The American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (AAIDD) has selected Katherine McDonald, assistant professor of public health in the David B. Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics and faculty fellow at the Burton Blatt Institute (BBI), as the recipient of the 2012 Early Career Award. The award recognizes McDonald for her achievements and many contributions to the field of developmental disabilities. She will accept the award in June at the AAIDD Annual Meeting. AAIDD is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization of professionals and citizens concerned about intellectual and developmental disabilities.
McDonald joined Syracuse University in 2011. Her dual appointment reflects a unique and unprecedented partnership between SU’s colleges and BBI toward infusing disability awareness across disciplines.
McDonald’s current research examines the inclusion of persons with developmental disabilities in research, participation in online communities and its relationship to autistic adults’ social connectedness and well-being, health disparities experienced by autistic adults and community participation among persons with disabilities.
She received the Stevens-Shapiro Fellowship from the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual Disabilities and was an international visiting fellow at the University of Western Sydney in Australia. McDonald received her bachelor’s degree with distinction in human development and family studies, with a minor in French from Cornell University and her Ph.D. in community and prevention research psychology from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
TikTok is one of the fastest-growing and most popular social media platforms in the world – especially among college-age individuals. In the United States alone, there are over 136 million TikTok users aged 18 and older, with approximately 45 million…
Lab THRIVE, short for The Health and Resilience Interdisciplinary collaboratiVE, is making significant strides in collegiate mental health research. Launched by an interdisciplinary Syracuse University team in 2023, the lab focuses on understanding the complex factors affecting college students’ adjustment…
A book authored by Timur Hammond, associate professor of geography and the environment in the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, received an honorable mention in the 2025 International Journal of Islamic Architecture (IJIA) Book Award competition. The awards…
“If you ever plan to travel west, travel my way, take the highway that’s the best.” It’s been nearly 80 years since Nat King Cole uttered the now famous lyrics, “Get your kicks on Route 66,” but still to this…
Before Charles Driscoll came to Syracuse University as a civil and environmental engineering professor, he had always been interested in ways to protect our environment and natural resources. Growing up an avid camper and outdoors enthusiast, Driscoll set about studying…
If you need help with your subscription, contact sunews@syr.edu.
