News | College of Health and Human Sciences

There are many ways to solve any dietary dilemma before and during a holiday gathering, according to Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science faculty members and registered dietitian nutritionists Selena Baker and Patty Wolf.

Since 2019, Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences graduate students have earned six major awards at the renowned Psychonomic Society’s annual meeting. The international organization is the largest for cognitive study in psychology with more than 4,300 scientists as members.

Whether they’re making a difference in radiation treatments for cancer patients or ensuring safe and effective diagnostic equipment, medical physicists are a critical component of the health care field, ensuring patients receive the care they need.

The Purdue University Research Program on STEM Education (PURPOSE) postdoctoral training initiative assembled four postdoc researchers from across the United States for collaboration and mentorship opportunities.

The fight against hearing loss in central Indiana was strengthened with the opening of the Purdue University Accessible Precision Audiology Research Center in Indianapolis.The facility fitted with a sound booth, audiometer, wideband tympanometer and new mobile hearing assessment technology is now open in the 16 Tech innovation district, a home to research-focused start-up companies and facilities.

For the past several years, Rosie Shrout, assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science, has researched people’s suspicions that their romantic partner is being unfaithful.

Marie Allsop, Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science clinical assistant professor, completed her two-year term as the first Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Foundation diversity fellow.
Among Allsopp’s fellowship duties was a research project that would advance her field. Allsopp recently presented the results of her work, which focused on diversity issues in nutrition and dietetics in the workforce and in academia. “Prioritizing Diversity and Inclusion in Nutrition and Dietetics: Overcoming Obstacles to RDN Recruitment, Education and Advancement” fellowship explains the difficulties students of color face and registered dietitian nutritionists of color encounter to gain jobs and promotions.

Lee Ann De Reus’ career mantra of “If not me, then who?” led her to the top of several nonprofit agencies dedicated to women’s rights, gender justice and racial equity. Some of her most recent positions worked to eliminate domestic, sexual and gender-based violence both domestically and internationally.

As data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports declining combustible cigarette use, vaping and e-cigarette sales have continued to soar, increasing by more than 46% from January 2020 to December 2022, according to the Truth Initiative. While combustible cigarettes have a proven risk of cancers and other diseases, less is known about the health effects of vaping and e-cigarette use.

Postdoctoral researcher Salvador R. Vazquez and assistant professor Sarah Eason, both in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science, examined how many cereal boxes in the aisles of major grocery chains contained math activities. They then coded what kind of math was being printed on the boxes.

Kevin So, the College of Health and Human Sciences’ Purdue Moveable Dream Hire, brings a bevy of research awards and thousands of research article citations and downloads.

When clutter comes to mind, people often think of the extreme cases featured on the TV show “Hoarders,” but in reality, many people struggle with managing clutter — either a little or a lot of it — that accumulates in different ways. It could be in the form of sentimental items that individuals just can’t bring themselves to part with, an accumulation of children’s toys from years of birthdays and holidays, or papers that begin to pile up on tables and desks.

Dyslexia affects 15-20% of people, according to the International Dyslexia Association, but from slow or inaccurate reading to poor spelling to trouble with comprehension, the severity of dyslexia symptoms varies from person to person. However, through both research and clinical practice, faculty in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) are working to improve outcomes for individuals with dyslexia.

Craig Voll — Purdue University Department of Health and Kinesiology clinical assistant professor, Sports Medicine Concentration coordinator and former athletic trainer for the Cleveland Browns/Baltimore Ravens NFL organization — said there is ongoing debate in the medical community about the connection between concussions and neurocognitive disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

The relationship between human hearing loss and balance is an important health correlation. Postural sway is a natural phenomenon that helps humans retain balance when upright. The slight, small movements around our centers of gravity help us from toppling when standing for periods of time.

Through extraordinary contributions that are advancing local and global health, American Academy of Nursing (AAN) Fellows are some of the most accomplished leaders in the nursing field.

Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences faculty members Libby Richards and Vicki Simpson are the latest to join the elite group of School of Nursing faculty members to be inducted into the rigorous and competitive society. The two will be honored at the AAN’s 2024 Health Policy Conference Induction Ceremony and Soiree on Nov. 2 in Washington, D.C.

From changes in legislation to political debates, abortion and reproductive rights have been a central issue explored in the media in recent years. The issue is often discussed in two camps: those who support abortion rights, who are often labeled as “pro-choice” in many political contexts, and those who are against abortion, who are often labeled as “pro-life.”

Faculty and alumni of the Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) share what makes hotels stand out from the rest.

