Good News
College of Health
Did you, a colleague, or a student recently accomplish something great? We want to hear about it! Fill out this form so we can recognize their hard work and contributions.
Professor Brad Cardinal has been recognized for his significant contributions to the field of sport and exercise psychology. A recent article published in Kinesiology Review identified Brad as an eminent researcher in the discipline.
The article also recognized two Oregon State alumni for their achievements: Fuzhong Li and Paul Loprinzi. Congratulations to all three researchers for their dedication to advancing the field.
A $125,000 grant has been awarded to Professor Roberta Riportella and a team of colleagues to train Oregon's traditional health care workers on how to communicate about the importance of adult vaccinations.
The team includes Professor Deborah John, Associate Professor of Practice Robin Maille, Senior Instructor II Katie Ahern and Oralia Mendez, MPH, manager for the Workforce Development and Community Programs in FCH.
The team aims to improve the ability of Oregon’s certified Community Health Workers (CHWs) to deliver vaccination messages to their adult clients. To achieve this goal, they will adapt the evidence-based University of Arkansas course, “How to Talk to Your [Patients] About Vaccinations,” for Oregon’s CHWs working in non-clinical community settings.
The COH Marketing and Communications team has been recognized with a Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Best of District VIII Award for its “extraordinary work” and “creative and innovative ideas” in renaming and rebranding the college in 2023. District VIII comprises colleges and universities in the PNW and Western Canada.
Research Assistant Professor Hyosin (Dawn) Kim, in collaboration with Rutgers University researchers, published a study in The Gerontologist titled "Home Health Care and Place of Death in Medicare Beneficiaries With and Without Dementia."
The research shows that Medicare beneficiaries who used home health care at the end of life were less likely to die in a hospital setting without hospice. Kim found that among those with dementia, home health use beginning earlier than the last year of life was associated with a much lower likelihood of in-hospital death compared to when home health care began closer to the time of death. The findings highlight the potential of early home health care exposure to help Medicare beneficiaries avoid inpatient death without hospice.
The National Institute on Aging, part of the National Institutes of Health, supported this research through grant R01AG066139.
A big thank you to Adriana Harper, administrative assistant to the School of Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences head, and Clinical Associate Professor Heidi Wegis for organizing the school’s tailgate before the homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 19. Their persistent efforts to foster community and connection are appreciated!
Associate Professor Sam Logan launched a dark horror fiction novelette, "The Night Demon,” on Friday, Oct. 18.
Sam’s interest in dark horror fiction was sparked when he taught a Body Horror course in the Honors College in fall 2023. The course, centered on queer authors, included student-written short stories. Logan wrote a story for the class and has been hooked ever since.
Four College of Health faculty members have been selected to participate as Fellows in the Division of Research and Innovation’s 2024-25 Research Advancement Academy. The academy aims to support early and mid-career faculty to develop leadership skills and grow their successful research programs by leading large transdisciplinary proposals and funded research programs in alignment with the university’s Prosperity Widely Shared strategic plan.
The four COH faculty members selected are assistant professors Matt Bozigar and Andrew Pitchford, and associate professors Jessica Gorman and Cynthia Mojica.
Mario Magaña Álvarez, associate professor and 4-H outreach specialist, (pictured right with College of Health Interim Dean Rick Settersten) has been honored with the Distinguished Mexican in Oregon Award. The Secretary of Foreign Affairs Carlos Quesnel Méndez, consul general of Mexico in Portland, Oregon presented the award.
Learn more about Mario and his journey.
Emily says, “Broccoli is a multitasking vegetable” that provides a range of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals. Benefits include its cancer-fighting compound, sulforaphane, which is an antioxidant and can help the body expel toxins such as air pollution and cigarette smoke. Broccoli is also good for your heart, helping the body regulate blood circulation, and can lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It’s also high in fiber and may help with bone strength. How much should you eat each day? Around one cup of chopped raw broccoli – just make sure it’s not mushy. Steamed, with a bit of crunch, is best. Read the article in the New York Times.
Associate Professor Jessica Gorman was awarded $900K in funding from the National Cancer Institute for a 3-year study that aims to improve sexual health and well-being for breast and gynecologic cancer survivors.
Cancer treatments commonly impact physical, social and psychological aspects of sexual health. Unfortunately, many of these concerns go unaddressed, with one major reason being the lack of access to evidence-based programs.
This pilot study will pave the way for a larger, multisite trial to test whether a mindfulness-based sexual health program can be integrated into routine cancer to improve sexual health outcomes.
Research Assistant Professor Hyosin (Dawn) Kim has published a column in the October issue of HomeCare magazine. The magazine targets a diverse audience, including home health industry professionals, providers, agencies, and caregivers.
The column summarizes population-based research among Medicare beneficiaries, conducted in collaboration with researchers at Rutgers University. It highlights the growing need for home-based care for older adults and the vital role of home health services in complementing end-of-life care for individuals with chronic and serious illnesses.
Additionally, Kim emphasizes the importance of policy support to ensure that the homecare workforce is adequately prepared to care for patients with advanced illnesses.
Assistant Professor Andrew Pitchford received a three-year, $900,000 Autism FIRST grant (Field-Initiated Research Study) from the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA) Maternal and Child Health Bureau. The title is “Developing equitable fitness assessments for youth with autism and other developmental disabilities.”
As the project’s principal investigator, Andrew will coordinate a research team comprising six academic institutions and a network of 100 public schools, which will work to improve fitness assessment practices for youth with disabilities. The outcome of the project is to integrate tests and standards specific to students with disabilities into FitnessGram to make a more equitable assessment for all students.
Want more College of Health news? Visit Synergies, our college news site.