Career Impact Award

2026 Recipient:

Shauna Tominey, Ph.D. ’03

Shauna Tominey is an associate professor in human development and family sciences at Oregon State University and the principal investigator for the Oregon Parenting Education Collaborative, a statewide initiative offering free parenting education and family support programs across Oregon. As a former early childhood teacher and parenting educator, Shauna blends practical experience with research to develop and scale programs that promote social and emotional skills for children and adults. She has received over $65 million in grant funding, primarily focused on expanding access to community-based early childhood interventions and parenting education programs.

She has authored or co-authored three books, including “Creating Compassionate Kids: Essential Conversations to Have With Young Children,” which was named one of their “favorite parenting books of 2019” by the Greater Good Science Center at U.C. Berkley. She has been a contributor for PBS Kids for Parents and is continually humbled in her role as a parent to a now 16-year-old. Tominey holds undergraduate degrees in music and psychology from the University of Washington, an M.S. in family studies and human services from Kansas State University, and a Ph.D. in human development and family sciences from Oregon State University.

Her favorite moments come from spending time with her family, learning something new from the community, and shared moments that help us see humanity in one another.