Dr. Lydia Rose, associate professor of sociology at Kent State University at East Liverpool was selected to participate in Interdisciplinary Research Leaders, one of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) leadership development programs. She is part of a team representing Ohio, selected to participate in the RWJF’s vision of building a Culture of Health in every community across America.
The Ohio team also includes Dr. Erin Haynes, professor and chair of epidemiology at the University of Kentucky, and Amanda Kiger, director of River Valley Organizing at Ohio Organizing Collaborative. They will focus on developing a protocol so residents in East Liverpool and Marietta can participate as scientists to test soil in their communities and help map out metals found in the soil.
Rose, Haynes and Kiger will benefit from high-caliber curricula and mentoring from national leaders; collaborate with other cutting-edge thinkers to create greater impact; and accelerate their ability to build healthy communities; inform public opinion and policy; and contribute to building a Culture of Health, one that places well-being at the center of every aspect of life.
As members of the newest cohort, they join a diverse network of leaders that includes a team addressing equity and community health in Texas, and a team merging modern technology with traditional Hawaiian food systems.
The Interdisciplinary Research Leaders program is designed to equip and connect leaders from across the country – in every sector, profession and field, and from all backgrounds and perspectives – to collaborate in addressing systemic inequities and finding new solutions to the nation’s most entrenched health challenges.
Designed for teams of two researchers and one community leader, Interdisciplinary Research Leaders supports engaged and innovative research, crafted and conducted to explore a problem and apply a solution in real time, making an immediate positive impact in the leaders’ home communities. The three-year program provides participants with annual support of up to $25,000 for each team member and a one-time research grant of up to $125,000 per team.
Interdisciplinary Research Leaders (IRL) is one of several leadership development programs supported by RWJF. These programs continue RWJF’s legacy of supporting the development of diverse leaders from across the nation. Initially focused on health care, the programs were expanded because the Foundation knows that building a Culture of Health requires every sector, profession, and discipline to work together.
Photo: Dr. Lydia Rose