Dr. Erin Breitenbach is program chair of the health education program at ATSU’s College of Graduate Health Studies. She holds a MA and PhD in health education from The University of Texas at Austin, and a MEd in curriculum and instruction from the University of Houston. Dr. Breitenbach’s research interests include factors influencing doctorate program completion, innovative online teaching strategies, interprofessional education, and scholarly writing development.

Joshua Bernstein joined A.T. Still University College of Graduate Health Studies in 2010. His work involves outcomes-based higher education andragogy, course development, curriculum assessment, and contributions to the literature in health promotion, health education, and wellness. Dr. Bernstein is involved in health sciences research activities, editing and reviewing for professional publications, course authorship and administration, and undergraduate health education internship and mentorship programs.

Research interests include wellness among transitional populations, nutrition in emerging and low-income regions, higher education, and adolescent risk perception.

Dr. Bernstein holds a doctorate degree in health education from Texas Woman’s University. His dissertation investigated the relationship between automobile-related fatalities among novice drivers and state-level graduated drivers licensing programs. He also earned a masters degree in education from Centenary College of Louisiana and a bachelors degree in sports medicine from New Mexico State University. Dr. Bernstein also holds leadership positions within the American Public Health Association and the National Wellness Institute.

Prior experiences include 15 years in sports medicine as a professional athletic trainer and manager of an outpatient orthopedic rehabilitation clinic. Dr. Bernstein lives in Dallas, Tx, enjoys cultural and sporting events, and serves as a varsity official for high school basketball and the Special Olympics.

Dr. Ayars holds a doctoral degree in Community Health Science from the University of Texas School of Public Health at Houston, and completed her postdoctoral research fellowship at the Children’s Nutrition Research Center at Baylor College of Medicine. She also holds a Master of Science degree from the University of Houston–Clear Lake in biology with a physiology concentration and two Bachelor of Science degrees (biology/anthropology) from Southern Methodist University in Dallas. Dr. Ayars is a member of the Society for Epidemiologic Research and the American Evaluation Association.

She has more than 20 years of experience in the field of chronic disease risk factors in children, beginning as a project and field director for three large NIH funded epidemiologic studies (Project HeartBeat!, Project HealthVOICE, and The Heartfelt Study). Most recently, she served as the Director of the Healthy Communities Section of the Kansas Department of Health & Environment where she led evidence-based statewide efforts to reduce the burden of primary chronic disease risk factors in Kansas. She served as the State Health Department Expert Advisor for the Kansas ACHIEVE (Action Communities for Health Innovation and Environmental Change) grants. Prior to joining KDHE, she collaborated with clinicians in the Geisinger Healthcare System of Pennsylvania to develop research initiatives for primary care and school-based pediatric obesity prevention and treatment programs. Dr. Ayars’ work in chronic disease risk factors in children has been published in peer-reviewed publications, such as Preventive Medicine, and presented at national and international conferences, including The Obesity Society and the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology.

Lynda Tierney Konecny earned her doctor of health education degree from ATSU-CGHS. She obtained her master of science in counseling/student personnel services from Emporia State University in Kansas and bachelor of science in behavioral psychology from Northern Michigan University. Dr. Konecny is also a Master Certified Health Education Specialist (MCHES).

Dr. Konecny has been with ATSU since 2005 and began teaching for ATSU-CGHS in 2008. In addition to her experience with online education, she has taught in various public and private, civilian and military residential institutions. Dr. Konecny speaks at many state, national, and international conferences. She is involved in professional organizations serving on various committees, acting as governing councilor, conference session peer-reviewer, and session moderator. She is a published author, and serves as a journal review board member. During her career, she has held a variety of positions in college student services including admissions/recruitment, marketing, student activities/intramural sports, and residential life. Dr. Konecny also spent many years as an officer in the U.S. Army Reserves. In addition, she has extensive experience working in the fitness industry as a certified group fitness instructor, personal trainer, and fitness center manager.

Dr. Konecny’s research interests include the development, implementation and evaluation of innovative teaching methodologies and introducing new technologies to enhance curriculum delivery and student learning; educating and improving overall wellness, or dimensions of wellness, within various and diverse populations; exploring the practical application of health education behavior theories and the educational aspects of health promotion; examining learning theory in relation to online and residential instructional design, assessing the impact and value of student services for the online learner; and psychological research emphasizing behavior modification in public health and health education settings.

Marisa Hastie, EdD, MS, ACSM-EP, PN-1, FACSM is the Dean of the College of Graduate Health Studies at AT Still University. Dr. Hastie received her doctor of education from George Fox University (2013), her master of science in exercise and sport science with an emphasis in biomechanics from the University of Oregon (2003), and her bachelor of science in exercise science from Gonzaga University (2001). She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and is a certified Exercise Physiologist.

Prior to joining ATSU, she was a Professor of Exercise Science and Program Chair for the Exercise Science Program at Lasell University (Newton, MA). Dr. Hastie also served as the Faculty Fellow for the Fuss Center for Research on Intergenerational Education and Aging and received the deWitt Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from Lasell University. Dr. Hastie served as Faculty Chair of the University’s governance system.

Dr. Hastie has served in several leadership roles at the regional and national level of the ACSM, which include her current roles on the Professional Education Committee at the national level and as the President-Elect for the New England chapter. Her research interests have included exploring the connection between lifelong physical activity and long-term health outcomes, the relationship between exercise training and cognition, and the effects of discrimination experiences on health-related coping behaviors.

Dr. Hastie has extensive experience in online program development, teaching, and assessment. She developed an online Master of Science in Nutrition for Human Performance program and has 18 years of experience in both synchronous and asynchronous teaching formats. She became an educator because she strongly believes in the development of the whole student as a crucial responsibility of higher education institutions.

Dr. Erin Breitenbach is program chair of the health education program at ATSU’s College of Graduate Health Studies. She holds a MA and PhD in health education from The University of Texas at Austin, and a MEd in curriculum and instruction from the University of Houston. Dr. Breitenbach’s research interests include factors influencing doctorate program completion, innovative online teaching strategies, interprofessional education, and scholarly writing development.