Good News

College faculty, students and alumni presented at the 16th Annual Conference on the Science of Dissemination and Implementation in Health, co-hosted by NIH and AcademyHealth in December in Virginia. The preeminent meeting in the field provided an opportunity to share work widely and network. Presenters included faculty members Peggy Dolcini, Denise Hynes and Veronica Irvin; doctoral students Eiman AlEissa and Ashley Schuyler; and alumni Virginia McKay (Washington University) and Ryan Singh (Oregon Social Learning Center; Chestnut Health Systems).

David Rothwell, Barbara E. Knudson chair in family policy and associate professor of HDFS, was recently inducted into the 2024 class of Fellows of the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR). Congratulations, David!

Professor and Extension specialist Deborah John was part of a WalletHub article on the best and worst cities for an active lifestyle in 2024. (Portland ranks 18th.) She discussed how local communities can encourage and support physical activity, how access and use of gyms and recreational facilities could be increased, how to get active while on a budget, and how parents can encourage physical activity in children. Read the article on WalletHub.

Congratulations to the Kinesiology Program faculty and staff on a successful Kinesiology Program Undergraduate Curriculum Retreat.

Associate Dean for Research Marie Harvey and Associate Professor Jeff Luck’s article titled “Improved depression screening and treatment among low-income pregnant and postpartum women following Medicaid expansion in the U.S.,” received a Paper of the Year award for 2023 from the journal Frontiers in Health Services. Congratulations! 

On Friday, December 8, Interzone on Monroe Ave. was standing room only while Sam Logan's Honors Colloquia Class, Body Horror 101, presented their zines. Nice work on an inclusive community event, Sam!

Roberta Riportella, professor and Extension specialist, has been selected to serve a 3-year term as the OSU Interinstitutional Faculty Senator, a position that also serves on the Faculty Senate Executive Committee. Thank you for your service and congratulations! 
 

Hallie E. Ford Center director Megan McClelland shares her expertise on key areas parents can focus on to help their children adjust to a new school and life, as detailed in the Architectural Digest article "Moving With Kids: How to Help Your Children Adjust to a New School."

Congrats, Lila Reid Hepner, on creating and hosting an amazing Fall 2023 Dance Showcase! Lila, PAC's artistic and social dance leader, did a wonderful job bringing many OSU students together to celebrate their community and hard work.

Public health alumna and former White House Fellow Lizzy Ragan started a new position as Senior Advisor to the Deputy Under Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. Learn more about Lizzy in Synergies.

Shelbie Turner, an HDFS PhD graduate and postdoctoral fellow in the Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine, was recently featured on the organization's website for her research.

According to the article, Shelbie was lead author on a study that provides "the first national estimate of caregivers’ pain and arthritis experiences that can limit their ability to perform necessary tasks while caring for older family members.

"The study suggests screening caregivers for pain issues and offering interventions, particularly to populations that are traditionally underserved. This may help avoid higher health costs and improve the quality of life for both caregivers and their care recipients."

Learn more about this important work.

Congratulations, Allison Myers! You've had and continue to have an amazing impact on the people of Oregon and beyond, including farmers and ranchers who will benefit from your efforts to bring to life the AgriStress Helpline (833-897-2474). 

Learn more about the helpline.