DIANE SPOKUS, Ph.D., C.H.E.S.
Part-Time Instructor
504J Ford Building
University Park , PA 16802
Phone: 717-994-1798
Email: dms201@psu.edu
Position:
2007 - 2008 Part-Time Instructor in Health Policy and Administration (HPA)
Fall, 2006 - Graduate Research Assistant in Educational Technology.
Fall, 2005 - Graduate Assistant in Health and Human Development, Human Development and Family Studies.
Fall, 2004 - Graduate Research Assistant in the Penn State School of Nursing http://www.hhdev.psu.edu/nurs/ working under Dr. Donna Fick on a research study focused on Delirium Superimposed on Dementia (DSD).
Research Assistant Responsibilities:
My responsibilities in the Penn State School of Nursing were to provide research assistance for a study that focuses on older adults above the age of 65 who are diagnosed with Dementia.
Research Associate Responsibilities:
I had also previously held the position of Research Associate in the Penn State School of Nursing coordinating the development and implementation of Geriatric Nursing Modules for the Penn State School of Nursing website. This project entitled, Enhancing Geriatric Nursing for Advanced Practice Nurses was funded by the Hartford Foundation. http://www.hhdev.psu.edu/nurs/geriatricnursing/staff/
Teaching Responsibilities
Biobehavioral Health (BB H)
In addition to my Research Assistant positions, I serve as an Adjunct Instructor for Continuing Education. I instruct three Biobehavioral Health Classes: BB H 143 Drugs, Behavior and Health (Syllabus); BB H 043 Drugs and Society (Syllabus) & BB H 046 Introduction to Human Sexuality (Syllabus). I also instruct a course entitled, Soc. 035, the Sociology of Aging (Syllabus).
My goal for the course is to facilitate the process of learning. I am committed to seeing myself through my students' eyes whereby every student's voice will be heard. I believe in participatory learning experiences in contrast to passive learning. I also hope to help the students understand ways that they learn best. This process involves an inventory of their Philosophy of Learning styles (Elias & Merriam, 1995).
Many of us learn to kayak, sail a boat, pilot a plane or learn to express ourselves through painting. We all may learn these tasks in different modalities. Many of us learn through traditional classroom experience, from a television, small and large group discussions, travel, computers, & online learning. It is interesting to note that the learning experience today takes as much time as our predecessors spent in the processing of food from a garden.
I will consider my course successful if the student understands the importance of life-long learning and realizes that, despite obstacles along the way, the sky is the limit to whatever they want to do in life as long as they never give up on themselves.
Human Development & Family Studies
I am particularly interested in both the cognitive and physiological aspects of aging, having studied Comparative Gerontology at the Institute of Gerontology in Jongkoping, Sweden. I have a special interest in older adults in the workplace. In essence, I am interested in lifelong learning and how workplace training provides older adults with additional information to make better decisions regarding whether or not to retire.
The “graying of America ” is upon us and age has many variables. The secret is keeping physically and mentally fit. I am interested in the lifespan approach to aging that follows an individual's psychological processes that develop early in life to the end of life. I am particularly interested in the social, mental and physical aspects of older adults who retire in comparison to those who remain in the workplace.
In addition, in the spring, 2005 I instructed a course for the College of Health & Human Development entitled, HDFS 445 Adult Aging and Development (Syllabus) . As baby boomers approach mid-life, the definition of retirement is changing. Many are looking at recareering possibilities, unretirement options and thinking about working long past the normative age of retirement.
Teaching Assistantship: Human Development & Family Studies, Fall and Spring 2005-2006
Graduate Studies
Related to my interests, I am a graduate student in the Ph.D. program in
Workforce Education Training and Development. This program will enable me to pursue workforce issues related to the healthcare shortages and also older adults in the workplace. This program allows me to interact with colleagues and practitioners that will provide additional networking experiences and a multitude of resources to complete my Ph.D. program. I presented a paper at the Work and Learning Conference
(WLC) www.wln.ualberta.ca at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, CA in September, 2003 (Paper Presentation).
I also present a paper (Paper
Presentation) at the 5th International Society of Gerotechnologists in Nagoya, Japan in
May, 2005. In the Spring of 2005 I presented a workshop at the
2005 School Advocates Workshop in Somerset County. The topic was on
Juvenile Diabetes.
Health Educator/Outreach Coordinator
I also have been a Health Educator and an Outreach Coordinator for the Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center (PA AHEC)(http://www.scpa-ahec.org ). In this capacity, within the last two years, I have conducted over 67 Train-the-Trainer community-based Healthy Lifestyles Programs, Using Diabetes as a Model programs throughout Southcentral PA.
This program was conducted with the Penn State University College of Medicine Division of Endocrinology and the Department of Family and Community Medicine, Southcentral Pennsylvania Area Health Education Center, and SHIP (State Health Improvement Plan) Community Partners who cooperatively worked with a grant received from the Pennsylvania Department of Health to implement this public awareness program. Basically, the program was an effort to inform the public about diabetes and how to live well.
This community-based educational training program used Diabetes as a model. Throughout Central Pennsylvania, I targeted individuals in community agencies, such as retirement communities, youth groups, low-income housing, Area Agencies on Aging, Adult Day Care Centers and church groups to help each other live better with diabetes by promoting healthy lifestyles. The program also was a tool to help the participants deal better with diabetes and communicate more effectively with their healthcare providers. The rationale for the program was the growing incidence of diabetes and obesity in the United States, especially Type 2 diabetes among our youth.
I also assisted in the training of 43 community volunteers who acted as facilitators for programs presented in their communities. My involvement in this community- based project reached over 1,000 individuals of all age groups who, because of their race and socio-economic background, placed them at risk for developing diabetes.
In addition, I also developed an expanded powerpoint presentation of the curriculum based on the printed
manual so that additional formats could be used when presenting the program. The
pilot program received positive feedback and will serve as a basis for additional funding for a larger behavioral change program. My goal is to continue to support this concerted effort that makes the residents of
Pennsylvania more involved in their own health care----“If you don't know you cannot act.”
I also am an advocate in Central Pennsylvania communities for healthy behaviors and a healthy environment. As a result, I represent the Southcentral PA AHEC at the
Pennsylvania Advocates for Nutrition and Exercise (PANA)
activities. Related to this, I have been involved as a PANA Community
Champion in activity trainings which are offered at various locations
throughout Central Pennsylvania.
To learn more about me and my
interests, please check the links listed below:
Looking to the Future
I had a number of projects for 2006-2007, including planning the National Commission on Aging Pre-Conference Workshop in Anaheim, CA, entitled "Managing the Talents of Older Workers: Exemplary Practices in Employee Learning and Development." I co-authored a book for 2008 entitled, Working Longer: New Strategies and Approaches for Training, Retaining and Recruiting Older Workers.
Graduate Studies
Continue taking Ph.D. courses in Workforce Education. I have completed all my coursework in Workforce Education, Training and Development and am presently conducting an Employer and Older Worker online survey.
National Certified Health Education Specialist (NCHES)
Certified Health Educator by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing in October, 2005. (http://www.nchec.org/ )
Publications
Completing co-authorship on a book entitled, Working Longer. Prepare publications based on data related to workplace training of healthcare professionals working with older adults; retirement coaching for older adults; workforce data related to managing and retaining older adults in the workplace. Co-author an article on a community-based research study of older adults and diabetes. I also presented a paper on retirement and well-being at the Work and Learning Conference at the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada.