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. 

HHS-7566

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

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Ali Martin

PhD

Doctor of Occupational Therapy

Wladkowski-Stephanie

Stephanie P. Wladkowski

Ph.D., LMSW, APHSW-C

Social Work Program

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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

Hughes

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

Matt Molnar

MSW, LISW-S

Social Work Program

B-Williams

Beth Williams

  • Position: Assistant Clinical Professor/Director of Undergraduate Dietetics
  • Email: wbeth@bgsu.edu
MPH, RDN, LD

Nutrition Sciences Program

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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

Ford-Tasha

Tasha Ford

PhD, LISW-S

Social Work Program

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Christina Olmstead

MFN, RD, LD

Nutrition Sciences Program

Adams-Peggy

Peggy Adams

  • Position: Clinical Professor/MSW Field Coordinator
  • Email: padams@bgsu.edu
Ed.D.

Social Work Program

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Alissa Karpuszka

MSN, RN

School of Nursing

Schaeffer

Sharon Schaeffer

MPH, RN

Public & Allied Health

Cooke-Eric

Eric Cooke

PhD

Criminal Justice Program

elizabeth-martin

Elizabeth Martin

MSN, RN, MFCS

School of Nursing

Brent-Archer

Brent Archer

  • Position: Director of Interactional Aphasiology Lab, Professor
  • Email: barcher@bgsu.edu
Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Communication Sciences & Disorders Department

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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

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Jennifer Wagner

  • Position: Director of Optimal Aging Institute, Associate Clinical Professor
  • Email: jawagne@bgsu.edu
MPH, HSE, LNHA, CEAL

Gerontology Program

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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

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Philip Welch

  • Position: Director of Public & Allied Health Symposium, Associate Professor
  • Email: pjwelch@bgsu.edu
Ph.D.

Public & Allied Health Program

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Samantha Barefoot

  • Position: Director of Curriculum, Assistant Clinical Professor
  • Email: sambare@bgsu.edu
OTD, MOT, OTR/L, BCPR

Doctor of Occupational Therapy Program

Knippen-Kerri

Kerri Knippen

  • Position: Coordinator of Clinic, Associate Professor, Graduate Program Coordinator
  • Email: kknippe@bgsu.edu
PhD, RDN, LD, BC-ADM, FAND

Food & Nutrition Program

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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

Jason Whitfield

Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Communication Sciences & Disorders Department

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Siva priya Santhanam

  • Position: Director of Communication and Neurodiversity Lab, Associate Professor
  • Email: sivaps@bgsu.edu
Ph.D., CCC-SLP

Communication Sciences & Disorders Department

Durham_Allison

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

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Updated: 11/09/2025 09:12PM