Mary Wagner

• Ph.D., Developmental Psychology, University of Notre Dame
• B.A., Psychology and Music (piano), Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College

Dr. Wagner is a professor in the Department of Psychology. She received her B.A. in Psychology and Music (piano) from Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College and her Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the University of Notre Dame. Prior to her current position, she was an Institute of Education Sciences Postdoctoral Fellow in Field-Based Research Methodology at the Peabody Research Institute at Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Wagner studies cognitive development in young children. Her specific research interests include (1) identifying factors that promote the development of children's executive functioning skills, including child and family protective factors as well as characteristics of early childhood learning environments, and (2) understanding associations between children's executive functioning skills and their acquisition of academic concepts, specifically in the domain of mathematics.

Her current research is supported by a National Science Foundation ECR-EHR Core Research Grant #2301009 (Role: PI University of Dayton Site) “Collaborative research: Mechanisms for improving flexible attention to magnitudes in young children” (PI Indiana University Site: Elizabeth Gunderson [UD Site - $702,643; Overall - $2,489,778] (2023-28) and a US Department of Education - Education and Innovation Research Grant #S411C230051 (Role: Lead Research Consultant) “Preschool Promise EIR – Conscious Discipline study” (PI: Preschool Promise) [UD Subcontract - $606,828] (2024 – 2028). She has also been supported by the National Institutes of Health R15 AREA program (PI, R15HD100936, 2020 – 2024) and the National Science Foundation DRK-12 Grant Program (Co-I, #17-584, 2018 - 2022).

Development and Learning Lab Mission Statement: Our lab studies early math learning and cognitive development in young children. We are particularly interested in the associations between children’s executive functioning abilities and their acquisition of math skills, as well as the role that early childhood learning environments play in their development. We specifically attend to issues of racial and socioeconomic equity in accessing high-quality early childhood experiences that are culturally relevant for children and families.

Please note, Dr. Wagner formerly used the name Fuhs professionally.

• PSY 251: Human Growth and Development
• PSY-351: Child Psychology
• PSY-452: Cognitive Development
• PSY-573: Developmental Psychology
• PSY-573: Graduate Developmental Psychology
• SSC-200: Children and Poverty
• SSC-200: Young Children Learning

Wagner, M.C., *Tennie, L., & *Wellinghoff, K. (2026). Promising solutions for improving professional development outcomes in mathematics instruction among diverse early childhood educators. Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 13. https://doi.org/10.1177/23727322261470726

*Zhang, X., Park, H., Brown, M., Scott, N., Griffin, A., Gunderson, E.A., & Wagner, M.C. (2026). The measurement of flexible attention to magnitudes in young children. Journal of Cognition and Development. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2026.2717103

Wagner, M.C., Brown, M., Griffin, M., *Hanson, M., *Barret, D.A., *Hales, M., & *Fabian, J. (2025). Associations between young children’s flexible attention to numerical and spatial magnitudes and early math skills. Journal of Cognition and Development, 26, 698-720. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2025.2480072

Griffin, M., Brown, M., & *White, K., *Richardson, D., *Summers, K., *Hanson, M., & Wagner, M.C. (2024). Evaluating the malleability of young children’s flexible attention to numerical and spatial magnitudes. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 69, 166-176. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2024.08.003

Christopher, C. Wilson, S.J., Wagner, M.C., Layzer, C., & Litschwarts, S. (2023). Preliminary evaluation of a mobile, web-based coaching tool to improve pre-k classroom practices and enhance learning. Education Sciences, 13, 542. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13060542

*Anderson, K. A., *Sheeks, N., *Vrabec, A., Nesbitt, K.T., & Fuhs, M.W. (2022). Executive functioning mediates the relationship between Conscious Discipline fidelity and kindergarten readiness. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 79, 101393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2022.101393

Fuhs, M.W., *Tavassolie, N., Wang, Y., Bartek, V., *Sheeks, N., & Gunderson, E.A. (2021). Children’s flexible attention to numerical and spatial magnitudes in early childhood. Journal of Cognition and Development, 22, 22 – 47. https://doi.org/10.1080/15248372.2020.1844712

*Anderson, K., *Weimer, M., & Fuhs, M.W. (2020). Teacher fidelity to Conscious Discipline and children’s executive function skills. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 51, 14 – 25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2019.08.003

*Wetter, S., Fuhs, M.W., & Goodnight, J. (2019). Examining sleep as a protective mechanism for executive functioning in children from low-income homes. Early Child Development and Care, 1 - 12. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004430.2019.1573226

Fuhs, M.W., Nesbitt, K.T., & *O’Rear, C.D. (2018). Approximate number system task performance: Associations with domain-general and domain-specific cognitive skills in young children. Journal of Numerical Cognition, 4, 590 – 612. https://doi.org/10.5964/jnc.v4i3.141

Fuhs, M.W., Nesbitt, K.T., & *Jackson, H. (2018). Chronic absenteeism and preschool children’s executive functioning skills development. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 23, 39 – 52. https://doi.org/10.1080/10824669.2018.1438201

*Indicates student co-author.

• 2025 University Award for Faculty Scholarship, University of Dayton
• 2024 Crane Excellence in Early Childhood Research Award, Crane Center for Early Childhood Research and Policy, The Ohio State University
• 2024 Faculty Scholarship Award, College of Arts and Sciences, University of Dayton
• 2022 Award for Research Excellence in Cognitive Development Research at Undergraduate-Focused Institutions, Cognitive Development Society (https://cogdevsoc.org/conference-awards/)