KENNESAW, Ga. | Nov 13, 2025

With behavioral health challenges on the rise among service members and first responders, Kennesaw State University’s Center for the Advancement of Military and Emergency Services (AMES) Research is working to support resilience and well-being, an urgent mission given that an estimated 17 veterans die by suicide each day.

The center has received the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities’ Public Impact Research Award, which recognizes institutions that have implemented one or more impactful Public Impact Research (PIR) efforts and produced exceptional outcomes.  

“Georgia has one of the largest active-duty and veteran populations in the country, yet ranks 48th nationally in behavioral health service provision,” said Brian Moore, director of the AMES Research Center. “So, our mission from day one has been to deliver evidence-based, sustainable solutions.”

Founded in 2021 by Moore and Israel Sánchez-Cardona, both associate professors of psychology in the Norman J. Radow College of Humanities and Social Sciences, the AMES Center was created to fill this critical gap in behavioral health services across Georgia. What began as a small collaboration has grown into a national leader in community-engaged research, securing $10 million in external funding, publishing more than 70 peer-reviewed papers, and establishing partnerships with over 40 government and nonprofit agencies across nine states and Puerto Rico.

The center’s programs have created impactful results. An initiative funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention targeting first responders achieved up to 70% reductions in suicidal ideation, far exceeding the national goal of 10%. In partnership with the Georgia Department of Veterans Services, AMES co-hosts Georgia’s inaugural statewide suicide prevention summit and supported the development and launch of the state’s first-ever Suicide Mortality Review Board focused on veteran deaths by suicide.

AMES also operates a behavioral health clinic on KSU’s campus that provides care to military-affiliated individuals and their families, staffed by licensed behavioral health professionals.

“A lot of people picture research as happening in labs with microscopes and beakers,” Moore said. “But our work happens in the field, partnering directly with agencies to understand needs and build programs that prevent crises before they start.”

KSU’s Executive Vice President for Research Karin Scarpinato accepted the award at the APLU Annual Meeting in Philadelphia on Nov. 11. 

“This award demonstrates the real-world impact AMES has on Georgia's service members and first responders,” Scarpinato said. “AMES continues to model how researchers at Kennesaw State University work to bring their research out of the lab and into the community to build better lives.”

APLU President Waded Cruzado commended KSU on its efforts to improve the mental and behavioral health of service members and first responders.

“These extraordinary individuals are vital to keeping us safe and healthy, but all too often they lack access to the care they need to thrive amid incredibly demanding roles,” Cruzado said. “Kennesaw State’s work has a demonstrated impact on service members and first responders’ well-being not just in Georgia, but in states across the country.”  

– Story by Christin Senior

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.