Betsy Levine Brown is a full Professor in the Department of Health and Human Development at the University of Pittsburgh and serves as Executive Director of the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development (OCD).
In this role, she leads an multidisciplinary organization focused on advancing the well-being and developmental outcomes of children, youth, families, and communities through research, professional development, policy engagement, and community partnerships.
Prior to joining the University of Pittsburgh, she was an Associate Professor in the College of Education and Human Development at George Mason University. During her tenure at George Mason, she was affiliated with the Elementary Education, Educational Psychology, and Teacher and Teacher Education programs, as well as the College of Humanities and Social Sciences’ Human Development and Family Science program. This multidisciplinary work reflected her commitment to connecting developmental science, education, and family contexts to promote positive outcomes for children and youth.
Dr. Levine Brown received a PhD in Applied Developmental Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2011, an MA in Psychology from Washington College in 2007, an MAT from American University in 2005, and a BA from Colgate University in 2001.
Prior to and alongside her academic career, Dr. Levine Brown taught in K-12 settings as an educator, an experience that continues to inform her scholarship, teaching, and commitment to translating research into practice.
Across her academic and leadership career, Dr. Levine Brown has pursued an multidisciplinary approach to research, teaching, and service focused on developmental and psychosocial influences on learning across PreK–12 schooling. Her work emphasizes socio-emotional development and the ways in which developmental, educational, family, and community contexts shape children’s and adolescents’ learning and well-being. Through her research and leadership, she seeks to translate developmental science into effective practices, programs, and policies that strengthen outcomes for children, youth, families, and communities.
Her research focuses on the developmental and psychosocial competencies (e.g., socio-emotional, school mental health) of teachers and students that shape children and youth’s developmental and academic outcomes.
Specifically, she focuses on three interrelated lines of inquiry:
- Teachers’ and students’ mental health and wellness
- Educators’ and students’ social and emotional competence
- Teachers’ preparation of students’ social and emotional competence and wellness
Her most current publications include:
Stark, K., Brown, E. L., & Vesely, C. K. (2026). Special educators’ use of emotional labor to facilitate collaboration. Teacher Education and Special Education.
Valenti, M. W., Mahatmya, D., Brown, E. L., Celedonia, K., & Sweet, T. (2025). “A tale of two schools”: A comparative case study demonstrating organizational pathways to educator collaborations. Mid-Western Educational Researcher.
Sharkey, M. C., Brown, E. L., & Horner, C. G. (2025). From emerging supporters to seasoned mentors: Teachers’ well-being and responses to student wellness needs across career phases. Mid-Western Educational Researcher.
Parker, A., Brown, E. L., Taousakis, M., Brown, N., & Waller, H. (2025). A call for a common lexicon in student mental health and wellness work. The Teacher Educators’ Journal, 18, 121-141. https://doi.org/10.66196/JPID9984
Phillippo, K., Brown, E. L., Galib, L.*, Fujimoto, K., Iachini, A., Brown, N.*, Childs, T.M.*, & Parker, A (2024). Equity intersections: Teachers’ experiences with student wellness support during the COVID-19 pandemic. AERA Open, 10. https://doi.org/10.1177/233285842412453
Brown, E. L., Stark, K., Vesely, C. K., & Choe, J.* (2024). “Acting often and everywhere”: Teachers’ emotional labor across professional responsibilities and interactions. Teaching and Teacher Education.
Her most current and active grants include:
Parker, A., Brown, E. L., Varier, D., & Mascelli, M. (2026-2027). Before Burnout: A Pilot Mixed Methods Examination of Teacher Well-Being Across the First Years of Teaching. Seed grant. College of Education and Human Development, George Mason University, $9,890.75. (Role: Co-PI)
Steen, S., Hines, E., Brown, E. L., Mahatmya, D., Stone, T., & Reese, D. (2025-2030). School Based Mental Health Alliance. U. S. Department of Education Mental Health Service and Professional Demonstration Grant Program: $4,976,702.00. (Role: Co-PI)
Brown, E. L., Viano, S., & Dailey, S. (2024-2027). Comprehensive Safety and Violence Prevention in Diverse Middle Schools. U. S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance STOP School Violence Program Grant Program: $1,932,833.00. (Role: PI)
2026 — George Mason University, Center for the Advancement of Well-Being, Research Affiliate
2024 — George Mason University, Teaching Excellence Award, Nominee
2023 —Teachers College Record: The Voice of Scholarship in Education, Featured Article, Feeling and acting like a teacher: Reconceptualizing teachers’ emotional labor
2022 — American Educational Research Association, Organizational Theory SIG 73, Distinguished Paper Award Finalist
2021 — George Mason University Center for Advancement of Well-Being, Fellow
American Educational Research Association
2024-2027 — Chair, Stress, Coping & Resilience SIG 117
2023-2024 — Professional Development Chair, Stress, Coping & Resilience SIG 117
Mental Health Collaborative
2022-present — Trainer
American Institutes of Research: National Safe and Supportive Learning Environments Project
2023-2024 — Consultant
National Center for School Mental Health, University of Maryland, Consultant
2021-present — Consultant