No matter how connected or distant they may be, siblings have a strong influence on a person’s life, from social development to identity formation. Kimberly Updegraff, professor in Purdue University’s Department of Human Development and Family Science, recognized the important role her own siblings played in her life, and beginning in graduate school, she took her first steps in trying to understand more about sibling relationships and how they can shape an individual.

Purdue Pete went in front of the cameras for exercise and mindfulness videos aimed at 10- to 12-year-old schoolers. Soon to be distributed to different schools in the state of Indiana for research purposes, the videos were produced by Purdue University’s Alvin Kao, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology, and PhD  student Riley Schellingerhout.

ExpiWell has been used by more than 5,000 participants worldwide and has seven employees worldwide.

Breastfeeding is an influential factor on public health, providing dynamic nutrition and immune protection for infants and physiologic benefits for mothers. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their lives, with breastfeeding continuing alongside complementary foods until 2 years of age or as long as the parent and child desire.

As summer ends and a renewed energy arrives on campus with the start of a new academic year, a new class of Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) students are familiarizing themselves with campus. With personal experience plus training focused on preparing incoming HHS students to find their fit at Purdue, students in the HHS Success Mentors program have prepared their best advice for starting the year off right.

From trauma medicine to revolutionized prosthetics and beyond, some of the most cutting-edge innovations in health and medicine have come from projects through the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs. The Health of the Forces initiative, developed by Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) and Military Family Research Institute (MFRI) with support from the Purdue University Office of Research, aims to add to these innovations by providing Purdue faculty with the support needed to initiate their own life-changing discoveries that will serve military members, veterans and their families.

Mark Paulik utilizes his expertise in science, nutrition and biochemistry — as well as the grit three degrees from Purdue University earns you — to battle a formidable foe in Parkinson’s disease.

The following books by College of Health and Human Sciences faculty were recently published.

Over the summer, faculty and students from the Purdue University Department of Health and Kinesiology conducted metabolic testing for 11 Purdue wrestlers in collaboration with the team’s strength and conditioning coach and team dietitian.

With four patents under his belt, Joshua Alexander, associate professor in Purdue University’s Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, is no stranger to entrepreneurship and innovation. When he was approached about becoming the College of Health and Human Sciences’ (HHS) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Fellow, he was eager to give back to the college through the role, which began on July 1.

Pasta without sauce. Unsalted crackers. Plain white rice. What is traditionally known to be the renal diet — a complicated diet with a wide range of restrictions, including limited protein, potassium, phosphorus and sodium — often lacks flavor and color, leaving individuals with chronic kidney disease (CKD) who have been prescribed the diet dissatisfied with their meal options. Some patients go as far as ignoring aspects of the diet altogether.

Airbnb is now a global force in vacation lodging with about 5.6 million active listings in 220 countries. About 150 million people have the app on their phones. That’s a lot of data points to dissect for the researchers in Purdue University’s Center for Hospitality and Retail Industries Business Analytics, which is housed in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management.

From throwing a welcome party for the Argentinian ambassador at the Omni Shoreham hotel in Washington, D.C., to developing an authentic Irish pub at Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center in Nashville, Tennessee, Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) alumnus Brian Findley (HTM ’85) has seen many different aspects of the hospitality industry throughout his long career in hotels.

Recent research published by Sébastien Hélie, professor in the Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences, examined how male and female participants recalled the steps it took to solve a digital version of the Tower of London problem-solving task.

Purdue University’s chapter of Exercise is Medicine on Campus, housed within the Department of Health and Kinesiology, has earned gold-level recognition from the American College of Sports Medicine.

Professor Susan South will launch a new study to see how mood, cognition and social engagement levels and experiences affect 50 Indiana residents in the age range of 60-70, who traditionally are at risk for mild cognitive impairment.

Craig Voll, coordinator for the sports medicine concentration in the Purdue Department of Health and Kinesiology’s kinesiology major, will be inducted June 26 in New Orleans.

A call comes in the middle of the night: A donor has been found for a gravely ill patient in need of a transplant. Garrett White, a Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) alumnus and executive director of aviation programs at the Nationwide Organ Recovery Transport Alliance (NORA), and his team spring into action, setting off a series of well-timed logistics to get the vital organ to its destination.

In a significant step toward promoting men’s health across Indiana, Governor Eric Holcomb signed a proclamation requested by Julian L. Gallegos, clinical associate professor in the Purdue University School of Nursing and principal advisor for the Central Indiana Chapter of the American Association of Men in Nursing, to declare June 2024 as Men’s Health Month in Indiana. The initiative underscores the critical need to address men’s health issues throughout their life span, recognizing the unique challenges men face in maintaining their health and well-being.

