RTI International - News Release - 11.17.2005
RTI International Welcomes Don Bailey as Distinguished Fellow
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Don Bailey, Ph.D., a W. R. Kenan, Jr. distinguished professor of education at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, is joining RTI as a Distinguished Fellow.
Since 1992, Bailey has served as director of the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute, world renowned for its work in early childhood development, and one of the largest multidisciplinary research organizations in the United States studying children and their families.
Bailey is internationally known as an expert in early childhood development, with a particular emphasis on children with disabilities and the role of early intervention. Most recently, Bailey's studies have focused on a genetic disorder called "fragile X syndrome," and the role of newborn screening and early intervention in helping children function with this condition. Fragile X syndrome is the most common known inherited form of mental retardation.
At RTI, Bailey’s appointment will be in Statistical and Social Sciences (SSS). He will collaborate through the Partnership for Genomics and Molecular Epidemiology (PGME) initiative and will be affiliated with the Health Social and Economics Research unit in SSS. A significant part of his work will be devoted to expanding his research through large multi-site fragile X screening studies. He also will continue his appointment as a faculty member at UNC, his work as a Fellow at the Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute and his collaborations with colleagues at the university on a number of projects.
Bailey’s addition will strengthen already close connections between RTI and UNC.
"Hopefully I can use this new position to help build important links between UNC and RTI, to the benefit of both organizations," Bailey said. "In the long run, such collaborations will be tremendously beneficial to both parties as we expand research into the discovery and disclosure of genetic information in ways that benefit rather than harm individuals, and ensure that such information is used in a socially and ethically responsible way."
Bailey has received numerous national awards for his research, including the 2002 Research Award from the American Association on Mental Retardation, and in 2004, the Rosen Award for Outstanding Research in Fragile X Syndrome from the National Fragile X Foundation.
He is widely published in the fields of early childhood development and children with disabilities, having authored or coauthored nine books, 30 book chapters and 118 peer-reviewed journal articles. Bailey also serves on the editorial boards of three prestigious peer-reviewed journals and has participated in many national task forces.
Bailey received his doctorate in early childhood special education from the University of Washington, a master's in education from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a bachelor‘s degree in psychology from Davidson College.
The RTI Fellow Program was established in August 2001 to provide professional opportunities for exceptionally talented staff committed to science, technology, research and policy analysis in support of RTI’s mission to improve the human condition. The program now has 17 members at three levels of appointment: Fellow, Senior Fellow and Distinguished Fellow.