Dr. Ilene R. Berson is a Professor of Early Childhood at the University of South Florida and coordinates the Early Childhood Doctoral program in the College of Education. She also holds affiliate faculty status in Learning Design and Technology and Qualitative Research. Dr. Berson conducts participatory research exploring young childrens civic engagement through multiple literacies and studies the intersection of technology and the pedagogy of inquiry in the early years with a focus on children's affordances of ICT innovations. Her internationally recognized work on integrating digital play with tangible technologies in the early childhood environment has informed the design of digital resources and classroom pedagogies. Her findings provide insight into how preschool children develop spatial reasoning and transversal competencies, including problem-solving, inquiry, computational thinking, and communication skills as they play with tangible technologies. Moreover, her research on cybercitizenship spans over two decadesand investigates how children critically assess information, engage in decision-making, and navigate digital spaces responsibly. She has advised policymakers globally on childrens digital safety, presenting at a U.S. Senate Policy Forum on online security, Oxford University on childrens privacy, and international conferences in the UK and New Zealand addressing the social impact of the Internet. Dr. Berson has authored over 280 publications and has delivered keynote addresses worldwide. As principal investigator on numerous grants from organizations such as the Spencer Foundation, Library of Congress, Florida Department of Health, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, she has advanced initiatives promoting childrens well-being and educational outcomes. Her contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the USF Presidents Award for Women in Leadership, AERAs Distinguished Service Award in Global Child Advocacy, AACTEs Best Practice Award for Innovative Use of Technology, and the Association of Teacher Educators 2025 Taylor & Francis Outstanding Article Award.