In fall 2023, Kelleher was awarded a $2.97 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to improve and advance telehealth methods while gaining knowledge on care for people ages 2-35 who have been diagnosed with rare neurogenetic syndromes such as Angelman, Williams and Prader-Willi.

Nine Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences students were recently recognized by the National and International Scholarship Office in the John Martinson Honors College for receiving highly selective external awards requiring a campus nomination from Purdue.

In a database compiled by Stanford University in partnership with Elsevier, 28 scientists and scholars in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) appear among the top 2% of the most-cited researchers across seven disciplines. Inclusion in the database means the individual met a variety of metrics that place them among the top 2% of researchers based on citations for 2022.

A study led by Alexandra Hughes-Wegner, a May 2024 Master of Public Health graduate, found a striking number of Indiana salon workers — estheticians, massage therapists, nail technicians, barbers and hair stylists — have come into contact with people who were victims of sex trafficking and intimate partner violence during appointments.

As Starship robots deliver food to hungry Boilermakers across Purdue University’s West Lafayette campus, their presence is often welcomed like that of a neighborhood pet — students are often seen helping them when they get stuck or smiling and moving out of their way when they meet them on the sidewalk. When Alei (Aileen) Fan, associate professor in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) and an expert in service innovation and experience design, helped one along its way one day, she was met with a low-tone, male voice saying, “Thank you.” This contradicted the “cute” vision Fan had in her mind of the robots being like her dog at home.

From making connections at Marriott International headquarters to collaborating with one of the largest historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) in the United States at Howard University, a group of 10 top-achieving students in Purdue University’s White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM) went on a three-day trip in April to Washington, D.C., as part of a distinct leadership opportunity across the school’s four majors.

Typical human aging brings about subtle changes in the body that can impair daily activities and quality of life. For many people, aging brings about tremors and the slowing of hand movement.

From cereals and chips to canned soups and frozen chicken nuggets, scientists around the world are looking at a new classification for foods that go through multiple processes and manipulations in food manufacturing: ultra-processed.

From health insurance to public health initiatives to nutrition regulations, health policy plays an important role in Americans’ lives every day. Marian Liu, associate professor in the Purdue University School of Nursing, has gotten firsthand experience in shaping policy through the 2023-24 Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program, which she began in fall 2023.

As final grades are submitted and students pack for their summer plans, a new class of Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) students prepares to cross the stage in Elliott Hall of Music on May 10 and leave campus as alumni.

The Purdue University graduate dietetics program within the Department of Nutrition Science purchased new video cameras, microphones, cordless earpieces and other tools to enhance dietitians’-in-training early experience in working one-on-one with clients who are wanting to improve their health via dietary changes.

Arielle Borovsky, associate professor in the Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, is the 2024 recipient of the Barbara H. and Ben R. Edmondson HHS Faculty Development Award.

Alzheimer’s disease is one of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Alzheimer’s Association, and the number of millions of people affected by it each year continues to rise. The prevalence of the disease, the lack of treatments and knowledge gap, and an interest in how the brain functions led Priyanka Baloni, assistant professor in the Purdue University School of Health Sciences, on a quest to understand possible treatments for the condition.

Hot flashes are one of the most commonly discussed side effects of menopause, but the decline of ovarian hormones and its effect on the gut microbiome can also increase the risk of a variety of metabolic diseases, including obesity and cardiometabolic syndrome, according to a recent publication by Tzu-Wen Cross, assistant professor in Purdue University’s Department Nutrition Science.

Susan Gordon, associate professor in the White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (HTM), is the recipient of the 2024 Jane S. Link Outstanding Teaching Award.

Satya Ambike is collaborating in multiple ongoing projects on physical ailments that present themselves in most PD patients — tremors, impaired dexterity or hand strength, and less adaptable locomotion or walking.

Brandi Smith, a Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences alumna, has always enjoyed looking at the world from others’ perspectives. From early on, often being the one her friends would go to for advice, Smith knew psychology was the go-to path for her. After exploring a wide range of psychology-related careers during her time at Purdue, she found her path moving in an entrepreneurial direction.

A member of Forbes’ 2022 “30 Under 30” list in science, Malinda McPherson, a new speech, language, and hearing sciences assistant professor, analyzes how people differentiate and remember harmonic sounds. Speech and other musical sounds have harmonic structure, or pitch, as words go up and down in frequency.

Understanding the role head and neck muscles play in eating and talking for children with cerebral palsy is a research effort led by Georgia Malandraki, professor in the Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, and her I-EaT Lab.

Ulrike Dydak, professor of health sciences in the Purdue University School of Health Sciences, is the recipient of the 2024 Christine M. Ladisch Faculty Leadership Award.

