Her dissertation titled "Boy toddlers' social interaction with mothers, fathers, and peers"[15] was conducted under the supervision of Edward C Mueller.
[19] Vandell is co-author of the textbook Life-Span Development: Infancy Through Adulthood (with Laurence Steinberg, Marc H. Bornstein, and Karen S.
[20] Vandell had contributed to large-scale, longitudinal studies exploring how the quality of a child's care impacts their academic and social development from early childhood up to adolescence.
[18] Children who do not have access to a good quality of care, whether it be from home or school programs, are more impulsive, risk-taking, and are less likely to respond well in social situations.
[22] Vandell's research on the impact of afterschool programs on children's academic and behavioral development indicates benefits of enrollment in afterschool programs in elementary school, including increased school attendance and academic skills and lower incidence of behavioral problems such as aggression.