Instructor: Kathy Bernet

Kathy Bernet is an Instructor in the Childhood Education and Family Studies Department. She received her B.S. in Child and Family Development with an emphasis in Child Life from Missouri State and her Master’s Degree in Human Development and Family Studies from the University of Arkansas.

During her Master’s program she studied abroad in Scotland at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children. Her thesis work focused on perceived parental stress as related to pediatric outpatient surgery: an evaluation of educational programs. She was given “Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year” award by the College.

She most recently has been with the Child Advocacy Center in Springfield as a Forensic Child Interviewer. She conducted over 1500 child interviews regarding alleged sexual, physical abuse and/or witness to a violent act or crime. She currently testifies as an expert witness regarding child sexual abuse. She served as a faculty member and presenter for Finding Words Missouri, a training program to assist investigators and prosecutors.

Prior to this, she has been a Certified Child Life Specialist at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City and the Child Life Program Coordinator at Cox South Hospital in Springfield. She implemented several programs including Pet Therapy, Pre-operative tours, Family Surgery program and internship programs.

Kathy has taught as a per course instructor at the University of Arkansas and Missouri State since 1995. Currently, as full time faculty she teaches a variety of courses including: Principles of Development in Early Childhood, Working with the Hospitalized Child, Therapeutic Play for the Hospitalized Child, and Childhood Illnesses, Diseases and Disorders.