Madison, Wis. (October 30, 2025) – Edgewood University offers the Master of Science degree in Child Life. Graduates of the program become Certified Child Life Specialists, a child development expert who works to ensure that life remains as normal as possible for children in health care settings and other challenging environments. This fall, the newest staff member on the Child Life team comes with her own advanced degree, and impeccable credentials.
Meet Irie, a black labrador retriever who has just celebrated her own graduation, and is a certified facility dog, ready to enhance and expand the capacities of students in the Child Life program.
Irie is a facility dog, expertly trained to work in healthcare, visitation, or educational setting. In Child Life practice, facility dogs work alongside Child Life Specialists as they accompany young patients through difficult procedures or therapies, often providing procedural and, importantly, emotional support.
“With Irie now available for Child Life students we are bringing another aspect of clinical care into the classroom in an innovative way. Our students are experiencing in real time the ‘magic’ facility dogs bring to child life practice and the true science of the animal/human connection,” Katie Glass, EdD, CCLS, Associate Dean and Program Director, said. “Irie’s presence on campus has not only brought a deeper level of impact into our classroom but to our campus as whole. She brings a lot of joy to all our students and staff alike. She has integrated so beautifully into her new job.”
Irie prepared for her role at Edgewood University through her work at Can Do Canines, a Minnesota-based no-for-profit organization formed in 1989. Can Do Canines provides assistance dogs for clients in Wisconsin and Minnesota.
About Edgewood University
Located in Madison, Wis., Edgewood University is a comprehensive, Catholic university in the Dominican tradition. We serve approximately 2,500 undergraduate and graduate students. Edgewood University offers more than 40 academic and professional programs, including master’s degrees in business, education, and nursing, and doctoral degrees in educational leadership, nursing practice, business administration, and occupational therapy. Edgewood University is a member of the Wisconsin Association of Independent Colleges and Universities and the National Collegiate Athletics Association and is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
###
