What’s in a name? A lot, it turns out. After more than 25 years as the College of Applied Human Sciences, the college is now the College of Health and Human Sciences.
The change is in name only and doesn’t reflect any structural changes within the College, but rather is an attempt to better represent the priorities of the college’s departments and schools.
The addition of health to the College name reflects a broader focus on health in our society. The World Health Organization definition serves as an inspiration to how our College views human health: “Health is a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity,” according to the WHO website.
The College of Health and Human Sciences is encouraging healthy living in areas such as occupational therapy, social work, human development, health and exercise science, and nutrition. The human sciences, such as design, construction, and education, are also important to our focus on individual and community health and well-being.
Many of the college’s faculty members are currently conducting research in order to benefit people and professions that promote overall well-being and quality of life, and seek to address some of the most challenging issues facing society today, such as obesity, disease, and aging.
Although Colorado has been one of the healthiest states in the nation’s obesity epidemic, here, too, obesity rates are on the rise. Michelle Foster in food science and human nutrition is studying the adverse health effects of carrying too much abdominal fat, which can result in diseases such as hypertension and Type 2 diabetes.
In the fight against obesity, Ray Browning in the Department of Health and Exercise Science and his colleagues are researching the effectiveness of objective measures of physical activity including accelerometers, which are monitoring devices with sensors that record motion. Browning, who runs the Physical Activity Lab, has helped evaluate accelerometers currently on the market, and is developing a prototype for an accelerometer worn in the shoe.
To combat effects of another devastating disease, Nicole Cesnales in the School of Social Work has dedicated her research to helping those with HIV, by investigating the health-related quality of life of people living with the infection. Before earning her Ph.D. and finding a career in research, Cesnales worked as a medical social worker in an HIV clinic in Pittsburgh.
In the field of occupational therapy, a person’s ability to participate in day-to-day activities that are perceived as personally meaningful contributes both to health and well-being. But there aren’t many studies surrounding what “meaningful” activity really means, and there are few ways to measure it. Department of Occupational Therapy Assistant Professor Aaron Eakman’s early research suggests that meaningful activity is composed of a breadth of experiences directly associated with day-to-day activities providing enjoyment, making progress toward goals, and contributing to others.
High-quality design impacts our health and wellness in many ways, from interiors to apparel. Juyeon Park, assistant professor in the Department of Design and Merchandising, is partnering with Poudre Fire Authority to study ways to make current fire suits less restrictive. “We know that the 40 pounds of turnout gear and the additional 35 pounds of breathing equipment firefighters wear impact their balance and movement so much that it leads to accidents, injuries, and even casualties,” Park said. She hopes to develop a new suit with innovative design features.
The Department of Construction Management offers CM Cares, a leadership and service-learning program, in which students are making a difference by applying their newfound knowledge and skills to benefit those in need. This year, CM Cares students made the backyard of the home of James and Libby Waechter, 11-year-old twins with cerebral palsy, wheelchair accessible through modifications to the doors and deck. They partnered with CM faculty member Mike O’Reilly to construct a wheelchair swing, and student members of the U.S. Green Building Council organization erected an accessible sandbox for the twins.
The College is improving community health too. A collaborative partnership between the Schools of Education and Social Work created PACT, Public Achievement for Community Transformation. PACT is a program in which local youth, with the support of college student coaches, are empowered to make a difference in their community through service-learning projects and community action.
With a focus on therapeutic mentoring, the Campus Corps program in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies pairs undergraduates with at-risk youth, some of whom are referred by the juvenile justice system. Graduate students in the Marriage and Family Therapy Program serve as instructors. The mentors spend four hours once per week providing homework help, career guidance, and positive wellness activities in this highly successful program. Community engagement of a different sort is offered by the Kendall Anderson Nutrition Center, an outreach arm of CSU’s Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition. Graduate students and registered dietitians conduct a range of programs and classes to bring tested research to life to educate members of the community on eating better, changing their lifestyles, and improving their health. These are just a few examples of the ways in which CSU’s College of Health and Human Sciences embodies the new name. You can access news about these and many more projects at www.chhs.colostate.edu.
The College of Health and Human Sciences is fulfilling its mission to provide transformative academic, research, and outreach programs designed to enhance the health and well-being of people, their environments, and communities in which they live.
You can learn more about the College name change at www.chhs.colostate.edu/namechange, including a video about how health relates to all of our disciplines. The College of Health and Human Sciences is optimizing health where we live, learn, work, and play.