HPER receives award

The Kelley School of Business and the School of Music are the most recognized nationally ranked programs offered at IU. But this fall, it was the HPER's Applied Health Science Department, which received a national honor.\nEta Sigma Gamma, a national health education honorary society, presented the 2002 National Honor Award to the department "in grateful recognition of outstanding accomplishments in health education," according to a press release. The National Honor award is the highest honor presented by the society.\nOne of the oldest departments at IU founded in 1946, the Applied Health Science doctoral program was recently ranked No. 1 nationally, while the masters program has been ranked in the top 12.\nThe AHS department is one of three HPER departments. Mohammad Torabi, AHS department chair, said they focus on the education and prevention of individual and community problems in people's behavior and lifestyle.\n"We're a futuristic department," Torabi said. "As the cost of healthcare constantly rises, we focus on studies to increase personal health. By researching and studying areas such as HIV/AIDS and drug abuse, we work to increase health through education and prevention."\nEta Sigma Gamma ranks people and organizations that have made exceptional contributions to Health Sciences. The Executive Board then chooses one program to receive the award.\nThough this year's National Honor Award is the first of its kind given to the department, many members of the faculty have received both teaching and research-based awards. In addition to these awards, it was the department's leadership in teaching, research and service which caught the eye of the Executive Board.\n"This department deserves national recognition," said Murali Krishna Tangirala, a student in the department. "We have great professors, great alumni and many different programs offered. This is why the department is recognized nationally."\nAlong with praise from outside the Bloomington area, the AHS department receives over 1.5 million dollars in external funding.\n"For some reason, we are better known around the country than we are in Bloomington," Torabi said.\nIn addition to twenty years of service in the IU community, Torabi is editor of "The Health Education Monograph Series," a biannual publication focusing on a wide range of topics in personal and community health. "The Monograph" invites top researchers and teachers from around the country to contribute articles in an effort to spread awareness and recent discoveries on issues facing health and safety in the 21st century.\n"(The AHS) are not competing with other departments around the country," Torabi said. "Instead, we work to compliment them. This award is a great honor to the staff and faculty of our department"