By Laura Thornton
Celebrating 50 years with Kennedy Krieger Institute this year is Senior Vice President Dr. Michael Cataldo, who has directed the Institute’s Department of Behavioral Psychology since 1975.
Working alongside him for the past four decades has been his wife, Marilyn Cataldo, who celebrated her 40th anniversary with the Institute last year. The two met at a conference in Washington, D.C., and have been married for 38 years. “The opportunity to help people” is what brought them to Kennedy Krieger, Dr. Cataldo says. “That this opportunity could be realized” is what has kept them here for so many years, he adds.
Under Dr. Cataldo’s leadership, the department has grown considerably. Since 1975, the department has graduated over 1,000 interns and fellows, obtained $140 million in grant funding, published over 900 research studies and scholarly papers, served some 200,000 families, and generated more than $1.2 billion in revenue for the Institute. It’s an incredible impact made across multiple generations.
It’s been a privilege to work with so many talented colleagues, and to have been able to help so many children and families.” – Marilyn Cataldo
Among Marilyn’s many achievements are the development and implementation of the LEAP Program, a year-round school offering educational and therapeutic services to students ages 5 to 21 with complex academic, communication, social and behavioral needs. (LEAP stands for Lifeskills and Education for Students with Autism and Other Pervasive Behavioral Challenges.)
“It’s been a privilege to work with so many talented colleagues, and to have been able to help so many children and families,” she says.
Learn more about the Institute’s Department of Behavioral Psychology and LEAP Program.
Statistic: Since 1975, the Department of Behavioral Psychology has obtained $140 million in grant funding.