Kelly McNamara '99    Researcher, Centre for Behavior and Health at Geary Institute, University College Dublin

Kelly McNamara would advise students at St. Francis DeSales High School to get involved in extra-curricular activities, community service and volunteering.  It was this involvement that she says "helped refine her educational and academic interests and goals." 

While attending Otterbein College, McNamara continued her involvement through research projects housed within the Department of Psychology.  Her activities sparked an interest to learn more about child development, especially in at-risk populations.  She graduated from Otterbein College in 2003 with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology, and received her Master's in Developmental Psychology from the University of Kansas in 2007.

Today, McNamara continues to explore her interests as a researcher for the Centre for Behavior and Health at the Geary Institute at University College Dublin in Ireland.  She is the Project Coordinator for the Preparing for Life program.  Preparing for Life is a community-led initiative which aims to improve the levels of school readiness for children living in designated disadvantaged areas of Dublin, Ireland.  The program begins working with mothers during pregnancy, developing the necessary skills they will need to assist their children with development in areas such as physical health and motor skills; social, emotional, and behavioral development; approaches to learning; as well as language development and literacy.  McNamara serves as the Project Coordinator for the research team evaluating the effectiveness of this early childhood intervention.