News | College of Health and Human Sciences

Brad Garton, a 1979 Purdue University School of Health Sciences alumnus who is now director of the Computer Music Center at Columbia University, was once known as Mr. Science when he was an undergraduate student conducting research and performing in front of thousands of his fellow Boilermakers as part of the punk rock band Dow Jones and the Industrials.

uneral Home Inc. It’s a passion for helping families through some of their lowest times that has driven her to continue her father’s legacy and help the oldest African American-owned business in Spartanburg, South Carolina, thrive as it approaches 106 years of service.

The person who started the phrase “it’s the thought that counts” probably didn’t work in retail. As the holiday shopping season reaches full swing and individuals began to brainstorm gifts and spending amounts that won’t disappoint, certain trends are showing up across retailers and consumers — even beyond the pressure to shop early.

Service learning can benefit the student’s character and career path.
Several programs in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences urge their students to use what they learn in the classroom to benefit off-campus communities.

Upon graduating high school, Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumnus Ian Schaller knew he wanted to pursue a STEM career, but doing what, he wasn’t entirely sure. When he found the School of Health Sciences’ health physics concentration within the radiological health sciences major, he was intrigued to learn more. This set him on his journey of understanding radiation and helping others work with it safely.  

iversity College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumna Mallori Walker knows she was born to be a pediatric nurse practitioner — a statement that has been echoed by her former professors in the School of Nursing. Now a pediatric nurse practitioner at IU Health Arnett; chair of IU Health’s system-wide diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) council; a lecturer in the Purdue School of Nursing; and a doctoral student at Rush University, Walker hopes to continue to lead the nursing profession to new heights.

Sarah Griffith applies psychology in the classroom and on the pitch while helping lead Purdue University soccer to its most successful season in more than a decade.

Susan E. Swithers, professor of psychological sciences in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS), has been appointed as the college’s first associate dean for faculty affairs. In this new role, she will provide additional leadership in the areas of faculty hiring and faculty professional development. Swithers’ appointment became effective Nov. 1 and will be in place for two years with the possibility of reappointment.

With several years’ experience in Greater Lafayette healthcare system leadership, Kevin Hintzman will become the new executive director of North Central Nursing Clinics, which offers Purdue University School of Nursing-affiliated healthcare facilities.

Murray-Kolb has known her family history since she was little. She remembers reading a line from her great-grandmother’s autobiography that mentions her father’s uncle John giving money to start Purdue University. However, it wasn’t her family connection that led her to Purdue — in fact, she kept it secret until after she had accepted the position and arrived on campus.

From large retailers to small businesses, restaurants, hotels and more, there are few areas that haven’t been hit by the current labor shortage in the United States, and it’s left many employers scrambling for solutions. Some businesses are using service technology, such as robots, self-service machines and mobile apps, to help supplement their workforce and avoid closing their doors.

The College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) continues to grow both rapidly and substantially. This fall, we welcomed a record-breaking 4,999 undergraduate students, including 1,103 New Beginners.

Getting involved in undergraduate research early can pay off after and during students’ years in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences, according to Aaron Bowman, professor and department head of the School of Health Sciences.

Like Jamie Lee Curtis in the “Halloween” movies, Indiana residents should safeguard their trick-or-treating experience on Oct. 31.

The facility, which houses a full industrial kitchen along with its testing areas and a blood analysis lab, meticulously measures out meals by the gram for participants to pick up at Stone Hall.

As part of her research in the College of Health and Human Sciences, Anumitha Venkatraman, voice pathologist and doctoral student in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS), discovered that voice problems are a significant concern for fitness instructors.

Researchers in the Purdue University School of Health Sciences and the Department of Psychological Sciences will gather data from up to 80 welders through questionnaires; motor, mood and memory tests; and brain magnetic resonance imaging scans. The images and data could reveal signs of neurological issues in the workers, who have been exposed to metal fumes containing manganese particulates.

Because ADHD can look different for different people, many misconceptions have circulated about the neurodevelopmental disorder. In her research, Sarah Karalunas, assistant professor of psychological sciences in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences, aims to lend better understanding of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, and neurodevelopmental disorders in children to improve assessment and treatment.

