Martha Ravola

Biography

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Associate Professor -Currently Research Officer - National Institute for the Mentally Handicapped (NIMH - Autonomous body under the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Govt. of India.) - 8 years Researched on the impact of disability on the family functioning and efficacy of families having persons with mental retardation, child rearing practices in families in a selected Northeastern States in India and designing early intervention strategies for infants and toddlers with developmental disabilities Lecturer- NIMH Child Development courses to graduate and post graduate students pursuing careers in Early Intervention, Masters in Disability Administration and Master of Philosophy in Rehabilitation Psychology Faculty in Child development teaching courses in Infant development, Child development, Human Development and Senior Seminar Actively serves as the member of the Institutional Review Board, faculty senate, chair, Faculty affairs, Faculty Athletic Committee, Financial Aid, Global programs and chair of Faculty affairs Serves as the Vice President, Professional Development in the Mississippi Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Senator during the 105th Annual Conference and Exposition of the American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences Advisor to the ASU Student Chapter of Active Minds promoting mental health of students at Alcorn State University, through student led initiatives Professional affiliations include American Psychological Associations, American Counseling Association, American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences, National Association for the Education of Young Children. Peer Reviewer for United State Agency for International Development (USAID-HED) Reviewer for Sage and Routledge for Child Development. Awards/ Grants  Project Director: GLS Suicide Prevention Grant titled, “Alcorn State University- Suicide Prevention, Awareness & Reach through Kognito/Knowledge (ASU-SPARK)” funded by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration (SAMSHA). Active Project Director: Behavioral Health Mini-Grant titled, “Journey of Understanding” (JOU 3.0) in Collaboration with Morehouse School of Medicine and funded by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration (SAMSHA). -Active Project Director: Behavioral Health Mini-Grant titled, “Journey of Understanding” (JOU 2.0) in Collaboration with Morehouse School of Medicine and funded by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration (SAMSHA). Completed Co-Project Director: Project: Increasing Experiential Opportunities in Rural Development and Global Food Security Programs and Projects, USDA-NIFA. Active Project Director: Behavioral Health Mini-Grant titled, “Journey of Understanding” in Collaboration with Morehouse School of Medicine and funded by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services administration (SAMSHA). Completed Project Director: Project: The Influence of Environmental Interventions on Childhood Obesity of Preschoolers in Southwest Mississippi, Evans Allen- USDA funded. Alcorn State University, MS. Active

Research Interest

Investigating the developmental and environmental factors associated with Childhood obesity, Enhancing student achievement through integrative and Multicultural learning strategies.