Health and Human Development Newsletter
Goodbye from former HHD Chair Keith Russell
Greetings from Bellingham!
This will be my last note in the newsletter as chair of Health and Human Development. I have accepted the position as dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and will start in that capacity on August 1st. Paqui Paredes will step down and return to her faculty role in Modern and Classical Languages. She has been an amazing leader for the college and I am so grateful for her mentorship and support. We have come so far these past eight years as a department and I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with the HHD faculty and staff through our transitions and growth as a department. I leave the department in the able hands of Gordon Chalmers, who is stepping down after 12 years as coordinator of Kinesiology and Physical Education and will serve as interim chair. A formal search for a permanent chair will occur in the fall of 2023. I want to thank all the alumni, faculty, staff and students for their support and commitment to improving personal and community wellness through human movement, health, and leisure experiences. I want to send a specific note of thanks to the Recreation Management and Leadership faculty, alumni, and students who have served as my life force for the past 15 years. I am going to miss you but I will be back. As always, we appreciate your support of student learning opportunities through your generous gifts. For more information about how you can support any one of the 17 scholarships in the department, please visit our scholarship page or donate here. I hope everyone has a happy and healthy year ahead and please stay in touch.
Keith
Hello from HHD interim Chair Gordon Chalmers
Many changes are occurring in our department as faculty develop in their careers. Dr. Russell has done an amazing job leading the department for the last several years, and is now moving on to higher levels of leadership in the University, becoming the Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. I will serve as the chair of the department for fall 2023, while a longer-term chair share is being selected. I'm excited to have this opportunity to be involved in all of the programs in the department.
Dr. Harsh Buddhadev, of kinesiology, is leaving to a new position in Texas where he and his family can be closer to extended family. Also, Dr. Brilla, of kinesiology, will be retiring at the end of the 2023-24 school year. So we have much transition and exciting opportunities for future growth in our already strong department. We appreciate your support of the department through either financial gifts supporting student learning opportunities, or support of our graduates in various ways.
Dr. Chalmers, Professor and interim chair
Health and Human Development Department