Dr. Kimberly Tomeny
Education
- University of Alabama – Ph.D. in Special Education
- Yale University – Post-Graduate Fellowship in Child Development and Early Childhood Education
- University of Virginia – M.T. in Early Childhood Special Education
- University of Virginia – B.A. in Psychology
Bio
Dr. Kimberly Tomeny is an assistant professor in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at The University of Alabama. She earned her Ph.D. in Special Education with an emphasis in early childhood from The University of Alabama in 2020. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and master’s degree in Early Childhood Special Education from the University of Virginia, and she completed a post-graduate fellowship in Child Development and Early Childhood Education at Yale University.
Dr. Tomeny has a wide range of experience across educational settings, from providing services to infants and toddlers with disabilities and their families to preparing future educators through higher education instruction. Before entering her doctoral program, she worked as a member of the research team at Marcus Autism Center, supporting early interventionists and families of infants and toddlers with confirmed or suspected autism. From 2020-2025, Dr. Tomeny was a clinical assistant/associate professor in UA’s Department of Special Education, where she taught courses in early childhood special education. She also co-developed and directed EI@UA, a Part C early intervention program (2020-2023) and worked as an instructional consultant with the UA Teaching Academy (2024-2025), providing instructional support to faculty across campus.
Dr. Tomeny’s research focuses on preparing professionals at both the pre-service and in-service levels to effectively implement evidence-based practices across early childhood settings. She also examines approaches to service delivery and professional development, including the use of coaching strategies and remote technologies. Dr. Tomeny has collaborated with colleagues across disciplines and partnered with state leaders on numerous service and research initiatives aimed at developing sustainable professional development models and supporting the integration of best practices within community-based systems.