Dr. Holly Hatton is an Associate Professor in the Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), where she also serves as an Early Childhood Extension Specialist and Program Area Leader for the Early Childhood Extension Team. She earned her Ph.D. in Human Development from the University of California, Davis, and has over 20 years of experience working at the intersections of early childhood education, mental health, and family well-being.

Her research focuses on emotional well-being, mindfulness, and social-emotional learning in early childhood education, with a strong emphasis on equity, systems change, and the ethics of care. She has led or co-led more than $9 million in externally funded research from agencies such as the U.S. Administration for Children and Families, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the USDA, and various state and foundation sources.

Dr. Hatton is the principal investigator of CHIME (Cultivating Healthy Intentional Mindful Educators), a federally funded intervention designed to support early childhood educators’ mindfulness, emotional regulation, and stress resilience. Her current portfolio also includes grants focused on culturally sustaining practices, mental health supports for immigrant and refugee health workers, and integrating nature-based strategies in early childhood settings.

As an Extension Specialist, she leads initiatives that translate research into practice both across Nebraska and nationally. Her work supports sustainable, community-engaged approaches to professional development and systems-level transformation in early childhood education.

Dr. Hatton is also a dedicated mentor to graduate students, guiding community-based and equity-oriented research across multiple doctoral and master’s programs. She teaches graduate seminars in early childhood mental health, reflective practice, and qualitative research. In recognition of her commitment to student success, she received the Faculty Student Mentoring Award from UNL’s College of Education and Human Sciences.

Her work has been nationally recognized with numerous awards, including the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) Outstanding Engagement Award, Zero to Three’s Emerging Leadership Award in Research, multiple National Extension Association of Family and Consumer Sciences (NEAFCS) Innovation Awards, and the University of Nebraska’s Team Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Award.

Through her research, leadership, and mentorship, Dr. Hatton remains committed to building compassionate, resilient, and equitable systems of care for young children, families, and early childhood educators.