Rate My Professor Laura Dinehart

Laura Dinehart is a professor of Education at Florida International University. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Florida International University in 2000, her M.S. in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Miami in 2003, and her Ph.D. in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Miami in 2006. Dinehart began her academic career at Florida International University in 2006 as an assistant professor of Early Childhood Education. She later advanced to the position of Dean of the School of Education and Human Development, where she led significant growth, including a 400% increase in external funding. Under her leadership, the school became the second fastest rising unit in U.S. News & World Report’s Graduate Schools of Education rankings as of 2023.

Dinehart's research centers on the developmental and early academic outcomes of young children within early care and education settings, with a particular emphasis on school readiness, high-risk populations, and fine motor skills. Her studies have demonstrated links between preschool fine motor skills and second-grade academic performance, particularly among low-income children. This work garnered national media attention in 2012, appearing as a front-page story in the Sun-Sentinel, a special education section in The Miami Herald, and features on State Impact/NPR, CNN’s Schools of Thought, and Education Week. Key publications include 'Associations Between Low-Income Children's Fine Motor Skills in Preschool and Academic Performance in Second Grade' in Early Education and Development (2013), and contributions to discussions on school readiness skills predicting later achievement in Early Childhood Research Quarterly (2021). She has also authored op-eds such as 'My View: Encourage your kids to write' for CNN (2012) and addressed teacher shortages amid school shootings in the Miami Herald (2022). More recently, her research has examined business and leadership practices among early learning center directors. Dinehart's scholarship has influenced early education policy and practice through her roles in academic leadership and public engagement.