Bianca Pryor co-founded Dr. Shalon’s Maternal Action Project, which strives for equitable, quality care for Black birthing people. It is named after Shalon Irving, a fellow Purdue alumna, mother and former epidemiologist for the Centers for Disease Control.

It wasn’t a desire to teach that initially led Dennis Swender to the family and consumer sciences (FCS) education major in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences. He just wanted to help people — the training in education was merely a bonus that might help him if he chose to pursue a master’s degree in social work or counseling.

For Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumna Virginia Jacko, there are three kinds of people: those who do not see an opportunity, those who see an opportunity but are afraid to act on it, and those who both see an opportunity and act on it. Throughout her life, Jacko has embodied the last, taking advantage of every opportunity, even if it wasn’t what she had planned.

With the fresh memory of Annie Drews and the rest of Team USA Volleyball’s Olympic championship, Purdue volleyball is off to a historic start, earning its highest NCAA ranking in program history at No. 6. The team also has its largest roster ever with 21 student-athletes, 13 of which are Purdue College of Health and Human Sciences majors.

Jason Cannon, associate professor of health sciences in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences, is serving as one of 25 volunteer mentors in the Toxicology Mentoring and Skills Development Training Program (ToxMSDT) to provide career advice and guidance to underrepresented minority undergraduate students in STEM.

Headaches, insomnia, nausea, restlessness — high levels of stress can take a toll on the body. But what if the consequences of stress affect more than just your own health? A new study in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences suggests the way one partner in a relationship reacts to stress can affect their significant other’s health as well.

To bring new understanding amid a growing mental health crisis and climbing suicide rate, researchers like Doug Samuel, associate professor of psychological sciences in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences, are studying the risks and ways to prevent suicide across the United States.

As owner of Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovations consultation company, chef Charlie Baggs has helped restaurants, chains and companies develop new recipes and flavor profiles.

The Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences got its start with the first university or college clinic founded in Indiana and has continued to take giant leaps ever since.

Although Public Health is the newest department in the College of Health and Human Sciences, its history goes back to its original home in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, where the program offered a bachelor’s degree option as well as a master’s degree option, beginning in 2006.

The Department of Psychological Sciences (PSY) got its start in 1908 when the first psychology courses were taught in Purdue University’s Department of Education, which served the general education requirements for students who did not belong to a specific school. Lucas George Roberts, the department’s only faculty member, taught both of the psychology courses the department offered at the time: general psychology and educational psychology.

The Department of Nutrition Science (NUTR) has been a foundational ingredient in Purdue’s history as early as 1905 when the School of Science established the Department of Household Economics, which contained a dietetics and nutrition program — the first in the state.

Purdue University’s School of Nursing (NUR) started with a call to action and a drive to meet the challenge. In the 1950s, there was a dire need for nurses in Indiana, leading to a demand for more university nursing programs.

The Department of Human Development and Family Studies took root in child management and family living courses that first appeared in the Department of Household Economics in the early 1920s.

The School of Hospitality and Tourism Management got its start in 1887 in the School of Science as a series of Domestic Economy courses. As interest grew, the School of Science later established a Department of Household Economics in 1905 and developed an Institutional Management program in 1916.

The School of Health Sciences (HSCI) began with a few particles in a Purdue University lab and has since expanded into a leader in cutting-edge health research.

While its current structure only dates back to 1976, the Department of Health and Kinesiology is grounded in campus developments in the early 1900s.

Among its research initiatives, Purdue University’s Imaging, Evaluation, and Treatment (I-EaT) of Swallowing Research Lab studies images of how a person eats.

Emir’s research focuses on obtaining molecular images in the brain at the highest possible resolution as well as understanding iron and myelin content within the brain and how it relates to autism spectrum disorder.

As a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Jason Cannon’s lab at Purdue, Dr. Shreesh Sammi has been looking into the neurotoxicity of forever chemicals known as PFAS.  As described in a recent article, PFAS and are potentially neurotoxic, but the extent of their toxicity to the brain is unknown, especially for the years and decades they may accumulate in the brain.

