OMHHE Past Program Summaries ~ 2011

KKI Program Dates

Graduate Students (Year): June 2 – May, 2011
Post-Baccalaureate Bridge: May 24, 2010– May, 2011

KKI was founded in 1937 as the Children’s Rehabilitation Institute (CRI), the first facility in the country for the treatment of cerebral palsy. CRI was affiliated with Johns Hopkins University (JHU) in 1961, and in honor of John F. Kennedy’s support and initiative in enacting development disability legislation, trustees renamed CRI the Kennedy Institute in his memory in 1967. In 1992, the KKI’s name was changed again in honor of an original board member and long-tem supporter, Zanvyl Krieger. KKI is an internationally recognized facility dedicated to improving the lives of children and adolescents with pediatric developmental disabilities through patient care, special education, research, and professional training.

Research Initiatives for Student Enhancement(RISE)

RISE is a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) funded research education program for racial and ethnic minority graduate, nursing, and medical students who are interested in pursuing research experiences in the field of public health. Students will have the opportunity to engage in mentored research experiences with faculty at Kennedy Krieger Institute, Johns Hopkins University (JHU) Bloomberg School of Public Health, and Johns Hopkins School of Medicine focusing on public health issues related to children. Potential research experiences are diverse and include applied and laboratory studies encompassing areas such as etiology and treatment of mental health disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, physical and psychological impact of urban environments, HIV prevention, and child maltreatment.

The RISE Program provides a rewarding research and educational experience for talented graduate students with a GPA 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale. All students will take a course at the Summer Institute in Mental Health Research at the JHU Bloomberg School of Public Health. Tuition and fees for the Summer Institute will be paid by the RISE program. All program activities are contingent on CDC funding.

RISE addresses the performance of executive agency actions under Executive Order 13256, to advance the development of human potential, to strengthen the capacity of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), to provide quality education, and to increase opportunities to participate in and benefit from Federal programs. RISE also addresses the “Healthy People 2010” focus areas of Educational and Community-Based Programs, and Public Health Infrastructure, as well as CDC's goals to achieve healthy communities and schools.

Harolyn Belcher, M.D., M.H.S. is the RISE Project Director. Dr. Belcher is a neurodevelopmental pediatrician and research scientist at Kennedy Krieger Institute. She is currently the Director of Research at the Kennedy Krieger Institute Family Center. Dr. Belcher is also jointly in the Department of Pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Department of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and also holds the rank of Associate Professor at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

Top of Page

RISE Program Activities for Graduate Students (Full Year):

1-year commitment (May 2010 — May 2011)

Orientation (May 24, 2010 — May 28, 2010)

40 hours per week during the summer program (May 24-July 30, 2010)

Participation in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Summer Institute course

10 hours per week during the Fall 2008 and Spring 2009 semesters

Monthly Journal Club meetings during the academic year

Community presentation on a public health topic

Membership in the American Public Health Association (APHA)

Attend APHA annual meeting

Stipend prorated based on hours of program participation.

Top of Page

RISE Program Activities for Graduate Students (Summer Program Only):

The 2011 programmatic year of the RISE program was Not open for new enrollment.

Top of Page

RISE Program Activities for Medical Students:

The 2011 programmatic year of the RISE program was Not open for new enrollment.

Top of Page

RISE also invites applications for full-time post-baccalaureate Bridge positions.
The qualified candidate for this position should be a recent graduate (within the past 6 months) who is preparing to apply to graduate school in 2009. The student must demonstrate a commitment to obtaining an advanced degree in the area of public health and be willing to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) (or other graduate entrance exam) preparatory course. All tuition and fees for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Summer Institute and the GRE course (or other graduate entrance exam course) will be paid by the RISE Program.