized TC is in the children's media community.  My work at TC has helped me take this huge next step in my dream, and positioned me as a unique researcher-creator that studios are excited to work with!