Pyramid PIECES Team - Pyramid PIECES

Child Care Support Team

Carrie Trivedi

Pyramid Model Implementation Coach

trivedcr@email.sc.edu
(803) 394-6660

Carrie Trivedi is the Lead Behavior Specialist with Pyramid PIECES. In this role, Carrie leads Program-Wide Pyramid Model Implementation in child care as well as the Pyramid PIECES Community of Practice. Carrie earned a BA in Psychology from the University of South Carolina. She loved being a Gamecock so much that she returned to earn her Master of Arts in Teaching in Early Childhood Education. Carrie holds a South Carolina Professional Teaching Certificate as well as being a Certified Trainer and Technical Assistance Provider with SC Endeavors.

Joanne Osterland

Pyramid Model Implementation Coach

JOANNEO@mailbox.sc.edu
803-973-9227

Joanne Osterland is a Pyramid Model Program Implementation Coach, supporting child care centers with program-wide implementation. Joanne earned a BA in Early Childhood Education from Kent State University and a Master of Science in Special Education from Drake University. She has served as a teacher in toddler, pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten classrooms, and as a director of programs serving infant through school-age children. Joanne is a Certified Trainer and Technical Assistance Provider with SC Endeavors. She is dedicated to helping teachers experience joy in their work as they implement best practices to support children's growth in social and emotional development.

Stephanie McAvoy

Behavior Specialist

smcavoy@mailbox.sc.edu
(803) 457-2497

Stephanie McAvoy is a Behavior Specialist with the Pyramid PIECES team. In this role, she provides behavior support services in child care programs throughout South Carolina. Stephanie has over 15 years of experience and holds a master’s degree in special education. She is excited to be a part of supporting children, their families, and the whole early childhood team through building relationships and supporting the implementation of evidence-based practices throughout South Carolina.

Trisha Germain

Behavior Specialist

TGERMAIN@mailbox.sc.edu
839-250-7184

Trisha Germain is a Behavior Specialist, providing behavior support services in childcare programs throughout the state of South Carolina. She holds her M.A. in Early Childhood with a Specialization in Teaching and Learning, along with her B.A. in Early Childhood Studies. She is also a certified trainer with SC Endeavors and has worked with Head Start, Parents as Teachers, and Early Head Start. Trisha has over a decade of experience teaching and mentoring young children with disabilities, developmental delays, and challenging behaviors. She is passionate about the opportunity to improve outcomes for children, families, and teachers within the South Carolina early childhood community.

Behavior Specialist

For more information, visit our job posting!

District Support Team

Nichole Hudgens

Pyramid Model Implementation Coach

hudgenen@mailbox.sc.edu
(803) 521-9052

Nichole Hudgens is a Pyramid Model Program Implementation Coach with the Pyramid PIECES team, supporting school districts with program-wide implementation. Prior to joining Pyramid PIECES, Nichole served as an Inclusion Specialist with the SC Inclusion Collaborative, and as Quality Coach with the South Carolina Child Care Resource and Referral Network for four years. Nichole earned a BA in Early Childhood Education from Clemson University and received her master’s degree in Education from Ashford University. Nichole also taught pre-kindergarten, kindergarten, and upper elementary school. Nichole holds a certification as a Certified Trainer and Technical Assistance Provider with the SCEndeavors.

Behavior Specialist

ellyna@mailbox.sc.edu

Administrative Team

Communications Coordinator

PIECES@mailbox.sc.edu

Seeking an events coordinator to support the projects of South Carolina Child Care Inclusion Collaborative, South Carolina Partnerships for Inclusion, and Pyramid PIECES. For more information, visit our job posting at the University of South Carolina!

Events Coordinator

PIECES@mailbox.sc.edu

Seeking an events coordinator to support the projects of South Carolina Child Care Inclusion Collaborative, South Carolina Partnerships for Inclusion, and Pyramid PIECES. For more information visit our job posting at the University of South Carolina!

Leadership

Heather Googe

Principal Investigator

googe@email.sc.edu
(803) 777-2861

Dr. Googehas over 20 years of experience working in the field of early childhood special education and holds a PhD in Special Education from the University of South Carolina. She is a Research Assistant Professor at the Yvonne & Schuyler Moore Child Development Research Center at the University of South Carolina. She also serves as the Director and Principal Investigator of the South Carolina Child Care Inclusion Collaborative, Principal Investigator of the Mix EC Project, and Principal Investigator of the South Carolina Partnerships for Inclusion project. She is also a member of the Pyramid PIECES SLT.

Kerri Kannengieser

Co-Investigator

kannengi@mailbox.sc.edu
(803) 429-0519

Kerri Kannengieser is the Program Director for SC Partnerships for Inclusion (SCPI) and is a member of the Pyramid PIECES State Leadership Team. Kerri holds an M.S. in Special Education and has over 15 years of experience in the field, ten years working directly with children as a special education teacher. Kerri is a member of the Council for Exceptional Children (CEC) and the Division for Early Childhood (DEC). She is a Certified Child Care Trainer in South Carolina. Additionally, she was appointed a member of the South Carolina Advisory Council for Educating Students with Disabilities (ACESD) in 2018 and currently serves on the Executive Committee as the co-chair of the council's Preschool Committee.

Jennifer Harrist

Pyramid Model Coordinator

jharrist@email.sc.edu
(803) 973-9281

Jennifer Harrist is the Pyramid Model Coordinator for the Pyramid PIECES and the State Leadership Team. In this role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the team, facilitates relationships and the work of the State Leadership Team, and reporting team progress to stakeholders. Jennifer has over 7 years of experience in K-12 education. She holds a BA from Tarleton State University and M.Ed. from Texas A&M. She is currently working towards a PhD in Educational Psychology and Research with experience in social-emotional learning, constructivist learning environments, and whole child education.

Nicole Randall

Program Manager

knightnl@mailbox.sc.edu
(803) 394-9312

Nicole Randall serves as the Project Manager for the Mix-EC: Multi-System Inclusion Expansion for Early Childhood Project. Nicole holds a Master of Science in Curriculum and Instruction from Florida State University and a Bachelor of Science from the University of South Carolina where she majored in Psychology.

Our Team

Child Care Support Team

District Support Team

Administrative Team

Leadership