Department of Applied Health

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Chaya Gopalan, PhD, professor in the Departments of Applied Heath, Nurse Anesthesiology, and Mark Poepsel, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Mass Communications, have both received the Consortium of Academic and Research Libraries in Illinois (CARLi) Support for Creation of Open Educational Resources (SCOERs) grant. The grant is awarded to develop, improve and expand open educational resources by focusing on “The Human Conditi...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Graduate School has recognized Cedric Harville, II, PhD, MPH, with the 2022-23 Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award for his exemplary scholarship and commitment to conducting outstanding and timely research.

Harville is an assistant professor in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s (SEHHB) Department of Applied Health. His research interests include men’s health, weight management, health disparities and food insecur...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s undergraduate and graduate public health programs have received the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accreditation. 

The CEPH is an independent agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. To become accredited, programs must undergo a rigorous multi-year review.

“We pursued CEPH accreditation for our students, and now they can be assured that their public...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Graduate School has announced the recipients of the Outstanding Thesis and Dissertation Awards. The awards recognize a master’s student’s thesis and a doctoral student’s dissertation that have been identified as outstanding among all those completed in the previous academic year. The recipients were recognized at the Graduate School Awards Reception in October and received a $500 cash prize.

Alexa Agne completed a master&#821...

As part of their development in becoming rising professionals contributing to society’s health and well-being, spring graduates of the nutrition program in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) Department of Applied Health finished their undergraduate journey by successfully completing research investigating novel topics on dietetics and nutrition. The nine students, comprising two groups, presented their findings at an ind...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Chaya Gopalan, PhD, has received a Fulbright Academic and Professional Excellence Award presented by the U.S. Department of State and the J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board (FFSB), supporting her international application of flipped classroom techniques.

Gopalan is a professor in both the SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s (SEHHB) Department of Applied Health and the School of Nursing’s (SON) Department...

For college athletes, understanding nutrition and making healthy food choices can have a significant impact on their athletic performance. College is also a time when many student-athletes are living on their own for the first time and making their own meals.

To educate student-athletes about healthy eating for enhancing athletic performance, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics and Department of Applied Heath have partnered on a sports nutri...

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Education, Health and Human Behavior is offering a fully online synchronous option for students seeking a master’s in kinesiology with a specialization in exercise and sport psychology. Beginning in fall 2022, this online synchronous program will be the first of its kind in the country and will supplement the existing traditional and hybrid program options available through the Department of Applied Health.

“The online synchron...

College athletes spend hours every day training their bodies to perform at an elite level, but most student-athletes aren’t afforded the opportunity to focus on the mental skills that are also key to their success.

At Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, Department of Intercollegiate Athletics’ Director of Mental Performance Lindsay Ross-Stewart, PhD, meets regularly with student-athletes and their coaches to provide the time and space to make the mental side of sport a priori...

“Within the Black community, mental health is seen as a weakness. There are so many barriers that keep the community from wanting to seek this help. Everyone’s mental health matters. We deserve to feel mentally happy and whole inside.”

These words from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville senior public health major Jordan Washington pinpoint one of the reasons why the Association for the Study of African American Life and History established Black Health and Wellness as t...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is introducing three new concurrent degree programs to provide students with greater opportunities for learning and career advancement in the health sciences while saving time and money.

The new concurrent degree programs, which will begin in fall 2022, include:

• Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) and Master of Science in Pharmaceutical Sciences (MSPS)
• PharmD and Master of Public Health (MPH)
• MPH and Master of Business Administration (MBA)

“Today'...

The Edwardsville Rotary Club donated $2,620 in support of SIUE’s Speech-Language-Hearing (SLH) Center. SLH Center Clinical Coordinator Jaime Henderson accepted the donation on behalf of SIUE. She expressed her excitement and extended appreciation noting the ways in which graduate student clinicians benefit from the applied learning opportunities the center provides.

Details of the community presentation were posted Thursday, Jan. 20 in the Edwardsville Intelligencer.  ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Master of Science in Kinesiology with a specialization in Exercise and Sport Psychology has been ranked 17^th in the nation on Sports Degrees Online’s 2022 Sport Psychology Master’s Program Rankings list. 

“It is an honor to be recognized among other reputable universities and programs,” said Ben Webb, PhD, associate professor and director of the exercise and sport psychology graduate program. “It is a testament...

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) has developed two post-baccalaureate certificates focused on public health. Beginning in summer 2023, the Department of Applied Health will offer certificates in public health emergency preparedness infectious disease outbreaks and surveillance and in global public health.

A post-baccalaureate certificate provides in-depth training that leads to a specifi...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville continued its fall 2021 commencement exercises on Saturday, Dec. 18 with three in-person ceremonies at the Vadalabene Center’s First Community Arena. Chancellor Randy Pembrook conferred degrees upon the Class of 2021.

At 9 a.m., undergraduate students from the School of Business and the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior were honored. Student speaker Tonja Spires, who earned a bachelor’s in exercise science, shared her personal j...

