Healthy Engagement for All People

The School of Health Sciences’ annual Healthology Symposium — where science, practice and social interests meet — enables students, faculty and community partners to make meaningful connections, affecting positive change and impacting the needs of citizens within the campus community and beyond.

The 2026 Symposium, Healthy Engagement for All People, explored many areas of life that impact health with a distinct focus on knowledge translation for health transformation — improving communication, understanding and trust between health care professionals and the community at large.

The day’s festivities – hosted by the School of Health Sciences; supported by all of Oakland University's health, medical and human services programs; and with McLaren Health Care as presenting sponsor – brought together 24 co-chairs and speakers from 15 different organizations to present informative uplifting symposia celebrating many ways of improving health through knowledge translation and engagement.

Session 1: In Every Location

Co-chaired by Sarah Martin (SHS — Nutrition/Dietetics), Dr. Julie Kruse (OU School of Nursing — SON) and Dr. Michael Lutz (Michigan Men's Health Foundation), this session explored strategies for ensuring that every community — rural, urban and suburban — has access to quality health care and service.

Left to right: Michael Lutz, Sarah Martin, Rita Little, Richard Keidan, Judy Didion, Julie Kruse, Teresa Chahine, Kevin Ball

• Dr. Judy Didion (OU SON) identified the effects of social determinants of health in rural and urban communities.
• Dr. Richard Keidan (Detroit2Nepal Foundation) presented about how a community-based approach to medicine improves access in remote villages of Nepal.
• Rita Little (Corewell Health) discussed how technology can improve participation and access to produce prescription programs.
• Teresa Chahine (OU SON) and Dr. Julie Kruse (OU SON) shared a pilot program that connects nursing students with local families to help children learn about healthy eating, mental wellness and health care careers.

Session 2: Connecting to Community

Co-chaired by Dr. Florence Hoffert-Dallo (OU SHS), Dr. Maria Beam (OU Social Work) and Brent Wirth (Easterseals MORC), this session explored how connection and belonging impact mental and physical well-being.

Left to right: Florence Hoffert-Dallo, Brent Wirth, Kathryn Rougeau, Keely Rhiannon, Kristyn Gregory, Kevin Ball Maria Beam

• Dr. Kristyn Gregory (Easterseals MORC) discussed how belonging, visibility and social ties are essential to individual and community health.
• Dr. Florence Hoffert-Dallo shared her experiences about how connection protects mental health, improves physical health and celebrates cultural identity in Michigan's Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) communities.
• Keely Rhiannon (Angela Hospice Grief Care) explained the importance of narrative-informed grief counseling, community-based programming and public education on loss to restore connection.
• Dr. Kathryn Rougeau (OU SHS) explored how movement, teamwork and belonging, through research and practice in the classroom and adaptive sports, builds stronger communities.

Session 3: Through Health Innovation

Co-chaired by Dr. Joshua Haworth (OU SHS), Dr. Ramin Homayouni (Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine — OUWB) and Dr. Timothy Kasprzak (McGraw Catalpa), this session explored how technology can improve access, efficiency and effectiveness in health care.

Left to right: Ramin Homayouni, Timothy Kasprzak, Josh Haworth, Darrin Hanna, Kevin Ball

• Dr. Darrin Hanna (OU Depts. of Bioengineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering) discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming how students learn, educators teach and communities access knowledge.
• Dr. Ramin Homayouni (OUWB) presented how AI is helping direct limited resources to the right individuals at the right time to improve population health.
• Dr. Joshua Haworth (OU SHS) shared how OU's BEAR (Biomechanics, Ergonomics and Abilities Research) lab is capturing functional information to support engagement, expand access and make measurement practical.
• Dr. Timothy Kasprzak (McGraw Catalpa) explained how AI is being used in radiology for health screening programs, including current uses and future potential.

Session 4: Across the Lifespan

Co-chaired by Sean O'Brien (OU SHS — Physician Assistant Science), Dr. Darlene Groomes (OU School of Education and Human Services — SEHS) and Ewa Matuszewski (MedNetOne Health Solutions), this session explored best practices for supporting children and youth development, promoting health across stages of adulthood and championing healthy aging in all populations.

Left to right: Sean O'Brien, AnnMarie Ottoy, Elizabeth Haberkorn, David Strubler, Anita Barksdale, Darlene Groomes, Ewa Matuszewski, Kevin Ball

• AnnMarie Ottoy (Dutton Farm) discussed how Dutton Farm is creating a just world with dignified inclusion in schools, workplaces, government, communities, churches and more.
• Anita Barksdale (Trinity Health Oakland Trauma Services) presented how incorporating life-saving injury prevention strategies for youth in already-established spaces can make safety as foundational of a concern as health and education.
• Dr. Elizabeth Haberkorn (MedNetOne Health Solutions) highlighted substance use disorder in older adults, explaining why it is often overlooked and unique risk factors in older populations.
• Dr. David Strubler (OU SEHS) shared practical strategies for reversing the effects of isolation, diet, sedentary lifestyle, stress and sleep loss associated with aging to thrive into maturity and live a healthy, happy and full life.

