06-14-07

Media Release

The OSU College of Health and Human Sciences: ‘Taking Care of Life’

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Oregon State University’s fourth-largest college was created in 2002 with the merger of the College of Health and Human Performance and the College of Home Economics. Led by Dean Tammy Bray, the college has adopted the theme “Taking Care of Life” as a way to emphasize its approach to addressing life issues throughout the lifespan

The College includes four departments: Design and Human Environment, Public Health, Human Development and Family Sciences, and Nutrition and Exercise Sciences.

The Hallie Ford Center for Healthy Children and Families will be part of a college with a strong and proven commitment to those issues. Related programs and centers within the college include:

• The Bates Family Study Center, a 15,000-square-foot, facility housing programs of research, instruction and outreach that examine the major issues facing children and families. The Bates Center is the first of its kind in the United States and the only academic building among the seven institutions of the Oregon University System to be built entirely with private funding. The Child Development Center at Bates provides preschool and Oregon Head Start Prekindergarten programs. It is a state-of-the-art “living laboratory” for faculty and for students in the college studying and doing internships in early childhood education.
• The Center for Healthy Aging Research, which provides a structure for researchers and students to come together and share ideas. Researchers at the Center plan, coordinate and conduct collaborative, multidisciplinary studies designed to enhance the health and well-being of aging individuals and their families, focusing on prevention research and programs. The Center hosts the LIFE Registry, open to all Oregonians aged 50 and over who are interested in being part of research about aging.
• The Oregon Master of Public Health Program ranks No. 2 among community health programs around the country, according to recent U.S. News and World Report listings. A joint program of Oregon State University, Oregon Health and Science University and Portland State University, the OMPH offers tracks in Environment, Safety and Health; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Health Management and Policy; Health Promotion and Health Behavior; International Health; and Primary Health Care and Health Disparities.
• IMPACT (Individualized Movement and Physical Activity for Children Today) was established in 1982 as part of OSU's Movement Studies in Disability Program, a nationally known program within the Department of Nutrition and Exercise Sciences. The program attracts top graduate students from around the world based on a reputation for research and active outreach programs such as IMPACT. The weekly program engages more than 80 special needs children aged 6 months to 21 years in physical motor development activities. Each child receives the individual attention, support, and encouragement of a trained OSU undergraduate volunteer or graduate student.