DOCTRID-MSU Hegarty Fellows

Fellows List

Songtian (Tim) Zeng, Ph.D.

University: Michigan State University and Trinity College Dublin

Supervisor: Prof. Louise Gallagher

Email: -

I received my PhD in Special Education from the University of Washington in Seattle and I am a board certified behavior analysis (BCBA). As a Hegarty Fellow, I will be co-located at Michigan State University and Trinity College. In the past five years, my research focuses on early intervention and assessment for students with autism and other neurological disabilities. I take a “Whole Child” approach that integrated both evidence-based practices from education and mental health disciplines. To support “Whole Child” education, my research agenda focuses on evidence-based practices, teacher and parent training, and program quality improvement. These three lines of research are based on my belief that evidence-based practices (EBPs) may impact student outcomes if they are implemented with fidelity by well-prepared educators in high-quality inclusive settings. I supported program evaluation and quantitative data analysis in a number of federal and stated funded research projects at the University of Washington Childcare Quality and Early Learning Center for Research and Professional Development, the National Center on Quality Teaching and Learning, and the Center for Strong Schools. Here are some of my selected publication:

  • Zeng, S., & Cheatham, G. (2017). Chinese-American parents’ perceptions about using the Internet to seek information for their children with autism, British Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 1, 1-20, doi: 10.1111/1467-8578.12182
  • Benner, G. J, & Zeng, S. (2016). The effects of the language for learning program on the social adjustment of kindergarten children, Early Child Development and Care. 1-10, doi: doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2016.1255210
  • Zeng, S., Benner, G. J, & Siver, R. (2016). Responding to the whole child: Effects of a summer learning program on urban elementary students’ literacy and social emotional outcomes. Education and Treatment of Children TECBD Special Issue, 39, 593-616.

In the coming two years, I am excited to collaborate with faculties at MSU and Trinity College on a number of research projects to support people with disabilities across life span.