The Purdue Center for Rural and Migrant Health debuted in 2023 and is looking to grow in 2024. Already, it received a $2.4 million grant from the Health Resources and Services Administration for the center’s Community Health Workers Training Program at Purdue. The center will hold its first in-person event with a fall symposium on Purdue campus.

Suicide is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This is a statistic that Miriam Delphin-Rittmon, a two-time Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences alumna, is working to change.

More than 38 million Americans, or roughly 11.6% of the U.S. population, have diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the disease has considerable symptoms throughout the body — including tendon issues.

Purdue University men’s basketball center Will Berg, a sophomore majoring in hospitality and tourism management in the College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS), knows the importance of family meals. In a February 2024 feature in the Purdue Exponent, Berg opened up about his love of cooking that started with regular dinners with his father, Martin — a joy that he then shared with other Purdue men’s basketball players.  

Sydney Trask, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, developed a method she calls fear “deflation,” which chips away at the fearful stimulus in a more gradual manner. Trask’s work aims to introduce individuals to weaker versions of the thing that’s causing them fear to make it seem less intimidating.

Cammie McBride, professor in the Purdue University Department of Human Development and Family Science and associate dean for research in the College of Health and Human Sciences, has dedicated her career to taking a global approach toward understanding how children learn to read, exploring literacy across English and Chinese languages, among others.

From developing interventions that improve health outcomes to exploring sustainable tourism practices, researchers in Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) study a wide range of topics that improve lives. These groundbreaking discoveries and life-changing interventions often rely on participants from the Greater Lafayette community and beyond to make the advancements possible.

Purdue University Human Development and Family Science and Psychological Sciences alumna Janine Zweig’s passion for helping sexual assault survivors and those who have had other victimizing experiences has shaped her more than 25-year career.

In 1974, Helen E. Clark, groundbreaking early nutrition science researcher, would become the first woman to be recognized as a distinguished professor at Purdue University. Later, Purdue would award Clark an honorary doctorate in 1994.

Ivan Anthony Henares’ passion for tourism, especially in his home country of the Philippines, started in the 2000s when he was an influential travel blogger. As the years passed, Henares obtained degrees, awards and opportunities to make a career in the travel and tourism industries, including a Fulbright scholarship to study in the Purdue University White Lodging-J.W. Marriott, Jr. School of Hospitality and Tourism Management. Henares earned his PhD from the program in 2021.

While medical school is Health Sciences senior Anthony Bovenschen’s goal after graduation, the four years he spent in assistant professor Jae Park’s lab have been formative and valuable for him as a future medical professional.

Over the course of a year, Becky Neal, a sophomore in the Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences, went from being new to campus to being hired as the spring 2024 student café executive officer (SCEO) for the new Saxbys location, which had its grand opening March 6, in the Neil Armstrong Hall of Engineering.

From studying animal science to elevating cancer research to helping health science investigators, Purdue University Department of Nutrition Science alumna Lynn Adams has always had one goal in mind: to make an impact. As a program director in the Outcomes Research Branch in the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, Adams helps researchers as they secure National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to unlock new cancer knowledge and treatments.

Colorectal cancer is the third most common cancer diagnosis in the United States, excluding skin cancers, according to the American Cancer Society, with more than 150,000 new cases of colon or rectal cancer being estimated for 2024. While the increased number of people receiving screenings has reduced overall colorectal cancer incidence, early onset colorectal cancer cases have continued to climb.

Lundon Burton was only a teenager when he first suffered the effects of atrial fibrillation, a type of arrhythmia characterized by fast and irregular heartbeats located in the upper chambers of the heart.

Plucked from retirement in January 2021 by President Joe Biden’s transition team, Purdue Health Sciences alumnus Jim Frederick led OSHA for 11 months until assistant secretary of labor Doug Parker was hired. Today, he still leads numerous worker safety initiatives that are applied nationally.

Melissa Newell, a clinical assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, said adults with hearing loss may fall more due to poorer spatial awareness and declining inner ear function.

According to HIV.gov, Black individuals accounted for 40% of new HIV diagnoses in the United States in 2021 while only accounting for 14% of the overall population. Carlos Mahaffey, assistant professor in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, said these disparities are further exacerbated when breaking down that segment, noting that Black men who have sex with men experience particularly high rates of HIV occurrence, which has been especially apparent in the South and Midwest regions of the United States.