Work in the PACER Lab concentrates on diagnosing depression and schizophrenia at its early stages as well as how the brain is affected by such mood and neurological disorders.

For many Purdue HHS alumni PAs, the profession’s flexibility to continue learning and help a variety of patients are especially appealing, and HHS opens the door to many interest areas that lead to PA school, including health and kinesiology, nutrition science, health sciences, public health and more.

Linda Nie, professor in the Purdue University School of Health Sciences, has developed multiple ways of measuring metallic levels and the effects of metals in humans and animals.

Bridgette Kelleher, an associate professor of psychological sciences, has been appointed as the new director of the Purdue Autism Research Center (PARC), and Brandon Keehn, an associate professor of speech, language and hearing sciences, is the new associate director of the center.

A new study reveals the stress, psychological trauma and, at times, system failures, that occurred in healthcare facilities during the COVID-19 pandemic as reported by the frontline critical-care nurses. themselves.

As the Tokyo Games entered its final days, Winger was voted by her fellow Team USA athletes to represent her country as the flagbearer during the Olympics’ closing ceremony.

Purdue Nursing alumna Shannon McPeek (BS ’16) is the founder of Operation Happy Nurse, an online non-profit organization dedicated to helping nurses improve their mental health.

Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumna Samantha Busch and her husband, NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, are familiar with the struggles of infertility.

According to The Washington Post, deaths from drug overdoses climbed almost 30% nationwide in 2020 compared to 2019. Deaths from opioids — primarily from illegal fentanyl — increased by 37% in the same time period.

The road to medical school is paved with hard work and a passion for helping people, but biology and standard science tracks are not the only way to get there.

Allsopp, a clinical assistant professor in Purdue University’s Department of Nutrition Science, has been named the first diversity and inclusion fellowship recipient by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation. She began the two-year fellowship in June.

While many retail stores have several iterations of the same gown, creative director Natalie Harris’ bridal gowns are unlike standard dresses on the market.

HHS will once again be represented at the Olympics. For the events in Tokyo this summer, two HHS alumnae and one current student will compete for the gold, and they will be backed by thousands of Boilermakers rooting for them around the world.

From the hearty handshake to reading body language and unmasked facial expressions, soft skills enhance sales and management jobs.

Aerosol Research Lab of Jae Hong Park, assistant professor in the Purdue University School of Health Sciences, has created patented technology that can collect and analyze bioaerosols rapidly and conveniently in the field environment. Bioaerosols are airborne biological particles that include fungal spores, bacteria and coronaviruses causing COVID-19.

For Kendall Landorf (NUR ’21), the 12 hours she spent working as a Purdue University School of Nursing student in two Purdue-affiliated rural health clinics where among her most memorable.

As a first-year student in HHS, Chelsea Hayes never imagined that she’d become the CEO of a company. All she knew was she wanted to help people.

A new cookbook by a Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumna aims to eradicate heart disease using tasty ingredients straight from the garden.

Routine and structure are often essential in the lives of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, those key elements were upended in most parts of their lives.

Researchers in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) are examining human health responses to dangerous chemical and metal exposures in Indiana.

Years before the coronavirus upended the nation, about 1 in 10 older Americans were victims of physical, emotional, sexual and financial abuses and/or neglect. According to an April 2020 survey, elder abuse in the United States rose sharply early in the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) Teaching Awards Committee has selected two proposals for 2021 Wayne and Helen Townsend Writing Excellence Fund grants.

Instructors Rachel Clark, Dinah Dalder and Donna Zoss want students in Purdue University’s Dietetics Learning Community to know a career in dietetics goes beyond encouraging hospital patients to eat their vegetables.

New research from Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences revealed that young adults’ sex, medications and physical activity affect their falling patterns.

