Leah Cheatham will be among the 15 doctoral students nationwide to receive the Doris Duke Fellowship for the Promotion of Child Well-Being. Through an annual national competition these students were selected to be the, “new generation of leaders interested in and capable of creating practice and policy initiatives that will enhance child development and improve the nation’s ability to prevent all forms of child maltreatment.”

Each fellow receives an annual stipend of $25,000 over a two-year term. As Leah begins her dissertation this will allow her to focus solely on her research.  Her dissertation will focus on youths with disabilities aging out of foster care.

“These youths are unique in that they often interface with diverse policies and services,” Leah remarked about this unique population she is researching, “accessing health services, special education services, child welfare services, all before the age of 18.”

She also noted how fortunate she is to be able to have access to a group of collaborative, interdisciplinary researchers when studying a population with such complexities. This support among fellows is a key aspect of the fellowship, as each fellow is expected to be an active member of the self-generating, peer learning network they make up.  Many of these fellows offer a high level of complementary research focuses including: special education, public health, social policy, criminal justice, and clinical psychology to name a few.

Another vital part of the fellowship for each fellow is the inclusion of and active collaboration with both an academic mentor and a policy mentor. The academic mentor supervise the fellow’s research, guides dissertation completion and helps the fellow develop skills in conducting effective policy research.  This role will be filled for Leah by College of Social Work Associate Professor Dr. Karen Randolph, who is the College’s Doctoral Program Director, Agnes Flaherty Stoops Professor of Child Welfare and has more than 15 years experience in the child welfare field.

The policy mentor then serves to assist the fellow in frame research questions that maximize relevancy in policy and practice. Henry Stephen Pennypacker, Esq., the Assistant Secretary for Programs for the Florida Department of Children and Families will serve this role during Leah’s fellowship. Mr. Pennypacker also has a wealth of experience in the child welfare field, serving in several roles for Children’s Legislative Services, as a former General Magistrate and as adjunct professor at the University of Florida College of Law.

Leah is already well on her way to making a positive impact on research in the child welfare field. She remarked that she is also, “terribly excited about the opportunity to participate in this learning network and have the privilege to focus only on my dissertation research over the coming two years.”