Impact in motion HHP's November 2025 newsletter

Because we impact everY day.

Drum major Madison Howlett leads the Marching Pirates during a football game. She majors in public health, pre-health concentration; and biology, molecular and cell biology concentration. Howlett is a Pirate™ who finds harmony in music and medicine.

Bromfield's brief

As we wrap up this beautiful fall season here in eastern North Carolina, I find myself eagerly anticipating the holidays and decorating, preparing for gatherings and soaking in the festive spirit that brings everyone together. Happy holidays! This is an exciting time at ECU, in HHP and in the communities we continue to impact.

Every time I meet with our alumni, I am amazed by their successes and this edition of Impact in Motion highlights some of the important breakthroughs displayed by our alums, from award-winning contributions at local schools to presenting at conferences to participating in meaningful international projects. One of the greatest strengths of HHP is our passionate and productive alumni base of dedicated Pirates™. As you can see, our alums truly are game-changers.

This edition also comes as faculty and staff are preparing for Dec. 19, when we will recognize and celebrate our Class of 2025 December graduates. It is exciting that a new class will officially join the proud HHP alumni network. Congratulations to all of the graduates, including those who will be commissioned as second lieutenants during our ROTC commissioning ceremonies Dec. 20.

Here’s to continuing to make an impact together, while celebrating each other and enjoying the holiday season.

Nicole Bromfield, professor and dean

#TheHHPExperience

Community volunteer seamstress Janice Britt, left, works with student Victoria Dodson during a sewing project.

Sewing for success with community members

Distance education students met in person for hands-on experience and to create their final sewing project under the direction of Dr. Alana Freeman, program coordinator for family and consumer science education. Practicing these career and technical education skills prepares students for professional paths, including as FACS teachers, in fashion design, textile manufacturing and entrepreneurship.

Sewing participants take a group photo together.
Social Work students and faculty during a reentry simulation in the ECU Main Campus Student Center.
The School of Social Work partnered with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction to host a reentry simulation for senior undergraduate students. These students got to experience the real-world challenges faced by individuals returning to society after incarceration. Following the simulation, a panel of social workers shared their experiences working in correctional settings, highlighting their critical roles in supporting justice-involved clients, addressing barriers to reentry and promoting successful reintegration through advocacy and community-based support.
Dr. Ruby Yeh's class collaborated with the Nancy Darden Child Development Center to plan and implement STEAM Week activities. The HDFS students in the birth–kindergarten teacher preparation program facilitated engaging learning experiences with 3- and 4-year-old children in the NDCDC.
The most recent ECU Special Olympics Club meeting included attendance from some athletes with IDD to share excitement about the start of Unified Sports soccer in Spring 2026.
Teaching instructor Tina Marie Devlin used Out of Office hour with HEP to talk to students about the Certified Health Education Specialist exam, distribute booklets and help them through CHES exam study guide prep questions.
In the School of Social Work, the BSW Program each month invites social work students, staff and faculty to a floating hour of self care. They spend their time coloring, doing puzzles, eating baked goods and getting to know each other. Soft music and soft lighting provide a calming atmosphere. The hour sets the tone for students to remember to take care of themselves, even in small doses, when they enter their career as professional social workers.

Experiential learning opportunities aided in publication of "Addressing Isolation and Community Building via a Pickleball Practicum," authored by Drs. Olzhas Taniyev, Andrea Buenaño and Stacy Warner.

Nick Reid, with Team Awareness Combatting Overdose, developed a community collaboration with the Pitt Community EMS training program to provide overdose prevention education. There was a great turnout for this event and a boost to TACO, which has Dr. Lori Ann Eldridge and Paige Irons as faculty mentors as they help students contribute to meaningful and impactful community collaborations.

Our winning moments

The Department of Kinesiology was victorious at the 12th annual ECU Three-Minute Thesis competition, earning the most points to win the 3MT Department Cup. KINE had seven presenters: Darius Lawton, Jarah Newton, Siri Pederson, Kaitlin LoVerme, Darius Ragland, Gillian Tiralla, Ace Blalock. Faculty mentors were Drs. Nick Broskey, Bhibha Das, Zachary Domire and Joe Stock.
The Department of Human Development and Family Science co-sponsored this year’s Collaborative Family Healthcare Association's conference in Raleigh, where CFHA student memberships were provided. MedFT students Brandon Jacobs, Lorreine Wanjau Wangari, Mahsa Shahinbana and Jasmine Radjpaul received scholarships, and MedFT students Jacobs and Rachel Smith received the HHP Professional Development Award to attend. Posters were presented by students and faculty members. The Excellence in Research and Evaluation Poster Award went to: Betul Küçükardalı Cansever for Integrating Protective Experiences in ACEs Screening: An Adult PACEs Plan Intervention in Inpatient Rehabilitation.
Raga Kondapaneni, a recent recipient of the North Carolina chapter, Society for Public Health Education, Inc. undergraduate scholarship, presented at the National Association for the Dually Diagnosed conference in Minneapolis. This session drew more than 100 participants with standing-room only overflow. During the conference, Kondapaneni connected with national disability leaders, federal officials and highly regarded researchers, strengthening her research dissemination and networking skills.