The addiction studies concentration was developed in partnership between Purdue University’s Department of Human Development and Family Studies and Ivy Tech Community College’s human services programs to create a pathway for students who major in human services to become licensed addiction counselors after receiving a four-year degree — fulfilling a pressing need during the current opioid crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced sweeping changes on numerous industries, healthcare not the least among them. This has changed the job outlook, creating a larger demand for skilled healthcare administrators.

Jack Calhoun, senior advisor at McKinsey & Co., will receive an honorary doctorate during this year’s spring commencement ceremony May 15 at Ross-Ade Stadium.

Sleep health is key for optimal development in children but especially for children diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

Researchers in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences rely on human subjects for learning more about genetic and developmental disorders like autism, Angelman syndrome and others.

Many people think of the pushy door-to-door salesperson stereotype when they hear the word “sales,” but for Benjamin George, a Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumnus, a career in sales means helping people.

As COVID-19 vaccination rates rise and case numbers fall, many Hoosiers are experiencing high levels of optimism — one full year after Indiana’s initial shutdown. However, that optimism must come with caution, according to Purdue University associate professor of nursing Libby Richards.

If you want to expend energy efficiently, it’s best to tailor your efforts to the final goal. If your devices or network connections can’t display or relay high-resolution images, there’s no point in streaming high-definition movies.

A few months after the passing of his wife of more than 50 years, Roger Johnson started cleaning things out in their home. As he was going through a large, blue plastic tub Vicki had stored in their basement, he found an array of fabric: a mostly completed quilt top, several quilt blocks in various stages, and a stack of fabric that was cut into the components to create a quilt block that Vicki had likely designed.

George Hollich, associate professor in psychological sciences (PSY); Jill Gulker, senior lecturer in psychological sciences; and Erin Sparks Ward, senior lecturer in psychological sciences, are the 2020 winners of the Patsy J. Mellott Teaching Innovation Award. Established by Patsy Mellott (HHS’69), the award supports HHS faculty who demonstrate their excellence and leadership as teachers by proposing significant innovations to enhance the quality of HHS educational programs.

By 2030, Indiana alone will need 75,300 regis­tered nurses. Three siblings, all Boilermakers, are doing their part to answer the call.

When individuals think of nursing history, they typically envision nursing leaders such as Florence Nightingale, Clara Barton and Dorothea Dix. Reverence to these founding mothers of modern nursing is important; however, we must also not forget the contributions of our African American mothers of nursing who greatly influenced the profession.

Margo J. Monteith, professor of psychological sciences, has been appointed as associate dean for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS), effective January 1, 2021.

The Society of Toxicology (SOT) has chosen Wei Zheng, a professor of health sciences in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences, to receive the 2021 SOT Education Award for his significant contributions to education in toxicology and his training of toxicologists for more than 25 years as a researcher and educator.

Purdue’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) students continued to deliver and receive joy during the fall 2020 semester through a letter writing project conceived at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic by instructor Keith Molter.

Jaya Sunil Bhojwani, a PhD counseling psychology student, conducts research on the socio-political and systemic challenges faced by international students studying in the U.S. It’s not just her research agenda, it’s also her lived experience.

Early this year, Andrew Exner, a PhD student in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, was working with the Purdue Motor Speech Lab and the Imaging, Evaluation, and Treatment (I-EaT) of Swallowing Research Laboratory at Purdue.

“I heard about [COVID-19] starting in January of this year. I realized there was a pandemic, but at that time, I wasn’t thinking much about how it would impact our industry or how it would change my research topic,” said Yiran Liu

This annual event, co-sponsored by the HHS Alumni Board, honors HHS distinguished alumni and outstanding seniors for their remarkable achievements.

Join us at Wood Wind Golf Club for appetizers and beverages from Sahm’s Catering. Wood Wind Golf Club is part of Cohoat & O’Neal Management group which is owned and operated by Doc O’Neal and Matt Cohoat (MGMT ’82). Colin O’Neal, a 2007 HHS alumnus, is Wood Wind’s director of operations. Sahm’s Catering is a division of Sahm’s Restaurant Group which was founded by Purdue HHS Hospitality and Tourism Management alumni Ed Sahm (HTM ’84) and his son, Eddie Sahm (HTM ’09).