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Marilee Comfort, Ph.D., M.P.H. believes that families are truly children’s most important teachers, protectors and nurturers from birth to adulthood. Through her experiences as home visitor, counselor, trainer, evaluator and researcher she has learned the essential role that families play in children’s development. Dr. Comfort has conducted evaluations with diverse programs serving families and children from birth through adolescence in health, education and social service settings. She has 20 years of university-based research experience on federally funded projects serving substance abusing women and their infants, as well as families participating in early intervention services.

Dr. Comfort began her career as a Kindergarten teacher. She completed her graduate studies at the University of Kentucky and the University of North Carolina and a postdoctoral fellowship in Maternal and Child Health at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health.


Philip Ray Gordon, Ph.D. has worked with industry, universities, schools, and nonprofit organizations to create customized learning systems. Dr. Gordon started his professional career as a full time research scientist. He became convinced that the most important problems confronting us involve education and development. Therefore in 1992, he turned from basic science research to education. In addition to being a Partner in Comfort Consults, he is a Principal with Gordon Learning Systems. Dr. Gordon was formerly Vice President for Research and Systems Design with Kelliher & Associates, Ltd, an education consulting firm. Prior to this, he served as Director of Student-Centered Learning and Associate Professor of Biochemistry at MCP-Hahnemann University in Philadelphia. He was an Assistant Professor of Biochemistry and Nutrition at Tufts University. Dr. Gordon did his postdoctoral work in Biophysics at Harvard Medical School. He received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Nutrition from the University of Missouri and a B.S. degree in Nutrition from the University of California-Davis.


Comfort, M., Gordon, P.R. & Unger, D.G. (2006). The Keys to Interactive Parenting Scale: A window into      many facets of parenting. Journal of Zero to Three, 26(5), 37-44.

Comfort, M. & Gordon, P.R. (2006). The Keys to Interactive Parenting Scale (KIPS): A practical observational      assessment of parenting behavior. NHSA Dialog, 10.

Streichert, L.C., O’Carroll, P.W., Gordon, P.R., Stevermer, A.C., Turner, A.M. & Nicola, R.M. (2005). Using      Problem-Based Learning as a strategy for cross-discipline emergency preparedness training. Journal of      Public Health Management and Practice, November Supplement, S95-S99.

Comfort, M., Sockloff, A., Loverro, J., & Kaltenbach, K. (2003). Multiple predictors of substance abusing      women’s treatment and life outcomes: A longitudinal study. Addictive Behaviors, 28(2), 199-224.

Celia LM, and Gordon PR. (2001). The use of Problem-Based Learning to promote critical thinking in an      orientation program for novice nurses. Journal for Nurses in Staff Development, 17 (1), 12-19.

Gordon PR, Rogers A, Comfort M, McGee B, & Gavula N (2001). Effects of Problem-Based Learning on
      low-income, urban minority middle school students, Educational Horizons, 79, 171-175.

Comfort, M & Kaltenbach, K. (2000). Predictors of treatment outcomes for substance abusing women:
      A retrospective study. Substance Abuse, 21(1), 33-45.

Comfort, M, Loverro, J & Kaltenbach, K. (2000). A search for strategies to engage women in substance
      abuse treatment. Social Work in Health Care, 31, 59-70.

Comfort M & Kaltenbach K (1999). Biopsychosocial characteristics and treatment outcomes of pregnant      cocaine dependent women in residential and outpatient substance abuse treatment. Journal of      Psychoactive Drugs, 31 (3), 279-289.

Comfort M, Zanis D, Whitely MJ, Kelly-Tyler A, & Kaltenbach, K. (1999). Assessing the needs of substance      abusing women: Psychometric data on the Psychosocial History. Journal Substance Abuse Treatment,      17, 79-83.

Balestrei JJ, Gerrity P, Geller A, Gordon PR, Kundrat M, Smithyman K, & Zimmero S. (1998). Teams in a      community setting: The AUHS experience. Quality Management in Health Care, 6, 31-37.

Gordon PR, Carlson L, Chessman AC, Kundrat ML Morahan PS, & Headrick LA. (1996). A National      Collaboration for the Development of Interdisciplinary Education of Students in Nursing: Health      administration and medicine in continuous improvement. Academic Medicine, 71, 973-978.

Comfort M & Kaltenbach K. (1996). The Psychosocial History: An interview for pregnant and parenting women      in substance abuse treatment and research. In E Rahdert (Ed.) (123-142), NIDA Research Monograph      Series No. 166. Rockville, MD: National Institutes of Health.

Smith DL, Hoersch AL, & Gordon, PR. (1995). Problem Based Learning in the undergraduate classroom.      Journal of Geological Education, 43, 385-390.

Comfort M & Farran DC (1994). Parent-child interaction assessment in family-centered intervention. Infants      and Young Children, 6, 33-45.

Harvey C, Comfort M, & Johns N (1992). Integrating parent support into residential drug and alcohol treatment      programs. Zero to Three Bulletin, 13,11-13.

Helm JM, Comfort M, & Bailey DB (1990). Adolescent and adult mothers of handicapped children: Maternal      involvement in play. Family Relations, 39, 432-437.

Comfort M, Shipley TE, White K, Griffith EM, & Shandler I. (1990). Family treatment for homeless      alcohol/drug-addicted women and their preschool children. Alcohol Treatment Quarterly, 7, 129-147.

Comfort M (1988). Assessing parent-infant interaction. In DB Bailey & RJ Simeonsson (Eds.), Family      assessment in early intervention (65-94). Columbus, OH: Charles E. Merrill Publishing.

Bailey DB, Simeonsson RJ, Winton P, Huntington GS, Comfort M, Isbell P, O'Donnell K, & Helm JM (1986).      Family-Focused Intervention: A functional model for planning, implementing, and evaluating individual family      services in early intervention. Journal of the Division for Early Childhood, 10, 156-171.

Simeonsson R, Bailey D, Huntington G & Comfort M. (1986). Testing the goodness of fit in early intervention.      Infant Mental Health, 7, 81-94.