Portrait of Professor Kathy Sylva unveiled
A new portrait of Emeritus Professor Kathy Sylva OBE, the Department of Education’s first female Professor and first Professor of Educational Psychology, has been unveiled.
Created by artist Beth Marsden, the portrait celebrates Professor Sylva’s contributions to the Department and will be placed within Norham Gardens.
Kathy Sylva joined the Department of Education in 1997, and has been key in making the University of Oxford a world-leading institution in early years research, and transforming early years policy and practice nationally and internationally.
Professor Sylva said: “I am honoured by the commission of this portrait and delighted that Beth Marsden was chosen to paint it. Beth is an artist whose talents are matched by her gift for friendship. How lucky I am.”
Professor Victoria Murphy, Director of the Department of Education, said: “I am absolutely delighted the Department has recognised Kathy‘s enormous contribution in this way. It is difficult to overstate the contribution Kathy has made to the field of early childhood education in general, and the work of our Department specifically. She has been a tremendous support to students and staff alike and has been a major contributor in putting our Department front and centre of the educational landscape. This portrait is long overdue.”
After obtaining her PhD in Developmental Psychology from Harvard University, Professor Sylva moved to Oxford where she has led large scale longitudinal studies along with randomised controlled trials to evaluate parenting interventions. Her publications include several books and more than 200 papers on early childhood, early literacy, and ways to support parents and families.
Professor Sylva was awarded an OBE in 2008 for services to children and families and the Michael Rutter Medal for Lifetime Contribution to Child and Adolescent Mental Health in 2023, as well as honorary doctorates from the University of Gothenburg, the Open University, Oxford Brookes and the University of Yvaskyla. She has been a specialist adviser to Parliament and is a Fellow of the British Academy and the British Psychological Society.
