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News in research, student success, and alumni achievement from Oregon State University's College of Public Health and Human Sciences.

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February 2021
Dear <<First name>>,

Like the college, this email covers the gamut of our work in public health and human sciences, from nutrition, physical activity, and living better longer. There's truly something for everyone this month -- even a story on dogs and their relationship with kids.

We've also added a new section including media mentions and awards. Like it? Let us know what you think. And if you're a faculty member, student or alum, send us your news! Here's a handy email to our editor.

Past as prologue

Professor's new book explores what we can learn about 20th century Americans - and ourselves.

Rick Settersten has been fascinated with life's transitions and expectations since childhood, and his 30-year career studying the life course has revealed both the bright and dark sides of the human experience. It also fuels his passion in addressing social inequality.

In a new book, he and co-authors draw on a sentinel study that began in the 1920s to explore the lives of 20th century Americans. He'll be talking about this book, "Living on the edge: An American generation's journey through the twentieth century," in two upcoming events. Learn more during two new upcoming events and look for an article on Rick and his new book in the spring issue of the Oregon Stater.

New funding means more Oregonians can access healthy, local food

The incentive program Double Up Food Bucks Oregon doubles food-insecure consumers’ purchasing power when it comes to locally grown fruits and vegetables. And it just got a big boost from a $1.9 million federal grant.

The grant is especially crucial in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and associated employment crisis, says Stephanie Grutzmacher, a CPHHS researcher who evaluates the impact of Double Up Food Bucks on Oregon consumers. Learn more about this program and grant in Synergies.

Kinesiology alum makes the jump to medical school

Jonathan Sisley, ’18, says he was confident applying to medical schools thanks to the support he received during his undergraduate experience at Oregon State.

“The pre-med curriculum at OSU makes sure all your boxes are checked for every [medical] university,” says Jonathan, who recently finished his first semester at Oregon Health & Science University in Portland. Read more -- and watch a short video -- about Jonathan's journey to medical school in Synergies.

Research with impact

Puppy love

Associate Professor Megan MacDonald is co-author of a new study that found dogs synchronize their behavior with children, but not as much as with adults.

The findings are important because there is a growing body of evidence that dogs can help children in many ways, including with social development, increasing physical activity, managing anxiety or as a source of attachment in the face of changing family structures, the researchers say. Yet, very little research has focused on how dogs perceive and socially engage with children. Read more about this interdisciplinary research in Synergies.

Aging well is affected by hopes and fears

“How we think about who we’re going to be in old age is very predictive of exactly how we will be,” says Shelbie Turner, a CPHHS doctoral student and co-author on a new study that measured self-perceptions of aging.

“Previous research has shown that people who have positive views of aging at 50 live 7.5 years longer, on average, than people who don’t,” says Karen Hooker, co-author of the study and the Jo Anne Leonard Petersen Endowed Chair in Gerontology and Family Studies at OSU. Learn more about what they found in Synergies.

In the news

Lead author Marc Braverman, professor and Extension specialist, found that OSU’s smoke- and tobacco-free policies became more popular over time, even among tobacco users. The study, co-authored by Marion Ceraso, associate professor of practice and Extension specialist, was published in the journal Preventive Medicine and is a unique analysis of support for these policies over a long period of time, as opposed to a single point in time. Read more in Synergies.

Associate Professor Megan MacDonald found that to best help kids with autism maintain healthy rates of physical activity, interventions should be targeted during the ages of 9-13, when kids show the biggest drop in activity. Read more in KTVZ, iHeart Radio or Synergies.

Awards

Kinesiology alum Harrison Stierwalt, PhD, received the 2020 Integrative Physiology of Exercise Oral Presentation Award from the international meeting of the American Physiological Society. Harrison is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Kansas Medical Center.

The Wisconsin Medical Alumni Association (WMAA) has selected CPHHS Dean F. Javier Nieto, MD, PhD, MPH, MS to receive the WMAA Basic Sciences Emeritus Faculty Award for 2021. Dr. Nieto joined the college in 2016. 
 

Coming up

Public Health Insider kicked off February 2 with Associate Professor Kate MacTavish presenting “The silent crisis in rural housing.” The February 16 session is “Making the outdoors accessible for everyone.” Professor Rick Settersten will present “Living on the edge: Rapid social change and uncertainty” on March 2.

All sessions are held via Zoom at 4 p.m. Register on the OSUAA website. Recordings will be available on the college’s YouTube channel approximately two weeks after each event.

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