Faculty
Debby Herbenick interviewed for The Guardian
Debby Herbenick, Provost Professor in the Department of Applied Health Science and Director of the IU Center for Sexual Health Promotion, was interviewed for an article from The Guardian titled, “Choking is sold to teens as a safe sexual practice. The research says it never is.”
Herbenick spoke about her research on sexual choking, its risks, and potential approaches to education and prevention. It has been making impacts in health educational campaigns about sexual choking in the UK, Australia, and the United States.
Staff
Susan Simmons elected to a two-year leadership term with the IU Bloomington Career Services Council
Assistant Dean for Career Development and Alumni Relations Susan Simmons will be serving as the Vice President in 2026-27 and President in 2027-28 with the IU Bloomington Career Services Council.
Simmons has been an active member of the Council for the past 21 years representing SPH-B. Having previously served as President from 2013-15, Simmons is excited to once again take on a leadership role and contribute to advancing collaboration and career services excellence across the IU Bloomington campus over the next two years.
Students
Theophilus Gyedu Baidoo featured in American Statistical Association (ASA) News
Theophilus Gyedu Baidoo, a doctoral student in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, was featured in an article from the American Statistical Association (ASA) titled, “What GStat Can Do for Your Career: Members Share Their Stories.”
The Graduate Statistician (GStat) accreditation earned from the ASA provides evidence of statistical knowledge acquired through formal education, work experience, or professional development. Baidoo says, “Earning the credential allowed me to show my commitment to ethical practice, continued learning, and professional growth as I continue developing my career in statistics.” He plans on pursuing the Professional Statistician (PStat) accreditation in the future but for now is focusing on gaining professional experience and practice.
Gabbie Stores receives Advanced Summer Research Scholarship
Gabbie Stores, a junior majoring in exercise science in the Department of Kinesiology, was awarded the Advanced Summer Research Scholarship from IU Undergraduate Research. This competitive scholarship is given to help students spend their summer conducting original research and projects.
Stores received a stipend for her project titled, “Does Breathlessness Affect Cognitive Performance? Investigating the Relationship Between Dyspnea and Attention During Inspiratory Resistance.” Her mentor for this project is Kinesiology Professor Timothy Mickleborough, and she presented her research at the IU Undergraduate Research 2026 Poster Symposium in July.
Two members of Delta Omega Chapter: Gamma Beta to present at the 2026 American Public Health Association (APHA) annual meeting
Members of the Delta Omega Chapter: Gamma Beta Kianmehr Aalipour and Sooyeon Oh will be presenting in the Delta Omega Student Poster Session at the annual American Public Health Association (APHA) meeting in San Antonio, TX on November 2. Only 29 students are selected each year to present, making it very competitive.
Aalipour will be presenting on, “Integrating Single-Cell and Bulk Transcriptomics to Improve Prognostic Stratification and Identify Therapeutic Targets in Lung Adenocarcinoma.”
Oh will be presenting on, “Examining Duration of State-Level Flavored Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS) Sales Restriction Policy on E-Cigarette and Combustible Cigarette Use Among Young Adults.”
In the community
IU Citizen Opioid Responders (COR) initiative enters third consecutive year
The IU COR initiative will be entering its third consecutive year of support through the IU Foundation Affinity Giving Program. COR started in 2024 with the goal of educating communities about how to save lives from opioid overdose through naloxone (Narcan) training. This year, COR will receive $27,902 to continue implementation and expansion and reinforce IU’s commitment to overdose prevention and community health.
For more trailblazing stories about our students, faculty, and staff, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.