Innovation + Inspiration Award presented to Cianciolo

Sandra Cianciolo, left, and Dr. Herbert Peterson, maternal and child health chair, greet colleagues at the award presentation.

Cianciolo is project coordinator for the National Training Institute for Child Care Health Consultants, based in the Gillings School’s Department of Maternal and Child Health and led by Jonathan Kotch, MD, Carol Remmer Angle Distinguished Professor of maternal and child health and principal investigator for the Institute.

Child care health consultants provide health assessments for children, education for parents and work to prevent injuries at child care centers. Their role, relatively new in the field of early care and education, has been shown to improve quality and support health and safety in child care programs.

Rebecca Greenleaf, a social research specialist at the Institute who works closely with Cianciolo, praised Cianciolo’s innovative and unique approach to training the consultants.

“Sandra has been instrumental in the development of a national [training] system that did not exist prior to her arrival,” Greenleaf said. “She has overseen a state-of-the-art approach that includes face-to-face and distance learning self-study components. With Sandra’s support, the Institute’s staff members have developed 15 modules, 20 toolkits, and countless presentations, and have trained 4,800 consultants.”

“NTI is a true group effort,” Cianciolo said. “We wouldn’t have been as successful without the direction of Jonathan Kotch and the brilliant minds of the project staff. I am both honored and humbled to have worked with such great colleagues.”

Cianciolo accepted the award from Julie MacMillan, MPH, managing director of the Research and Innovation Solutions office, at a ceremony on April 29.