And since Dr. Jessica Suhrheinrich had received one of these prestigious awards—the Career Development Awards—it made perfect sense that she was invited to be a featured presenter at the San Diego State University Research Foundation’s event on the National Institutes of Health K Award Competition.
At the event, Suhrheinrich told participants that thanks to the Career Development Award (K01) she received from the National Institute on Mental Health she is getting funding for four years to get more training and conduct research in the field of implementation science. NIMH uses the K01 mentored career development award program to provide an opportunity for early-stage investigators who need additional mentored research experience to develop their independent research careers.
“I’m applying these concepts to issues in special educational leadership with the goal of increasing the use of evidence-based practices for students with autism spectrum disorder,” said Suhrheinrich, an assistant professor the College of Education’s Department of Special Education for one year. “Receiving the award has been a great honor and will allow me to build expertise in a growing area of study that has the potential to impact how new educational programs for students with autism spectrum disorder are selected and integrated into teachers’ daily practice and sustained over time.”
Suhrheinrich explained that systematic reviews have identified several evidence-based teaching practices for students with autism spectrum disorder.
“We know that best outcomes are associated with teachers and therapists using those strategies,” said Suhrheinrich, who lives near campus with her husband and two daughters and likes to spend time outdoors, either at the beach or gardening. “My career has been dedicated to better integrating these practices into community programs, and this new funding builds on that work by exploring school district and leadership factors that influence the process.”
She concluded by saying she is very happy to be working at an institution that encourages and values research.
“I am excited to be part of this great team of committed faculty who work to connect research to practice in every course,” she said. “It has been a pleasure to work with students in the credential and master’s programs as they develop and refine their own teaching practice.”