Interdisciplinary Faculty Expands at GSU UCEDD through the 'Eliminating Health Disparities for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities from Diverse Backgrounds' Project

March 21, 2011

Georgia State University (GSU) will hire three new faculty in each of eight clusters under its ambitious Second Century Initiative (2CI). With 2CI, GSU will recruit a total of 100 new faculty to the university over the next five years. The 2CI is a key part of the new GSU strategic plan, adding new faculty in areas where interdisciplinary collaboration can accelerate research and scholarly productivity.

"Faculty throughout the university have worked very hard to come up with bold and innovative proposals to strengthen the university," said GSU Provost Risa Palm. "The competition for awards was keen, and the selected proposals will result in greater levels of achievement and recognition for the research and scholarly work that is the basis of our reputation as a research university."

One of the selected proposals is entitled Eliminating Health Disparities for Individuals with Developmental Disabilities from Diverse Backgrounds. This program will be led by Daniel Crimmins, Director of the Center for Leadership in Disability and Professor in the Institute of Public Health. Three new faculty members will be hired in communication disorders, psychology, and public health. The proposed cluster hire will add depth and breadth to current GSU interdisciplinary efforts to decrease disparities in access and outcomes experienced by individuals with developmental disabilities from racial and ethnic minorities.

"This is an area that is beginning to receive some much-needed attention," said Crimmins. The recently released Healthy People 2020 - the health goals for the United States - calls for the elimination of health disparities, including those experienced by people from racial and ethnic minorities, and by people with disabilities. "The addition of these three new faculty members will position GSU to become a leading national research university in disability and health," added Crimmins.

The Center for Leadership in Disability is a University Center for Excellence in Developmental Disabilities, established at GSU in 2008. "This 2CI cluster hire is a welcome and impressive investment of university resources into our broad mission. It will build on the talents of faculty from across the university. It will also contribute to strengthening our Disability Partnership with the Morehouse School of Medicine. I am truly honored that we were selected," said Crimmins.

For more about the Second Century Initiative, visit www.gsu.edu/secondcentury/. For more about the Center for Leadership in Disability, visit www.cld-gsu.org/.