Abby Thorman, Ph.D.
Center Staff
Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies
Dr. Abby Thorman joined the Anita Zucker Center for Excellence in Early Childhood Studies in 2026 as Center staff.
Alongside Dr. Herman Knopf, Dr. Thorman brings over 30 years of experience as a national expert in early childhood and family support systems development. Her work at the Center focuses on workforce development, drawing on a career that spans helping implement and standardize child development and family support programs for the armed forces in Europe, serving as a policy adviser to multiple governors and legislative leaders across diverse political environments, working in the philanthropic sector, and consulting with state leaders in over two dozen states and with national organizations. Her efforts have significantly increased public investments in children and families and helped secure over a billion dollars in public and private grants to fund early childhood innovations.
Dr. Thorman holds a Ph.D. in family studies and human services and master’s degrees in early childhood education and human relations. Her dissertation research was funded by the Head Start Bureau, where she was selected as one of 10 national research fellows.
Degrees
Ph.D. in Family Studies and Human Services, Kansas State University
M.Ed. in Early Childhood Education, Cameron University
M.A. in Human Relations, University of Oklahoma
B.A. in Psychology, University of Maryland