Mari Riojas-Cortez became interested in family engagement when she was a bilingual teacher working with young children in San Antonio, Texas. She learned early in her career that families play a very important role in children’s development, and she developed strong relationships by welcoming families to her classroom and inviting them to participate in different aspects of their children’s education. Mari understood what many Latino families faced because her parents faced the same cultural and linguistic barriers when they arrived in the United States from Mexico. After completing her degree in educational leadership, Mari’s interests in early childhood education led her to The University of Texas at Austin, where she received a doctorate in curriculum and instruction with a concentration in early childhood education and bilingual education in 1998.

Currently, she is Professor of Early Childhood Education at the University of Texas at San Antonio, where she collaborates with local school districts and early childhood agencies in various capacities. Additionally, Mari’s work has been published in a variety of journals including Journal of Early Childhood Research, International Journal of Early Childhood Education, Young Children, Early Child Development and Care, Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, Language Arts, and the Bilingual Research Journal, among others. Mari Riojas-Cortez also serves as Editor for Dimensions of Early Childhood (a journal published by the Southern Early Childhood Association).

Eugenia Hepworth Berger became interested in parent involvement when she and her husband, Glen, became the parents of three children who attended public schools. A professional in early childhood education, sociology, and family life education, and parent education for more than 35 years, she has two master’s degrees and a PhD. in sociological foundations of education. Eugenia has been active in many professional organizations, including the Association for Childhood Education International, the National Association for the Education of Young Children (life member), and the National Council for Social Studies. She served on the board for the National Association of Early Childhood Educators, the Colorado Association for Childhood Education, the Colorado Association for the Education of Young Children, and was president of the Rocky Mountain Council on Family Relations. After finishing her doctorate at the University of Denver, she became a faculty member at Metropolitan State College. She retired in December 1997 and is now professor emerita of education.