Nicoleta Serban, professor in the H. Milton Stewart School of Industrial and Systems Engineering, has been selected to participate in one of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF) leadership development programs. Specifically, Serban was selected for the Interdisciplinary Research Leaders (IRL) program. Designed for teams of two researchers and one community leader, IRL supports engaged research, crafted and conducted by innovative teams to explore a problem and apply a solution in real time, making an immediate positive impact in their home communities. The three-year program provides participants with annual support of up to $25,000 and a one-time research grant of up to $125,000 per team.

As a member of the program’s newest cohort, Serban's contribution to this project is to provide an assessment of the value for health care at a child's residence or school to deliver mental and behavioral health services. The end point is to inform policymakers, insurers, and providers on steps that may be taken to improve treatment and outcomes for youth in rural communities with behavioral health conditions. Her collaborators on the project are Janet Cummings, faculty member in the Center for Behavioral Health Policy Studies at Emory University, and Nikki Raymonde, CEO of Georgia Hope. The team will also:

• Benefit from high-caliber curricula and coaching from national leaders.
• Collaborate with other cutting-edge thinkers to create greater impact.
• Accelerate their ability to build healthy communities, inform public opinion and policy, and contribute significantly to building a Culture of Health.

RWJF's leadership programs are designed to equip leaders across the country—in every sector and field—to collaborate, break down silos, and use their influence to make communities healthier and more equitable. To learn more about Interdisciplinary Research Leaders and RWJF’s other leadership development programs, as well as to learn about other participants, visit the program website.