Patrick J. Kennedy

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the Staglin family for their ongoing and unparalleled efforts to improve the lives of the hundreds of millions of individuals across the world living with mental illness. Garen, Shari, Brandon, and Shannon Staglin have made the fight against mental illness their collective mission and have approached the awesome challenge of combating these difficult disorders with a strong and organized effort that is at once inspirational and transformative.

In 16 years, the Staglin's non-profit International Mental Health Research Organization, IMHRO, and the Staglin Music Festival for Mental Health have raised over $116 million for mental health research. The mission of IMHRO is to alleviate human suffering from mental illness by funding scientific research into the causes, prevention and new treatments of mental disorders. IMHRO produces, supports and builds awareness for fundraising events to raise money for mental health research, directs funding to the most promising research by soliciting and selecting proposals for prevention, treatment and cure of mental disorders, collaborates with affiliate organizations, people and events worldwide to raise and direct funding and minimize duplication of scientific effort, and works to build awareness of scientific achievements and possibilities. Recently, the Staglins have taken the lead in the organization of the Next Frontier Initiative to design and implement a 10-year collaborative neuroscience research effort for the benefit of soldiers and veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD.

The efforts of the Staglin family have changed the landscape of how the country approaches mental illness, and are illustrative of the ability of a few dedicated people to truly change the world.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Dr. Steven E. Hyman for his service to the academic, scientific, and cultural life of the United States. As Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) from 1996-2001, Dr. Hyman was instrumental in transforming the way the nation understands, treats, and responds to mental illness. Under Dr. Hyman's leadership, the NIMH became a world leader in genetic, biological, and neuroscientific research to improve the lives of the tens of millions of Americans living with mental illness. Since 2001, Dr. Hyman has served as Provost of Harvard University, where his innovative leadership helped usher America's oldest university into the new millennium with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary and collaborative research. Additionally, Dr. Hyman's role in strengthening the museums, libraries, and cultural institutions of Harvard University has strengthened the rich cultural life of the United States as a whole.

Dr. Hyman is a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences. He has received awards for public service from the U.S. Government and from patient advocacy groups such as the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill and the National Mental Health Association. Across the country and over the world, he has lectured on topics ranging from genes, brain, and behavior to the stigma of mental illness. Dr. Hyman is a member of the Society for Neuroscience, the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and the American College of Psychiatrists. He has served on scientific advisory boards nationally and internationally including the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Riken Brain Sciences Institute in Japan, and the Max Planck Institute for Psychiatry in Germany. He is currently Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board for the Next Frontier Initiative, a new endeavor to design and implement a 10-year collaborative neuroscience research effort for the benefit of soldiers and veterans with Traumatic Brain Injury and PTSD.

As Dr. Hyman prepares to transition from his position as Provost of Harvard University, we honor his legacy as a national leader in science and academia and look forward to his continued contributions to American life.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the service of Mrs. Terri Alford to the U.S. House of Representatives. For 16 years Mrs. Alford has approached her service to the Congress with a professionalism, dedication, and joy that has inspired hundreds of staff and interns and undoubtedly improved the institution of Congress itself. Mrs. Alford's patriotism, love of the arts, and good humor enlivened the U.S. House of Representatives, and her infectious enthusiasm and good nature were a gift for all who had the pleasure of working with her. As Mrs. Alford prepares for retirement to spend more time with her husband, children, and grandchildren, we thank her for her dedicated service and wish her all the best in her future endeavors.