Graduate students at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are working with athletes locally and around the world to support their mental and emotional needs and help them reach their performance goals. The collaboration is a key part of the new Counseling Skills in Sport Psychology course offered in the Department of Applied Health for students pursuing a master’s in kinesiology with a concentration in exercise and sport psychology. 

Combining classroom-based and experiential le...

A team of three students pursuing bachelor’s degrees in public health at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has earned second place in the Central Region of the National Case Study Competition in Health Education.

Seniors Hawwaou Diallo, Brian Gomez and HenLi Shih used their background in public health and their own cultural experiences to develop an advocacy and communications plan to address school violence at a fictitious high school in New Mexico. 

“This was our fir...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) students have the opportunity to gain knowledge about academic majors and career pathways from SIUE faculty and staff during the virtual CHS Midday Speaker Series. 

SIUE’s CORE T.E.A.M. (College Readiness: Transition, Engage, Achieve and Mentor) Department began a new speaker series for CHS students on Monday, Nov. 1, according to Fannie Acoff,&#16...

The World Health Organization’s endorsement of the use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine in children is groundbreaking in the fight against the deadly disease, even in spite of its modest effectiveness rate. That’s why the vaccine will be part of a broader arsenal of malaria prevention tools including one Ellen Santos, PhD, assistant professor in Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Department of Applied Health, is working to improve.

Santos is partnering with Fredros Okumu,...

National Health Education Week, Oct. 18-22, is increasing national awareness of major public health issues and promoting a better understanding of the role of health education.

The annual focus is organized by the Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE), a professional organization comprised of health educators, academics and researchers who work to promote healthy behaviors, communities and environments while raising awareness of public health issues and public health education.

In suppor...

With the start of the school year, students’ hands are full with books, various technology and now – some fresh produce, courtesy of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville East St. Louis Center (ESLC) gardens. 

“We have already given fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and okra to our students and parents,” said SIUE East St. Louis Charter High School (CHS) Director Gina Jeffries, EdD. “We love giving away the fresh produce, just as much as they enjoy receiving i...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students are among the inaugural recipients of the 2021 SIU System Distinguished Student Service Awards. Awardees were honored during the Board of Trustees meeting held via Zoom Thursday, July 15.

During the meeting, Dianah McGreehan, chair of the award selection committee, announced the recipients and shared brief highlights of their outstanding acts of service. Each will receive $100 and an honorary plaque.

Winners included:

• Madalynn McKenzie &#...

In order to graduate, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Master of Public Health (MPH) students must complete a community-based capstone project that emphasizes public health core competencies while demonstrating student leadership skills. By teaming up with local partners, May 2021 graduates Clare Schroeder and Aly Siglock, both of Edwardsville, dedicated their final projects to giving back to their community. 

Schroeder conducted an evaluation of the Mobile Market Program ...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s first Master of Public Health (MPH) cohort has spent the spring semester working diligently to complete mandatory community-based capstone projects. Despite pandemic-incited challenges, students Stephanie Bargiel, Kyana Nunnally and Aldara Henderson creatively adapted their projects in collaboration with an approved community partner.

“The students in our first MPH cohort tackled timely topics that truly reflected the challenges of these...

For the anecdotical purposes of writing the next chapter in the exciting, ongoing partnership between Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and Ndejje University (NDE) in Kampala Uganda, two African delegates visited SIUE on Wednesday, March 31. 

Saidah Mbooge Najjuma, PhD, dean of social sciences at NDE, and Mbooge Isa, government official and Mbooge Najjuma’s husband, held several informal meetings with SIUE administrators, faculty and students. Specifically, the delegates met ...

Which mode of exercise most effectively reduces cardiac fat in women? How can different modes of exercise improve cardiac function? These are among the questions Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Maria Fernandez del Valle, PhD, is asking through her research aimed at optimizing women’s health.

Fernandez del Valle is an assistant professor of exercise physiology in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Department of Applied Health. She is a prime exam...

Medical pioneers from St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Institute (CPCI) are collaborating with established clinicians and educators, and aspiring speech-language pathologists (SLP) at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville to offer high-caliber care for area children and adults.

Thanks to St. Louis Children’s Hospital’s Collaborative Care for Speech Differences in Cleft Palate and Craniofacial Disorders Continuing Education Program, client...

Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker today announced the release of $10,537,000 in planning funds to create preliminary designs for a Health Science Building (HSB) on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus. Pritzker made the announcement in the Morris University Center’s Meridian Ballroom.

The complex will include approximately 221,000 square feet. The project’s total cost is approximately $105 million. It would be the largest building on the SIUE campus.

“With this ...

Last month, eight Southern Illinois University Edwardsville exercise and sport psychology students attended and presented at the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP) 34th Annual Conference in Portland, Oregon. The conference is the largest of its kind worldwide, and features over 100 workshops, lectures and panels for students and professionals alike.

Lindsay Ross-Stewart, PhD, associate professor of exercise and sport psychology (ESP) and graduate program director in the SIUE Depart...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is introducing a Master of Science degree in nutrition and dietetics designed for students who desire a master’s, while gaining eligibility to become a registered dietitian and pursue careers as entry level dietitians.

The nutrition and dietetics program is offered through the Department of Applied Health in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior.

