About the team
COG combines expertise in child development, dialogic reading, and advanced AI technologies with a deep commitment to closing opportunity gaps for families and children. Our team comprises seasoned educators, child development researchers, and innovative technologists united by a passion for creating engaging, evidence-based learning solutions that empower families.
Amy Booth, Ph.D.
Dr. Amy Booth is a Professor of Psychology at Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College and an expert in child development and school readiness. She is the founder of REED and co-director of Vanderbilt’s Child Studies Group.
Margaret Shavlik, Ph.D.
Dr. Margaret Shavlik is a Research Scholar at Vanderbilt with extensive experience in dialogic reading and data analysis. As REED’s project lead, she has played a pivotal role in shaping its vision and driving its success.
Abigail Petulante, Ph.D.
Dr. Abigail Petulante is an Applied Deep Learning Postdoctoral Fellow at Vanderbilt’s Data Science Institute. She serves as REED’s technical lead, leveraging her expertise in large transformer models to enhance REED’s AI applications.
Our story
Over the course of several years researching early learning, Amy and Margaret became increasingly frustrated by the stubborn persistence of opportunity gaps that put too many children at a disadvantage as they begin school. Inspired by the potential of AI, they teamed up with Abbie to create a solution that amplifies the accessibility and scalability of traditional early literacy interventions.
What began as a side project in the Vanderbilt University Data Science for Social Good summer program quickly grew into a major initiative rooted in the belief that technological innovation can help provide every child with the strong foundations they need for success in school and beyond.