A pilot study for well-being

Dean Bromfield recently checked out the Pitt County Animal Shelter to strengthen community impact. Together with several other faculty members and students, they participated in the PAWS pilot study — an initiative exploring the connections between fitness, service and well-being.

Hull's initiative = Wellness Wednesday

Public health student Paige Hull had an idea and it became reality with Wellness Wednesday events this semester. This included Hull reaching out to Campus Dining and arranging for fruit and lemonade made available to students in the Carol Belk Building.
HHP was part of the 17 Honors College students who traveled to Atlanta during fall break to participate in leadership experiences, meet alumni and give back to the local community. One of their experiences was a guided tour of the Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Did you know #TheHHPExperience includes application opportunities for professional development support from the college? Funding wouldn't be possible without the help of HHP alumni, friends and community members. On Giving Tuesday (12/2), we would be honored if you considered supporting our students and their professional goals.

Game-changers

HHP alum Sonya Ranker, president of Questmont Virtual Family Office, won the 2025 Apogee Award for the small company category at the annual Apogee awards hosted by Tampa Bay Business and Wealth Magazine. This event, which feature several finalists per award category, recognizes the region’s top business leaders whose leadership has elevated their companies and the community. Ranker graduated from ECU in May 2003 in exercise physiology.
Clinical teacher and ECU birth through kindergarten teacher education graduate Callee Bellasai won teacher of the year at Creekside Elementary School in Winterville, which is part of Pitt County Schools.

Alums in action

Ashton White, left, a 2020 public health (community health) graduate, is an Advanced EMT and full-time EMS instructor and EMT program coordinator at Johnston Community College. She recently completed her first two solo professional presentations.

Of the six sessions at 2025 WakeMed Child Life Conference, the speakers for four of the sessions were ECU child life alumni.
Alum Greyson Vann wears an ECU scrub cap during residency in emergency medicine at UVA Health, where he stayed for a fellowship in anesthesia critical care medicine on track to complete in June 2026. Vann is currently part-time faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine at UVA, which led him to Eldoret, Kenya, as residents and faculty from UVA emergency medicine have gone to Kenya for several years to learn about emergency care in Kenya, provide education sessions to emergency staff and attempt to find sustainable solutions to improve care. Vann traveled to Eldoret last year and this year to help supervise the residents during these trips.
ECU gave me the foundation to see the broader public health picture, and now I’m dedicated to helping the next generation of responders do the same." - public health (community health concentration) alumna Ashton White
Dr. Jessica Resor, an ECU MS in human development and family science graduate, was a guest editor to assist research with Dr. Archana (Anu) V. Hegde.

HEP alum, faculty, students at APHA

Dr. Lei Xu, left, and others went to the American Public Health Association annual meeting in Washington, D.C., and connected with Naomi Whitaker, ECU BS in public health alum, who is completing her second year of a doctoral program at the University of Maryland. Xu, Leslie Sanchez and Drs. Leslie Cofie and Alice Richman presented at the APHA annual meeting. Richman and Kelli Russell also mentored 11 MCH-STEP Scholars to participate in the meeting, including partnering with Scholars from George Washington University for quality networking time between students at two universities with a common goal of improving the lives of women, children and families.

Past, current and future at NCFR

Faculty members from the Department of Human Development and Family Science talked to prospective students at the university reception at the 2025 National Council on Family Relations annual conference. Also pictured is Dr. Alan Taylor with two-time ECU HDFS alum Haiden Hice.

Faculty and research impact

Dr. Sarah Maness earned the ECU Award for Achievement in International Service and Engagement during International Education Week. Dr. Ruby Yeh was honored among the Collaborative Online Learning Initiative (COIL) Champions, and Dr. Jeffrey Skibins was one of the International Site Visit Program recipients.
Dr. Kayla Reed Fitzke, left, led along with fellow team members for OneOp to earn several awards at the National Extension Association for Family and Consumer Sciences conference for its 2024 Military Family Readiness Academy. The application was titled “Expanding Professional Readiness Through the Military Family Readiness Academy.”
Birth and Bloom is a healthy pregnancy initiative and community-based research led by Drs. Linda May, Bhibha Das and Avian White. A Birth and Bloom reunion was held Nov. 13.
Dr. Stacy Warner was honored by ECU Libraries for authoring “Building Community Via Sport: A Better Together Society."
December graduation 2024 in Minges Coliseum.

Curious about what's next?

HHP Alumni meet-up in Winston-Salem, Dec. 4

University and HHP Commencement ceremonies, Dec. 19

Army and Air Force ROTC commissioning ceremonies, Dec. 20

ECU Winter Break: Dec. 24, 2025-Jan. 2, 2026

Save the date - 10 years of Pirate Nation Gives, 3-4-26

Save the date - Baseball tailgate, 4-25-26

To submit items for newsletter consideration, email to woodwardr21@ecu.edu.

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ADA Accommodation: 252-737-1018 or ada-coordinator@ecu.edu