Welcome from the Chancellor and Dean of UMass Medical School - Aaron Lazare, MD
In just over three decades, the University of Massachusetts Medical School and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center have each distinguished themselves on a national and international level in the areas of research, education, and public service. These parallel courses of excellence merged in 2001, when the Shriver Center became a part of UMass Medical School, thereby uniting and strengthening the two vital missions. The Medical School is enriched by the Shriver Center's commitment to improving the lives of people with developmental disabilities and their families. The Shriver Center in turn receives broad institutional support to sustain and expand its many programs, which range from basic research in the neurosciences to ongoing efforts to integrate people with disabilities into the community.
The Shriver Center has found a natural home at UMass Medical School, as we continually renew our mandate to serve the citizens of the Commonwealth through research to reduce the impact of disease and disability, programs to address inequalities in health and human service systems, and education to develop compassionate healthcare and human service professionals. The Shriver Center helps us discover new and better ways to serve vulnerable individuals who face the daily challenges of developmental disability.
A Message from William J. McIlvane, PhD - Director of the E.K. Shriver Center
It has been more than thirty years since the Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center established itself as an international presence in the field of mental retardation and developmental disabilities. Through its research, education and service programs, the Center pursues a three part mission: 1) to search out and understand the causes of mental retardation and other developmental disabilities for prevention and treatment; 2) to offer state-of-the art education to undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate professionals in the mental retardation/developmental disabilities field; and 3) to provide effective, high quality services to people with developmental disabilities.
Inspired by the exemplary contributions of Eunice Kennedy Shriver and her family, our scientists, clinicians, and service professionals have maintained a consistent standard of excellence in their chosen fields. We are proud of our outstanding faculty and staff and of the leadership position that the Shriver Center has achieved in many areas of science and service to people with disabilities and their families.
Throughout our history, our Center has sustained a research program that addresses many of the fundamental dimensions of developmental disabilities. Our neuroscientists are at the forefront of research that addresses critical genetic, physiologic, and environmental influences on the development of the nervous system. Our behavioral science programs are clarifying key psychological processes in typical and atypical development. As our work progresses, a growing priority is to translate our research findings into effective approaches for meeting the challenges associated with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
As science and technology continue to advance, we look forward to the day when many developmental disabilities that are now commonplace may become rare or nonexistent. We recognize, however, that many children will continue to be born with or acquire disabilities. For these children, it is essential to provide appropriate person- and family-centered services that maximize opportunities for meaningful participation in family and community life. In addition to providing such services, the Shriver Center recognizes its ability and responsibility to provide education and training to the current and next generation of researchers, service professionals, educators, and leaders in the field of mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
We hope you will find yourself engaged by our exemplary activities and will be encouraged to make your own contributions to this worthwhile dimension of human service.