Biography and education
Dr. Dier is a Certified Child Life Specialist with over 10 years of clinical experience in pediatric healthcare settings. Her research focuses broadly on coping and resilience in healthcare contexts, including an emphasis on child life practice and training.
Research Interests
Featured grants
- Dier, Shannon Elizabeth (Principal), Percent Contribution: %90, Goble, Priscilla Maria (Co-Principal). Child Life Specialist Relationships and Hospitalized Children’s Coping and Behavior, Texas State University, $15976. (Submitted: October 2024, Funded: February 2025 - May 2026). Grant.
- Shen, Yishan (Principal), Goble, Priscilla Maria (Co-Principal), Alfaro, Edna C (Co-Principal), Behnke, Andrew Owen (Co-Principal), Dier, Shannon Elizabeth (Co-Principal), Seo, Eunjin (Co-Principal), Weimer, Amy Ann (Co-Principal). Opportunities for Undergraduate Research in Human Development and Family Sciences (OUR HDFS): A Two-Track Training Program, Texas State University, $6000. (Submitted: July 2024, Funded: September 2024 - May 2025). Grant.
- Dier, Shannon Elizabeth. Integrating Open Education Resources (OER) into HDFS 4354: Play and Child Development, University Libraries openTXST, Texas State University, $0. (Submitted: April 2025, Funded: May 2025 - Present). Grant.
Featured scholarly/creative works
- Dier, S. E., & Thibodeau-Nielsen, R. (n.d.). “Do you want to play doctors?” An Exploratory Study of Parent Engagement in Medical Play with Preschool Children. Journal of Early Childhood Research. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1177/1476718X251363715
- Scruggs, X., Dier, S. E., Schlaupitz, C. A., Karayianis, K. A., Lukowski, A. F., & Bohanek, J. G. (2024). “What Does This Mean for Our Future?” Uncertainty Management in Mothers’ Narratives about the Diagnosis and Birth of Their Child with Down Syndrome. PLOS One, 19(11), e0313195. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0313195
- Dier, S. E., & Ravert, R. D. (2024). Disclosure Experiences of College Students With Chronic Medical Conditions. Emerging Adulthood, 12(5), 939–945. https://doi.org/10.1177/21676968241261102
- Dier, S. E., Thibodeau-Nielsen, R. B., Palermo, F., Dooley, A., Rueda-Posada, M. F., & White, R. E. (n.d.). Parent conversations with young children: Implications for child well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. Developmental Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001851
- Thibodeau-Nielsen, R. B., Rueda-Posada, M. F., Dier, S. E., Dooley, A. W., Nadler, D. R., & Coxon, S. (n.d.). Exploring Playful Opportunities for STEM Learning in Early Elementary School. Early Education and Development. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2025.2478653
Featured awards
- Award / Honor Recipient: Outstanding College Teaching Graduate Student Award, College of Education and Human Development, University of Missouri. April 2024
- Award / Honor Recipient: Graduate Student Travel Award, Society for Research on Child Development. 2023
- Award / Honor Recipient: RCAF Health Sciences 1st prize poster presentation, Graduate Professional Council, University of Missouri. 2023
- Award / Honor Recipient: Mary Elizabeth Gutermuth Award for Community Engagement, Graduate School, University of Missouri. April 2023
- Award / Honor Recipient: Research Development Award, Graduate Professional Council, University of Missouri. 2021
Featured service activities
- Editor
ACLP Bulletin
- Reviewer / Referee
PLOS ONE
- Member
Child Life Committee
- Reviewer / Referee
Journal of Child Life
- Other
Honors College Undergraduate Research Conference
- Reviewer / Referee
Association of Child Life Professionals Annual Conference