Jan. 24, 2006 issue
I came to Eastern Michigan in 1995 because
I wanted to get some experience in University administration.
I served as the department head for the former department
of Human, Environmental and Consumer Resources (HECR) for
the past nine years.
I like working at EMU because I enjoy the interaction with students.
I have found that, in general, they teach me as much as I teach them.
My graduate students often find new articles in the scientific literature
that I was unaware of and these articles then lead me into new fields
of research. The undergraduate students come in with a different perspective.
They often want to discuss daily problems related to nutrition and health.
Their questions are often related to real problems that have developed
for themselves or their parents, siblings, children or boyfriends and
girlfriends. Many of them ask for advice on weight-related issues. I try
to keep the classroom climate open so people can feel comfortable when
they share ideas with fellow students.
I also lecture to high school students every semester. I started lecturing
to high school nutrition classes 10 years ago and I still enjoy discussing
issues like "nutrition and cancer" with the juniors and seniors.
Another thing I love about Eastern is my McKenny Union "early morning
cup of coffee." At the union, I meet all kinds of interesting people who
have interests that are different than my own. In the classroom,
I stick to the topic of nutrition as much as possible,
whereas, in the union, other faculty members will stop and talk about
topics that are as broad as "University research" or "accreditation." Sometimes,
I even get to discuss things like "science and religion." In general,
I guess I just like the great people and the good coffee.
The last item that inspires me at EMU is my research. I have always had
a passion for research and am currently trying to secure funding to study
health problems in law enforcement officers and firefighters. Both of
these professions have higher rates of heart disease. I believe this pattern
is tied to shift work, stress and fatty foods. I would like to do some
research that can turn this problem around.
