Health Promotion
Senior M.S. Health Promotion students are in their final trimester and finishing up their practicum experience, where they’ve gone out into the real world to practice their health education and promotion skills. From placements in healthcare institutions and non-profits, to church-based programs and university campuses, their experiences will be invaluable for furthering their careers.
Atiera Abatemarco, M.P.H. instructor in health promotion, is the principal investigator of the Yoga Therapy Workforce Study, a survey study looking at current yoga therapists’ characteristics supported by the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT). The project aims to learn more about the field of yoga therapy to improve education and research and move the profession forward. Adjunct faculty member Sunday Law, M.S., has been appointed Clinical Director of the Santa Fe Birth Center. Sophia Kuziel, M.P.H., an adjunct faculty member since 2013, will be retiring at the end of the summer 2024 trimester.
Herbal Medicine
The M.S. Herbal Product Design and Manufacture program is offering a new course, The Business of Herbal Products, which provides a strategic understanding of how to ensure the business success of both entrepreneurial startups and mature corporations. It includes a review of required functions in the product development process, manufacturing, lab testing, supply chain, and business services. Students create a business and marketing plan as the final course project.
The herbal medicine teaching clinic continues to evolve thanks to ongoing feedback from students and increasing technology options. In fall 2024, the M.S. Clinical Herbal Medicine program will offer its fully online telehealth clinic with live (synchronous) clients, observers, and faculty supervisors. Its dispensary continues to offer custom blends for clients.
Integrative Health Studies
Daryl Nault, M.S., assistant professor in integrative health studies, is the primary author of a recent Cochrane Database Systematic Review on zinc for preventing and treating the common cold. Her work and dedication to evidence-informed practice exemplifies MUIH’s commitment to advancing integrative health research. (Nault, D. et al. (2024). Zinc for prevention and treatment of the common cold. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 5(5), CD014914.)
Nutrition
A new course, Dietary Supplements in Nutrition Practice, will debut in the M.S. Nutrition and Integrative Health program in the fall 2024 trimester. It is the first course in the program focused specifically on supplementation, and it explores the rationale for supplement use along with issues of quality, safety, and efficacy. Supplements covered include pre-and probiotics, herbs and related phytochemicals, and functional and medicinal foods. The course has been developed by a team of faculty with expertise in the supplement industry, herbal medicine, and clinical practice.
James Snow, D.C.N., department chair of nutrition and herbal medicine, was recently appointed to the Accreditation Council for Nutrition Professional Education (ACNPE) Board of Directors. The ACNPE accredits master’s-level clinical programs and supervised practice experience programs in nutrition, with a core mission of quality assurance.
Yoga Therapy and Ayurveda
M.S. Yoga Therapy alumni Pamela Crane, M.S. (2019) and Patience Kaltenbach, M.S. (2019) developed Yoga Therapy for Dancers, to teach middle and high school dancers and their instructors. “We are helping these students to become more resilient and less prone to dance injuries.” In addition, Julia Romano, M.S. (2015) authored the book Yoga Therapy for the Whole Mother in July 2024.
Faculty Highlights: Marilyn Peppers-Citizen, Ph.D., instructor of yoga therapy, co-authored the book Yoga in the Black Community in July 2024. Denyse Peterson, M.S., experiential learning director and an alum of the M.S. Yoga Therapy program (2015), completed her second MUIH master’s degree in Health and Wellness Coaching. Suzie Carmack, Ph.D., department chair of yoga therapy and Ayurveda, was invited to teach a master class for the International Association of Yoga Therapists (IAYT) Global Yoga Therapy Day, and her book Yoga for One will be published in August 2024.