Stephanie Kennedy, MSW, MPH, is an implementation specialist with the National Implementation Research Network (NIRN) at the UNC Frank Porter Graham Child Development Institute (FPG). As part of our FPG profile series, we recently spoke with her to learn more about her work at the Institute. Here’s what she had to say.

Tell us a bit about your professional journey―and what brought you to FPG?

Like so many of us at FPG, I found my way here because I am passionate about improving the lives of young people. As a college student, I mentored middle school girls with a national organization empowering young women to make informed decisions about their health. Being part of this movement sparked my interest in improving resources and supports for adolescent health. It also led me to question why so many of our systems and institutions seemed to fail, ignore, or marginalize young people. Professionally, I turned to health services research as a way to investigate these questions and discover ways to transform health and human service systems for the better. After working in the health services research field, I pursued my Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work degrees at UNC Chapel Hill, focusing my studies on the social determinants of health. Implementation science was a field I learned about through my graduate studies, and it felt like a perfect fit for me―an exciting and still relatively new blending of research and practice to create practical, lasting change in our systems of care.

What do you do at FPG—describe your job, walk us through a typical day, and tell us about the projects you're currently working on.

I am an implementation specialist with NIRN. Together with my team, we provide implementation support on a variety of initiatives across education, health, and human service settings to improve outcomes for children and their families. On any given day I might be meeting or traveling on site with project partners, designing professional learning sessions, collaborating with colleagues on implementation tools/resources, reading up on current innovations in the field, and more.

I currently work on three projects. I am Co-PI on the Virginia’s Evidence Based Practices Transformation Zone project, which aims to expand the effective use of High Fidelity Wraparound (HFW) in localities across Virginia for youth experiencing complex emotional, behavioral, and mental health needs. I provide technical assistance as part of the Effective Implementation Cohort (EIC) project, which aims to help school districts implement a coherent instructional system that supports using a high-quality middle school math curriculum focusing on students of color, students designated as English language learners, and students experiencing poverty. I also design and deliver implementation professional learning on the Reach Out and Read (ROR) Carolinas Demonstration project, which aims to study and expand the effective use of ROR in clinical settings to improve literacy outcomes in children aged 0-5.

What do you like most about your job?

I often get to work on something different every day because each of my projects require a different combination of my skills and knowledge. There are so many different components to implementation, and it’s fun to figure out how to apply them in different contexts. I also love learning from my colleagues every day!

What do you find most challenging?

What sometimes feels challenging in this work is resisting urgency. By this I mean resisting the impulse to jump ahead of exploring, planning, and processing to start “doing” because we know so many children and families need help right now. We all want to see improvement in outcomes as soon as possible!

How does your work further the mission of FPG?

Each of my projects at FPG aim to make a positive difference in the lives of children―whether that’s improving the way math curricula are taught to become more accessible, enjoyable, and culturally responsive, or helping health clinics implement an evidence-based program to promote early childhood literacy via wellness visits, or transforming the way a state system serves youth with complex behavioral health.

What do you hope to have accomplished five years from now?

In five years, I hope to have made a real and lasting impact on the lives of young people through the projects I support with NIRN. I would love to continue growing our influence in youth-serving health systems and working at the local, state, and national level to do so.