Breniel is a children’s media and technology researcher with expertise in early childhood
education, developmental psychology, and media effects. Her research interests center around
children’s use and learning from media and technology in school and informal settings. She is
currently an education researcher at Menlo Education Research.
Breniel holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Media, Technology, and Society from the Media, Technology,
and Society program in the Department of Communication Studies at Northwestern University.
She also holds a B.A. in Psychology with a minor in Music from the University of San Francisco.
At Northwestern, Breniel was a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow and she
worked with Dr. Ellen Wartella in Center for Media on Human Development. Breniel’s
dissertation work examined parent and child perceptions of an educational television show
with a culturally inclusive focus on computational thinking. Her work at Northwestern also
included topic areas such as children’s podcasts, children’s digital spatial play, children’s media
production, and mental health stigma.
Prior to attending Northwestern, Breniel worked in the Education Division of SRI International
as an Education Research Associate. Her work supporting the Ready To Learn Initiative
influenced her desire to explore how media can support young children's learning. She also
supported projects in the areas of early STEM learning, digital learning, and college and career
readiness.
