Indiana State University Department of Applied Health Sciences

05/05/2023

Today marks the official end of the Spring 2023 semester! There are many changes for the Applied Health Sciences staff and department:

· We bid farewell to Dr. Darleesa Doss, Dr. Heather Pfrank, and Mr. Matthew Warner. We are saddened to lose these valued colleagues and is also a loss to our students. We wish them all the best!

· Human Development and Family Sciences and the Gerontology Certificate are moving to the Bayh College of Education, where we will join the ACES Department. Dr. Behrendt, Professor Coleman and Dr. Nesser are excited about this opportunity!

Change is often uncomfortable and perhaps even difficult. The faculty are up for these new challenges! The Department of Applied Health Sciences will continue to be “home” for Nutrition and Wellness, Public Health, and the Master of Public Health degrees, which includes Dr. Yen, Dr. Ayodele, Dr. Ferng, Dr. Hutchins, and Dr. Johnson.

Congratulations to all the AHS graduates who will celebrate at the ceremonies tomorrow!!

04/06/2023

We appreciate our Public Health staff and students! They're doing amazing things!

04/06/2023

Check it out! Andrew Martin, a senior in the BPH program, is a part of amazing things going into the Vigo County tire amnesty day!

VIGO COUNTY, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – For any residents that may have old tires laying around, Vigo County’s annual tire amnesty day can help. Tires can provide the perfect breeding location …

04/06/2023

It's National Public Health Week! Check out this website all about Public Health!

Our cultures have always shaped our health. We learn from the communities we're born in and that we build together. For this NPHW, we look to community leaders as our health leaders. We celebrate the unique and joyful ways different cultures focus on health. And we look to how we can learn from each...

03/27/2023

ISU welcomed high school juniors to campus on Saturday, March 25th. It was fun to talk with so many potential ISU students and their families! Of course, it was also good to share information about Human Development and Family Science. 😉

03/14/2023

It's National Nutrition Month!🥕

Check out these awesome events with nutrition and wellness students that are happening this week in the HMSU commons!

The theme is "Fuel for The Future" !

02/20/2023

"Indiana State University ranked a top school for online master’s in public health for 2023."

ISU has been ranked as one of the nation’s best colleges for online master’s programs in public health. Just six percent of regionally accredited postsecondary institutions earned a ranking position.

"This year, we focused on the schools making it easier for students to compete in today’s increasingly difficult job market,” said Kyle Darland, co-founder of OMD. “Each ranked school offers a fully or partially online master’s program in public health at a time when earning a master’s has become a minimum barrier to entry for many.”

Darland is referencing a recent survey from CareerBuilder, which found that “thirty-three percent of employers are hiring workers with master’s degrees for positions that had been primarily held by those with four-year degrees.” These employers cited an evolution of the skills needed to perform the jobs as the cause of the shift and an increase in work quality, productivity, and employee retention as the result.

“Providing students with opportunities to get a master’s online is only part of our rankings,” said Darland. “Top-ranked schools also had competitive tuition rates and/or scholarships to help drive costs down. And with grocery, gas, and other expenses on everyone’s mind right now, an affordable master’s is key.”

Congratulations to Program Director Dr. Olabode Ayodele along with the Public Health faculty members Dr. Doss, Dr. Hutchins, Dr. Ferng, Dr. Johnson, Dr. Nesser, and Mr. Warner!!

02/15/2023

Dr. Ayodele is at the ISU Career Fair to share details about our online Master of Public Health degree. Stop by the Hulman Center from 1-4pm and find out more about the program as well as graduate assistant positions!

11/18/2022

Happy Feature Friday! This week we will be featuring Professor Matthew Warner, Instructor and Graduate Assistant Coordinator!

Professor Warner is from Shelbyville, Illinois, and went to Eastern Illinois University. He graduated with his Bachelor’s in Kinesiology in 2016 and fulfilled his Master’s in Kinesiology (with a clinical focus) in 2017. He is also currently working on his Doctorate in Health Science!
Professor Warner wanted to pursue these degrees because he has always been someone who wants to learn, and he enjoys learning new things. During his journey to finishing his master’s degree, he would help teach courses and there he found a liking for being an instructor! He added that when he first started his higher education, he had seen himself on the sidelines of an athletic event and now he is an instructor of health sciences!

