Willa Cather Professor Helen Raikes announces retirement

14 Jul 2020     By Joseph John | CYAF

At the end of the spring 2020 semester, Willa Cather Professor  Helen H. Raikes announced her retirement from the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies in the College of Education and Human Sciences, after 15 years with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.  

A committed advocate for her students, Raikes spent much of her career focusing on using research to improve learning outcomes and opportunities for low-income children before school begins, while also optimizing children’s growth trajectories. 

More recent projects from Raikes include the evaluation of the Lincoln Educare program, a learning center for children who may lack access to resources and opportunities, and the Save the Children’s Early Steps to School Success home visiting program in rural U.S. communities. Raikes also completed a cross-cultural study of low-income children’s self-regulation with collaborators in Ankara, Turkey, and is now involved in similar projects in Colombia and Rwanda.

A frequent presenter on early childhood, head start and child care research projects, Raikes has also earned numerous awards for research, teaching and mentoring. She has authored two books and over 100 scholarly articles.

Today, Raikes serves on boards of directors for the Nebraska Children and Families Foundation, Sixpence Early Childhood Partnership, the Lincoln Community Foundation and the Buffett Early Childhood Fund. In her free time, she practices yoga. 

Raikes will be celebrated at a virtual reception hosted by the College of Education and Human Sciences and the Department of Child, Youth and Family Studies July 21 from 3 – 4:30 p.m.. For additional event information, click here.