Vanderbilt Kennedy Center Director Pat Levitt, Ph.D., is stepping down after six years to pursue other opportunities, effective Nov. 1. Associate Director Elisabeth Dykens, Ph.D., will serve as VKC interim director while a nationwide search is conducted for Levitt's successor.

Levitt, the Annette Schaffer Eskind Chair, has accepted a position at the Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California.

The Kennedy Center has expanded greatly under Levitt's direction, more than doubling its extramural research portfolio, experiencing a fortyfold increase in philanthropy, and being designated as a University Center for Excellence on Developmental Disabilities.

Autism research and treatment programs have also seen dramatic growth through the Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders (TRIAD), newly designated oversight of the LEND/MIND training program, and many other activities.

Dykens, a professor of Psychology and Human Development, received her Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the University of Kansas. Her research at VKC is focused on both the mental health challenges and unique strengths of persons with genetic syndromes.

Dykens will be principal investigator for the Center's NICHD core grant application to remain an Intellectual and Developmental Disability Research Center.

The five-year grant, which is up for renewal in December, supports a wide range of genetic, neuroscience, behavioral and quantitative research services that are used by Center investigators.

"Due to the great efforts of our core directors, the grant is in great shape," Levitt said. "And I expect that we won't miss a beat when we submit in December."

-- Vanderbilt News Service