Chelsea T. Morris, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Family and Child Studies program at the University of New Mexico. She earned her Ph.D. in Teaching and Learning with a focus on Early Intervention/Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Miami, where her work as an early childhood special education teacher continued through research in Head Start settings and with state accountability monitoring programs. Prior to joining UNM, Dr. Morris served as faculty at the University of West Georgia, where she established the Early Learning Center as a laboratory preschool site to support research, training, and service for young children and families.

Her research and writing focus on systemic approaches to preventing the suspension and expulsion of young children, with particular attention to children with disabilities and the disproportionate impact of discipline practices on historically marginalized populations. She serves as principal investigator on multiple external grants and has held ongoing roles with both practitioner- and research-focused journals. She is the author of peer-reviewed articles and, more recently, a book in a series related to evidence based instruction in special education, Strengths-Based Family and Community Partnerships in Early Childhood Special Education Research and Practice.

In New Mexico, Dr. Morris serves as Chair of the New Mexico Early Childhood Higher Education Task Force, leading statewide efforts to strengthen early childhood training pathways with an emphasis on transformational leadership, infant and early childhood mental health, and inclusive early intervention practices. Nationally, she was selected as one of the first Fellows for the National Center for Pyramid Model Innovations, and remains actively involved in NCPMI's leadership efforts in trauma-informed care and early childhood mental health. Through her research, teaching, and advocacy, Dr. Morris works to advance equity-focused policy and practice in early childhood education.