Dr. Natascha Crandall serves as a child development advisor on Donkey Hodie and as a cultural advisor on Alma’s Way. She is a psychologist and educator with a special interest in enhancing children’s growth and development through research and the power of media. She is the founder of Crandall Consulting, LLC.
Natascha earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Developmental Psychology from The Pennsylvania State University and continued her studies in Rehabilitation Counseling at The University of Maryland. After obtaining her Master’s degree, Natascha worked as an addictions therapist for young mothers in economically depressed areas near Washington, D.C. She then chose to further her education and received her Doctorate in School Psychology at Teachers College, Columbia University, and earned a “Dissertation of Distinction” award for her research and writing skills. It was there that she discovered the power of media and her love of educating children through media began.
Natascha has extensive experience in curriculum development, script review, and formative research for apps and leading shows including Clifford the Big Red Dog, Gabby’s Dollhouse, Odo, Driftwood Bay, The Floogals, Sunny Day, Peter Rabbit, Zack and Quack, Bubble Guppies, The Backyardigans, Noddy, The Octonauts, Sesame Tree, Blippi’s Treehouse, Wellie Wishers, WildWoods, Claude, many Sesame Workshop international co-productions, and more.
As a Pakistani-American Muslim, Natascha has a Diversity and Inclusion certificate from Cornell University and has done diversity consulting for Fred Rogers Productions as well as Sixteen South Productions, Moonbug, and Sinking Ship Entertainment. She has been participating as an Emmy® Award judge for children’s and preschool shows for several years is on the Advisory Board for Common Sense Media and is the Board of Directors Vice-President for the Prompt Institute, an organization whose focus is to help children with speech disorders enhance their oral language skills.
Although Natascha would say that she is a New Yorker at heart, the truth is that she resides in New Jersey with her tech-savvy husband, two media loving children, one bad-natured cat, and an energetic puppy. She also holds the role of Girl Scout troop leader and serves as a girls’ lacrosse coach.