Good News

Physical Activity Course and Faculty Staff Fitness staff celebrate the start of the 2024-25 academic year with a first day of school photo. Welcome back!

The National Institute of Environmental Health Science (NIEHS) awarded a R56 grant of nearly $600,000 to Professor Perry Hystad (PI) to further develop a climate-change and health study within the global Prospective Urban and Rural Epidemiological (PURE) study.

This research will assess climate-driven exposures for PURE communities using state-of-the-art geospatial assessment methods and determine the direct and indirect impacts of climate-driven exposures on diverse health outcomes.

William Massey, associate professor in kinesiology, has been named the new Hallie Ford Center Youth Core director. His research on play, physical activity and youth development aligns with the HFC Youth Core. Will's recent work on coaching and the importance of recess for healthy development also fits the HFC's applied research focus.

Jonathan Garcia completed his tenure as Youth Core director. Jonathan expanded and strengthened the community-engaged work done in the HFC and was a key leadership team member. Jonathan is taking on a new position as program director of the Corvallis-based MPH

Professor Molly Kile shares information and recommendations in an article about tap water safety.

“You can’t always taste, smell or see dangerous particles in well water,” notes Molly Kile, ScD, the co-Principal Investigator of Oregon State University’s ASPIRE Children's Environmental Health Center. Private well water is not regulated by the EPA, so the only way to know what is in your drinking water is to get it tested. Kile recommends testing your private well water yearly.

Hannah Briggs, MPH '23, has secured a second grant to enhance maternal health care access in the most remote regions of Oregon, spanning 12 counties in Eastern Oregon.

This new funding will support a second cohort of birth doula training, preparing 15 individuals to become Oregon Health Authority-certified providers. These doulas will offer crucial support and care for pregnant families through pregnancy, labor and delivery, and postpartum stages.

Four Oregon State University researchers have proposed a new model for addressing community needs and advancing research.

Shannon Lipscomb, Barbara Bromley Brody, Megan Pratt and Toiresa Frazie published "The Tri-Learner Model of Extension Collaboration." The model brings together faculty from academic research, statewide Extension and community-based Extension.

The Hallie E. Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families funded the project through an internal grant.

Driven by her vision for a better world, Lizzy Ragan has contributed substantially to the field of infectious diseases. A standout student at OSU, Lizzy volunteered with the Oregon Health Authority, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and the OSU College of Health as a CATALYST Public Health Student Mentor — earning her the Waldo-Cummings and Kalervo Oberg Outstanding Senior awards before graduating summa cum laude.

Bob, ’65, and Sara Rothschild were awarded the Dan Poling Service Award at the 2024 OSUAA Black and Orange Awards.

In 2005, Bob and Sara established the Robert and Sara Rothschild Family Foundation. This philanthropic organization has partnered with the Botswana government to build 20 libraries in rural areas, improving education, literacy and community cohesion. In 2017, they brought their passion for international awareness to OSU with the funding of the Robert and Sara Rothschild Endowed Chair in Global Health.

Sam Logan, an editorial board member of the Journal of Motor Learning and Development, recently had a letter to the editor accepted by the journal. The letter raises awareness about ethical concerns surrounding ChatGPT use in research publishing.

A journal article was recently published about the Public Health Preceptor ECHO Series, a six-session virtual training for preceptors aiming to build skills and connections.

Ximena Nava Diaz, a public health student and summer intern at OHSU, won the best poster award at the Internship Symposium on Friday, August 16. Her poster, titled “Neighborhood characteristics associated with firearm injuries in children and adolescents across the U.S.,” was presented as part of the Equity Research Internship Program. Congrats, Ximena!

The symposium provided a platform for all interns to showcase their research and internship experiences. Learn more about the Equity Research Program.

Byungmo Ku, PhD '19, and Ming-Chih Sung, PhD '22, former College of Health kinesiology alumni, reunited at the Asia Society of Adapted Physical Education conference in Japan.