UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — “Enhancing Health” will be the topic of the second in a series of public forums focused on implementing the University’s long-range Strategic Plan. The forum will take place from 1-2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 9, in the Morrison Gallery in the library at Penn State Harrisburg. 

Faculty, staff and students from across the University are invited to participate, either in person or via livestream. To watch via livestream, go to the event page online: strategicplan.psu.edu/events/Harrisburg-020917. Community members also can participate by sending questions or comments to strategicplan@psu.edu, and putting “Enhancing Health” in the subject line, or by tweeting, using the hashtag #PSUplan.

“By hosting this forum, Penn State Harrisburg is playing a vital role in facilitating community discussion of our Strategic Plan’s thematic priorities," said Mukund Kulkarni, chancellor of Penn State Harrisburg. "This forum offers a valuable opportunity for broad engagement about the topics of personal and community health.”

The forum will feature panelists who are leaders of committees focused on this topic. It will include an overview of the Srategic Plan implementation process, key ideas and initiatives being considered that relate to enhancing health. Participants will have time to ask questions and provide comments.

Among the ideas to be discussed at this forum are:

• Enhancing the health of everyone in the Penn State community: Launching a University-wide health campaign that addresses tobacco, alcohol and other substance use; smart use of antibiotics; HPV vaccinations; and healthy lifestyles (including physical activity, diet, mindfulness and sleep).
• Enhancing education and student engagement.
• Populations and health equity: Encouraging the diffusion of interdisciplinary knowledge about health disparities through course enhancements, new interdisciplinary courses and programs.
• Building an infrastructure that supports excellence in biomedical and health research: Appointing a team of faculty and staff to look at expanding bridges between all Penn State campuses to promote the University’s biomedical and health research capacity.
• Investing in biomedical and health research excellence by focusing on cancer: Making a series of investments in new faculty and other impactful additions to drive progress in fighting the complex set of diseases that cancer comprises.

“We have several ideas for Penn State-led initiatives and programs that address health-related issues,” said steering committee co-chair Leslie Parent, associate vice president for health sciences research and vice dean for research and graduate studies in the Penn State College of Medicine. “We are excited to share these initial ideas with members of the University community to get their feedback and solicit additional suggestions.”

Fellow steering committee co-chair Josh Smyth, distinguished professor of biobehavioral health and medicine in the College of Health and Human Development and associate director of the Social Science Research Institute, added, “The forum will enable us to engage people in the plan implementation process and widely solicit feedback. These forums give everyone the opportunity to have a voice in the process.”

The Office of the Executive Vice President and Provost and the Office of Planning and Assessment are co-hosting the series of Strategic Planning forums. For more information, visit strategicplan.psu.edu/events.