Celebration of Scholars

Impactful research was enjoyed at the second annual Celebration of Scholars. This engaging poster session featured numerous projects from students and faculty, with exciting, multidisciplinary topics ranging from physical activity and education, to mental health and social determinants of health, and more.

Health Achievement Leadership Legacy Award

Left to right: Dept. Chair John Krauss, Kristine Thompson, Melodie Kondratek, Dean Kevin Ball

Two physical therapy faculty members, Dr. Melodie Kondratek and Dr. Kristine Thompson, were recognized with the Health Achievement Leadership Legacy (HALL) Award for their long-standing service to Oakland University and the School of Health Sciences, promoting student success, physical therapy program innovation, and academic, professional and community leadership.

The HALL Award honors outstanding health science contributions, advancing leadership, community service, research, practice or teaching.

Thomas L. Simmer, M.D. Faculty Endowment Award

Laurel Stevenson and Dean Kevin Ball

Dr. Laurel Stevenson, associate professor of interdisciplinary health sciences, was presented with the Simmer Faculty Endowment Award, which recognizes and financially supports faculty excellence in community-engaged research. Dr. Stevenson's research uses mixed methods and community-based participatory approaches to enhance health outcomes for individuals, especially in low-resource settings, by improving physical activity and eating behaviors, and increasing individuals' and communities' capacity to strengthen overall health.

The Thomas L. Simmer, M.D. Faculty Endowment Award recognizes Dr. Simmer's commitment to maintaining a fair and equitable environment in support of patients and physicians.

Keynote Address: Dr. Partha Nandi

Dr. Partha Nandi and Dean Kevin Ball

The evening concluded with a truly insightful talk from Dr. Partha Nandi. Dr. Nandi is the creator and host of the Emmy-award winning television show "The Dr. Nandi Show," Chief Health Editor at ABC Detroit, a New York Times best-selling author, a practicing physician and speaker.

In his engaging presentation that sparked discussions around the room, Dr. Nandi shared how fixing the system in which individuals operate — in health care and other industries — can improve physical health, emotional well-being and mental capacity.

About Healthology

Visit the Healthology website to learn more about the history, vision, mission and goals of the impactful symposium.

An event like this truly takes an interdisciplinary team, and the School of Health Sciences expresses their utmost gratitude to everyone who made this event possible:

Event Sponsors

McLaren Health Care, Corewell Health, DirectRx, Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine, Easterseals MORC, McGraw Catalpa, The McGruder Family, MedNetOne Health Solutions, Priority Health, Kevin A. Ball and Margaret J. Afheldt Health Symposium Endowment, M Dunbar Safety Consulting LLC, Glenn Ellis and Strategies for Well-Being LLC, Henry Ford Health

Event Speakers, Co-Chairs, and Campus and Community Partners

In Every Location session
Michael Lutz (Michigan Men's Health Foundation), Julie Kruse (Oakland University School of Nursing — SON), Sarah Martin (OU SHS), Judy Didion (OU SON), Richard Keidan (Detroit2Nepal Foundation), Rita Little (Corewell Health), Teresa Chahine (OU SON)

Connecting to Community session
Brent Wirth (Easterseals MORC), Maria Beam (OU Social Work), Florence Hoffert-Dallo (OU SHS), Kristyn Gregory (Easterseals MORC), Keely Rhiannon (Angela Hospice Grief Care), Kathryn Rougeau (OU SHS)

Through Health Innovation session
Timothy Kasprzak (McGraw Catalpa), Ramin Homayouni (Oakland University William Beaumont School of Medicine — OUWB), Joshua Haworth (OU SHS), Darrin Hanna (OU Bioengineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering)

Across the Lifespan session
Ewa Matuszewski (MedNetOne Health Solutions), Darlene Groomes (OU School of Education and Human Services — SEHS), Sean O'Brien (OU SHS), AnnMarie Ottoy (Dutton Farm), Anita Barksdale (Trinity Health Oakland Trauma Services), Elizabeth Haberkorn (MedNetOne Health Solutions), David Strubler (OU SEHS)

The 2026 Healthology Symposium Planning Committee

Paul Andrews, Kevin Ball, Janice Eaton, Joshua Haworth, Florence Hoffert-Dallo, Sarah Martin, Cheryl McGinnis, Sean O'Brien, Leigh Settlemoir, Chris Wilson, Jillian Wolf

University Support Services

School of Health Sciences and OU Administrators, University Advancement, University Communications and Marketing, Video and Technical Services, The OU Print Shop, The Oakland Center and Staff, Chartwells at OU

And YOU, our community

for without you, the concept of Healthology would not exist.