“The program combines graduate-level coursework in nutrition with the clinical cur...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Benjamin Webb, PhD, brought his expertise in exercise psychology, personal training, and strength and conditioning to Quanzhou, China, Aug. 6-11, where he helped train 60 Chinese scholars and practitioners who will serve as instructors of a certified personal trainer (CPT) preparatory course.

Webb is an assistant professor in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Department of Applied Health. He was invited to participate in...

During its regularly scheduled meeting on the Springfield campus, the Southern Illinois University Board of Trustees (BOT) today approved Mark Luer, PharmD, FCCP, as dean of the SIUE School of Pharmacy (SOP) and Robin Hughes, PhD, as dean of the SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB).

Luer steps into the role after serving as interim dean since July 2018. A longtime contributor to the SOP’s success, he is highly regarded as a collaborative and inclusive...

Transgender voice therapy is a much-needed service, but accessing treatment can be difficult.

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s accredited speech-language pathology and audiology program, housed in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior, is doing its part to ensure transgender access to care by training its student clinicians to offer assessment and treatment services under the direct observation and supervision of clinical faculty in the Speech-Language-Hearing (SLH...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Provost and Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs Denise Cobb, PhD, has named Robin L. Hughes, PhD, as dean of the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) after a national search. The appointment is subject to SIU Board of Trustees approval, with Hughes slated to assume her new role on Thursday, August 1.

Hughes arrives on campus after serving as professor of higher education and student affairs, a...

SIUE alumnus Tyler Yungck, BS exercise science 2014, has opened Revive Chiropractic in Edwardsville. Intelligencer reporter Julia Biggs profiled Yungck in this story posted Dec. 19.

SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Kathy Mora, PhD, RD, assistant professor of nutrition, shared a delicious array of “fancy” grilled cheese sandwiches with Show Me St. Louis viewers on Thursday, Dec. 13.

The inspiration behind the sandwiches came after Mora and her nutrition students visited Marcoot Jersey Creamery in Greenville. Examples she shared included fresh mozzarella with fig jam, heritage cheese with caramelized onions, smoked gouda with apples, qu...

“Travel study programs can change a person’s life forever: personally, academically and professionally.”

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Assistant Professor of Public Health Michelle Cathorall, DrPH, MPH, stands by her statement wholeheartedly having witnessed such a transformation as she accompanied eight public health students on a five-week travel study in eastern Africa.

The international service experience left an indelible mark on all involved as students work...

It is a Facebook following that Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students worked hard for and are proud of, because they educated and aroused interest in recycling among many Godfrey residents. 

“Facebook is a great way to reach a large amount of people,” said Abbigayle Riedisser, a senior public health major. “We had initially wanted to reach 50 people, but when our project ended, we had 151 Facebook followers on the Greener Godfrey page. 

The students&#82...

For homeschooling mother Mindy Jefferson, hearing screenings are not readily available for her family. That’s why Mindy, her four kids, mother and nephew traveled from Alhambra to take advantage of free hearing screenings being offered by Southern Illinois University Edwardsville speech-language pathology graduate student clinicians.

“We had not had our hearing checked in quite a while, so we loved this service,” Jefferson said after her kids, ages 7-12 were screened.

“...

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s Brianne Guilford, PhD, has been recognized with the Graduate School’s 2018-19 Vaughnie Lindsay New Investigator Award for significant research contributions to her field, respective school and department, and SIUE as a whole.

Guilford is an assistant professor in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s (SEHHB) Department of Applied Health and the exercise physiology graduate program director. Chancellor Randy Pembrook pr...

The Higher Education Channel (HEC-TV) featured SIUE research on imagery-assisted virtual reality Thursday, March 8 on its INNOVATIONS show. The story by HEC-TV’s Kathleen Berger can be viewed here.

The SIUE School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s Lindsay Ross-Stewart, PhD, is the leading researcher of imagery-assisted virtual reality in both athletics and medicine.

As part of her innovative, applied research, she and graduate student Jeff Price, worked with the Cougars bas...

Show Me St. Louis hosted SIUE’s Kathy Mora, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition in the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior's Department of Applied Health, for a cooking demonstration on the topic of “going further with food,” the theme of National Nutrition Month.

See the guest segment, which aired Thursday, March 8, here.

Twelve Southern Illinois University Edwardsville students will participate in a five-week travel study to Uganda in June 2018, marking the first experiential and service opportunity for SIUE students in Eastern Africa.

School of Education, Health and Human Behavior (SEHHB) faculty members Michelle Cathorall, DrPH, assistant professor of public health, and Kathryn Brady, PhD, associate professor of speech-language pathology and audiology, visited Uganda in January to finalize plans and discuss g...

The Show Me St. Louis studio smelled great on Wednesday, Feb. 7 as SIUE’s Kathy Mora, PhD, assistant professor of nutrition, shared three delicious slow cooker recipes. View the segment here.

Host Heidi Glaus highlighted the School of Education, Health and Human Behavior’s growing nutrition program. Senior nutrition major and URCA assistant Taylor Aarns went along to catch a behind the scenes look at a live cooking segment.