While here at Indiana State University, he started out as a graduate assistant. At the time, there was not a Graduate Assistant Coordinator. As a Doctoral graduate assistant, he had seniority in the group and took on the role of the coordinator. Following this role, he was then offered a position as an Instructor in the Applied Health Sciences Department! Professor Warner described how he ended up teaching at ISU as a “Right place, right time” moment and is extremely thankful he has this opportunity!

Professor Warner’s favorite part about his job is that he has the opportunity to teach “dream courses”, for example, his health screening course. He also enjoys the work they do with the Graduate Assistants. They get to teach the AHS 111 course and do different types of research. Professor Warner also mentioned that he has helped many GA’s go on to get their Doctorates!

“Don't be afraid to do something that is not your interest.” Professor Warner encourages students to keep an open mind and take advantage of opportunities!

Thank you for letting us get to know you this week, Professor Warner!

11/04/2022

This week for Feature Friday, meet Courtney Rieman, Instructor of Human Development and Family Science, at Indiana State University!

Courtney Rieman is from Effingham, Illinois, and graduated from Eastern Illinois University in 2020 with her bachelor's degree and graduated in 2021 with a master's degree in Human Services Program Administration (also at EIU). Courtney is also a CFLE (Certified Family Life Educator)! When beginning her higher education, she wanted to go into the Education pathway. She worked in areas like a senior center, case management, and a transition specialist but, then nearing the end of her education, she started a part-time job here at ISU in practicum and internships alongside Dr. Linda Behrendt, Department Chair. She quickly found her passion for working with higher ed students and now instructs multiple courses here at Indiana State! She is currently working towards a Doctorate in curriculum and instruction and plans to graduate in 2025. Her advice to any students wanting to go into this career/major/degree is to gain experience as much as you can so that you can find your passion early on in your education! She also wants to mention that if any student is interested in learning about the CLFE program, to reach out and ask questions!

Thank you for letting us get to know you this week, Courtney!

11/03/2022

Check it out!
Professor Courtney Rieman's AHS 145 class had the opportunity to have Kindred Hospice as their guest speaker on Monday!
Candy, Ronny, Dawn, and Beth talked about what it is like being a hospice nurse and what their agency provides. They also talked about why they love what they do and how they strive to bring joy to their patients' lives!

10/21/2022

Happy Feature Friday! This week, we will be introducing Dr. Madison Schmidt, Nutrition Navigator for the Vigo County School Corp.!

Dr. Schmidt is from Terre Haute, IN but has lived in Wisconsin, Missouri, and California while traveling for her husband’s job! She graduated from Indiana State University in 2018 with a Bachelor in Health Sciences and a Minor in Business Administration as well as a certificate in Gerontology. She then graduated for the second time in 2020 with her Master's of Science in Public Health. In August of 2022, she graduated from Logan University with a Doctorate in Health Professions Education!

Dr. Schmidt is currently employed with the Vigo County School Corporation as the Nutrition Navigator in their brand-new program, VCSC Coordinated Health Program. This program is designed to bring more health and wellness education and activities to Vigo County students K-12! They are currently piloting their program at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School and plan to branch out to other schools in the future. The VCSC Coordinated Health Program is funded by the school corporation as well as Union Health but, Program Director and ISU alum, Ann Noble, has also secured grants to aid the funding. Some of the new health initiatives being introduced to the school is Move Crew (a club to encourage students to get moving), C.H.E.W (Club for Health, Etiquette, and Wellness), as well as introducing hydroponic gardening to students.
“I handle most of our social media presence and am trying to grow our name and build our connections with other community partners trying to help our students and their families live healthier lives. We are not only focused on physical activity and nutrition but all areas of health.”- Dr. Madison Schmidt.
Dr. Schmidt believes that her education here at Indiana State has prepared her for her position because she was introduced to Health Promotion Planning and Evaluation, Fundamentals of Nutrition, Health Promotion, Aging, and much more!
“I was able to build a great foundation of overall health knowledge and how to deliver that information to others around me."

Thank you for letting us get to know you this week, Madison!