The Center of Excellence for Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan
The mission of the Center of Excellence for Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan is to stimulate and promote basic and applied research and education about health and wellness for disease prevention, health promotion, health communication, quality of life improvement and related economic benefits for Ohio and beyond.
The mission of the Center is carried out through programs and activities related to four major goals.
- Goal 1: Foster Collaborations: Serve as an incubator for interdisciplinary health and wellness research and educational programs.
- Goal 2: Create Applications: Develop and operate a “community laboratory” for health and wellness programs, projects and translational research.
- Goal 3: Advance the University: Establish and sustain the University as a model community for health and wellness.
- Goal 4: Become an Ohio and national resource: Become a resource for Ohio and the nation for documentation of the economic, social and quality-of-life benefits of prevention, health promotion, effective health communication and healthy lifestyles.
Explore our Events
Committees & Committee Members
- Beth Williams, Committee Chair
- Matt Molnar
- Stephanie Wladkowski
- Christina Olmstead, Committee Chair
- Elizabeth Martin
- Allison Martin
- Jason Hughes, Committee Chair
- Tasha Ford
- Carolyn Hosenfeld
- Eric Cooke, Committee Chair
- Alissa Karpuszka
- Sharon Schaeffer
- Peggy Adams
- Kate Vallerand
- Sami Kopf-Apple
Advisory Board Members
Ali Martin
- Position: Assistant Clinical Professor
- Email: allimar@bgsu.edu
PhD
Doctor of Occupational Therapy
Stephanie P. Wladkowski
- Position: Professor, Larry & Patty Benz Professor
- Email: swladko@bgsu.edu
Ph.D., LMSW, APHSW-C
Social Work Program
Carolyn Hosenfeld
- Position: MLS Program Director/Assistant Clinical Professor
- Email: carwill@bgsu.edu
D.H.Sc, MPH, MLS(ASCP)cm, SH(ASCP)cm
Medical Laboratory Science Program
Jason Hughes
- Position: Associate Professor/Director of Doctorate of Occupational Therapy
- Email: jkhughe@bgsu.edu
PhD, MS, OTR/L
Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program
Matt Molnar
- Position: Associate Clinical Professor
- Email: mmolnar@bgsu.edu
MSW, LISW-S
Social Work Program
Beth Williams
- Position: Assistant Clinical Professor/Director of Undergraduate Dietetics
- Email: wbeth@bgsu.edu
MPH, RDN, LD
Nutrition Sciences Program
Vivian J. Miller
- Position: Director of Center of Excellence for Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan, Associate Professor
- Email: millevj@bgsu.edu
PhD, LSW
Social Work Program
Ad-hoc Members
Tasha Ford
- Position: Associate Clinical Professor
- Email: tashaf@bgsu.edu
PhD, LISW-S
Social Work Program
Christina Olmstead
- Position: Assistant Clinical Professor
- Email: cgardne@bgsu.edu
MFN, RD, LD
Nutrition Sciences Program
Peggy Adams
- Position: Clinical Professor/MSW Field Coordinator
- Email: padams@bgsu.edu
Ed.D.
Social Work Program
Alissa Karpuszka
- Position: Assistant Teaching Professor
- Email: alissaj@bgsu.edu
MSN, RN
School of Nursing
Sharon Schaeffer
- Position: Associate Clinical Professor
- Email: sharons@bgsu.edu
MPH, RN
Public & Allied Health
Elizabeth Martin
- Position: Associate Professor
- Email: martie@bgsu.edu
MSN, RN, MFCS
School of Nursing
Brent Archer
- Position: Director of Interactional Aphasiology Lab, Professor
- Email: barcher@bgsu.edu
Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Communication Sciences & Disorders Department
Tracy McGinley
- Position: Co-Director of Labor Trafficking Education & Research Initiative, Teaching Professor and Program Director for the Criminal Justice Program - Firelands
- Email: tracygm@bgsu.edu
MA
Criminal Justice Program - Firelands
Jennifer Wagner
- Position: Director of Optimal Aging Institute, Associate Clinical Professor
- Email: jawagne@bgsu.edu
MPH, HSE, LNHA, CEAL
Gerontology Program
Lara B. Wilken
- Position: Co-Director of Labor Trafficking Education & Research Initiative, Assistant Clinical Professor and Coordinator for RN-BSN Program
- Email: lwilken@bgsu.edu
DNP, RN
School of Nursing
Philip Welch
- Position: Director of Public & Allied Health Symposium, Associate Professor
- Email: pjwelch@bgsu.edu
Ph.D.
Public & Allied Health Program
Samantha Barefoot
- Position: Director of Curriculum, Assistant Clinical Professor
- Email: sambare@bgsu.edu
OTD, MOT, OTR/L, BCPR
Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program
Kerri Knippen
- Position: Coordinator of Clinic, Associate Professor, Graduate Program Coordinator
- Email: kknippe@bgsu.edu
PhD, RDN, LD, BC-ADM, FAND
Food & Nutrition Program
Shannon K. Orr
- Position: Director of Falcon Food and Resource Community & Falcon Food Pantry, Professor
- Email: skorr@bgsu.edu
Ph.D.
Political Science Program
Jason Whitfield
- Position: Director of Motor Speech Lab, Professor
- Email: jawhitf@bgsu.edu
Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Communication Sciences & Disorders Department
Siva priya Santhanam
- Position: Director of Communication and Neurodiversity Lab, Associate Professor
- Email: sivaps@bgsu.edu
Ph.D., CCC-SLP
Communication Sciences & Disorders Department
Allison Durham
- Position: Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, Associate Program Director, Assistant Director of Clinical Education, Associate Clinical Professor
- Email: ajdurha@bgsu.edu
Ph.D.
Doctor of Physical Therapy Program
Updated: 11/09/2025 09:12PM