History of the UF Division of Student Affairs | Page 68

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informed choices about personal health and maintain a healthy lifestyle through
the adoption of healthful behavioral practices and promoting the field of health
education and facilitating the development of health education-related skills in
students pursuing careers within the field of health education. Further objectives
included conducting a student health needs survey; monitoring student health
concerns and interests; implementing health promotion programs addressing
evident student health concerns; producing health education information
materials; advertising health education programs; conceptualizing and
implementing additional special projects; evaluating existing and new healthrelated programs; planning, providing, and supervising a semester-long field
experience in health education for health education majors; and promoting
cooperative health education efforts with other health-oriented personnel and
projects both on and off campus.
During fiscal year 1982 - 1983, the department expanded from one full-time
Health Educator, Sharon Knight, to include a part-time graduate assistant,
Charles (Chuck) McDuffie, to meet demands and provide students with more
comprehensive health education information. Knight, who served as the
Director of the Health Education Program through 1987, was a Registered Nurse
with an M.S. in Health Education and a doctoral student in Education studying
Educational Media and Instructional Design. McDuffie was a doctoral student
studying Health Occupations Education. Susan Hambleton, a doctoral student
in Counselor Education, and Kerry Chancey, both joined the program parttime under Knight’s tenure to initiate and supervise a peer education program.
At that time, much of the work of the Student Health Services-based Health
Education Department was focused on sexuality education and women’s health
as well as physical activity stress management and the promotion of healthy
lifestyles. Graduate and undergraduate interns contributed significantly to the
health education programs that were offered.
The Health Education Department doubled in size from one to two full-time
professional staff in 1991. Joanne Auth was hired in January 1987 as a Senior
Health Educator to replace Knight and McDuffie as they both graduated and
left UF, and Jane Emmerée was hired in August 1991. Auth and Emmerée
were responsible for implementing campus-wide health promotion programs,
supervising several peer education groups, and meeting with students
individually on many health topics. Auth formed and coordinated two peer

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