The unique School of Health Sciences course debuted in the fall, granting students a personal window into the world of dementia as well as an opportunity to work directly with people struggling with its effects. Taught by clinical assistant professor Lisa Hilliard in partnership with life experience manager Rachel Witt at Westminster Village, a retirement community in West Lafayette, HSCI 49000DD (Dissecting Dementia) guided 24 undergraduates on their journey to understand the neurodegenerative effects of such diseases on the brain and their devastating impact on connectedness and personhood.

Humberto Monsivais, a PhD candidate in Purdue University’s School of Health Sciences, has been awarded the highly prestigious extramural F31 Fellowship from the NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences.

From adding a little bit of broccoli to your plate to deciding to skip that slice of cake, people make countless choices every day to try to eat a healthier diet. The national Dietary Guidelines for Americans offers recommendations every five years for how Americans can be their healthiest selves. Purdue faculty and alumni have played an important role in that guidance.

Purdue University has begun work to improve the reading abilities of K-12 students in Indiana by strengthening teacher preparation using science-based methods. The work is funded in part by a $1.5 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. awarded to Purdue in August as part of Lilly Endowment’s Advancing the Science of Reading in Indiana initiative, which launched in 2022.

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid — better known as PFOS — is a dangerous PFAS chemical compound if consumed in large quantities, causing problems for the human body.

When Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences alumna Breeah Carey (SLHS ’18, ’20) flipped a coin to determine her undergraduate direction between a five-year university in Pennsylvania and Purdue, she was faced with disappointment, staring down at a future in Pennsylvania. The twisting in her gut led her to flip again, and when she got the side that represented Purdue, she felt completely at ease, which led to the start of her next giant leap in the Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences (SLHS).

Shye Robinson was a foster child growing up in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Years later, she was elected as student body president while maintaining her studies in brain and behavioral sciences in the Department of Psychological Sciences.

Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences faculty and staff were asked to give their top tips for healthy bodies, minds and bank accounts. These new habits will ensure a good year and beyond.

Health care professional Kendra Lenth was working 12-hour shifts as an emergency room financial services coordinator when she started thinking about going back to school. Though she enjoyed her job, she wanted to move up the ladder and take on more responsibilities. But all the new opportunities she was interested in had a condition she couldn’t yet meet: They required a master’s degree.  

Of the 1,070 Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) students who graduated in May 2022, 97.7% of those students had successful career outcomes, or post-graduation plans in which the student is doing what they wanted or planned to do, according to data from Purdue’s Center for Career Opportunities (CCO). These outcomes include careers, graduate school and military service, among others.

Jaqui Carrell (’12) and Pierre Nesbit (’13) are both products of the Purdue University Department of Health and Kinesiology and are working the big game as athletic trainers — Carrell for Washington and Nesbit for Michigan.

Purdue University online Master of Health Administration (MHA) graduate Lisa Sheeley is excited to grow old. Since her time as an undergraduate in the late 2000s, she’s been thinking about aging — why people are afraid of it and what effect that fear has on our lives. These questions motivated her to start a career in health care nearly 15 years ago and eventually brought her back to Purdue to pursue her master’s degree.

Purdue University’s College of Health and Human Sciences has announced Randolph (Randy) Hubach as the next head of the Department of Public Health (PUBH), effective Jan. 1, 2024.

Thirty-eight faculty members from the College of Health and Human Sciences were honored Nov. 29 for their years of service to Purdue University during the Faculty Service Recognition Luncheon, hosted by the Office of the Provost in the Purdue Memorial Union’s North Ballroom.

Congratulations to Purdue University College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) student-athletes who earned Academic All-Big Ten honors this fall.

An examination of nationally representative data indicates nonpregnant women of reproductive age with iron deficiency have higher prevalence of depressive symptom scores than those with iron sufficiency, particularly among women of low income.

Congratulations to the College of Health and Human Sciences winners of the poster and presentation competitions from the Purdue University Office of Undergraduate Research Fall Expo.

Named the Purdue University Department of Public Health’s Graduate Student of the Year in 2022, Karrah Teruya’s journey from receiving a life-changing cancer diagnosis to becoming a Master of Health Administration (MHA) candidate inspired her professors and graduate cohort alike. Now that she’s finished the program and walked across the graduation stage, Teruya is celebrating her accomplishment.

Rainey Michael always knew she wanted to pursue her Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) degree to make a difference in preventative care for vulnerable populations. With her plans to advance her leadership in patient care and shape health policy, Michael’s decision to attend Purdue University’s DNP program, which ranks among the top 10% in the country, was an easy one.

Cody Mullen, clinical associate professor in the Purdue University Department of Public Health, sees AI’s implementation into hospitals and clinics as a collaborative and useful tool that shouldn’t come at the cost of human jobs.