Dr. Votava serves as Teaching & Learning Early Childhood Education Director in the College of Education & Human Development at the University of North Dakota. Her primary areas of interest include early intervention policy, family assessment, transdisciplinary practices, collaboration, ACEs, emotional literacy, and trauma and resilience. She is also licensed by the North Dakota State Board of Examiners to practice speech-language pathology. Dr. Votava received her Bachelor of Science in Speech-Language Hearing Services from Moorhead State University, Moorhead, Minnesota, her master's Degree in Communication Disorders from the University of North Dakota, and her Doctor of Philosophy in Teacher Education from the University of North Dakota.