News welcomed concerning new home for the College of Education and Health Sciences

Members of the College of Education and Health Sciences (CEHS) are excited over the recent news that they’ll soon have a new home.

Earlier this month, Gov. Charlie Baker announced �����ؿ���Ƶ State University is receiving a $25 million state grant, that along with $14.1 million from BSU itself, will fund renovations to Burnell Hall, creating a new home for the CEHS. Currently all seven of its departments are scattered across campus.

“First and foremost, we are most excited about the cohesion and collaboration with faculty and students that this will create,” said Dr. Tong-Ching “Tom” Wu, CEHS interim dean. “It is pivotal to have everyone working in a common environment and setting.”

Burnell Hall is a 41-year-old building located on the east side of campus. Plans to renovate it date back to 2012, when the university’s master plan documented the need for each college to have its own identity.

“A lot of people have contributed to this work, for many years people have put in the time to make this happen, and as a college we are very honored and humbled to be part of it,” Wu said. 

The plan is to renovate 69,340-square feet of the building and add a 7,130-square foot classroom.

Improved laboratory space and the addition of cutting-edge technology are included in the plans, with the goal of attracting more students. Also planned are community classrooms that will be used to collaborate with outside educators and professionals.

 “We will be able to host future conferences, invite high school students and young teachers to campus to get to know our faculty and all that we offer and how they can pursue their goals,” Wu said.

Companies will be invited to come talk with BSU students about career opportunities.

“This will help us build connections for our students,” Wu said.

All of this is good news as careers in health sciences, particularly in physical and occupational therapy, are predicted to grow 25-30 percent in the coming years.

“There is a large demand (for these types of jobs) because of the (aging) baby boomers, but also COVID put a spotlight on the healthcare profession,” Wu said.

The goal is to also create new academic science programs to keep up with trends in the booming industry.

“We want to cover all aspects of health sciences – physical, mental and social. By covering all three dimensions, students can then choose what they want to pursue. It will bring a tremendous amount of opportunities for the college and our students,” Wu said.

While things will be disrupted on the east campus during construction, Vice President of Operations Karen Jason said the campus community (which has witnessed $400 million in construction over the past decade) is good at adapting.

“We know how to do this,” she said.

The Burnell project will be broken down into three phases that will take place over approximately four years.

Even though Nathan Haire, ’23, a communication science and disorder major, will have graduated when the project is complete, he’s still thrilled to see this happening.

“It is a great investment in the future…Though I won’t be attending BSU when the project is finished, I think this will attract more people to �����ؿ���Ƶ State,” he said.

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First and foremost, we are most excited about the cohesion and collaboration with faculty and students that this will create...It is pivotal to have everyone working in a common environment and setting.

Opportunities at BSU have expanded for students interested in the ever-growing fields of health and health care.

The Department of Movement Arts, Health Promotion and Leisure Studies (MAHPLS) offers several degree programs to prepare students to further their postbaccalaureate-level education in health professions, such as pre-athletic training, pre-physical therapy and pre-occupational therapy. Graduate students also have a wider selection of programs.

The increased offerings are part of the reason the name of the College of Education and Allied Studies has been changed to the College of Education and Health Sciences.

Dr. Tong-Ching “Tom” Wu, associate professor and chairperson of MAHPLS, said that despite the changes, the mission remains the same – providing much-needed options for today’s students and critical services to the region. “The goal is to prepare and educate our students in athletic training, health, human performance, physical education, nutrition, recreation and coaching,” he said.

The changes should also benefit residents of Southeastern Massachusetts, Dr. Wu said. “This is all about educating and improving the quality of life of others.”

Graduates of these health programs might further their education in professional or graduate schools, and pursue careers as public health professionals, nutritionists, epidemiologists, scientists/researchers or first responders, as well as dozens more options.

Changes have also been made to BSU’s popular athletic training program. The master’s degree in the discipline is now the entry-level degree in the field. This is partly due to a decision by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education.

The added health science program disciplines are in step with the growing health field, which is dealing with an aging Baby Boomer population.“I think there will be an increase in demand for health professions,” Dr. Wu said.

Undergraduate Health Programs

• Bachelor of Science in Health Science
  Concentrations: 

  • Pre-Athletic Training
  • Pre-Physical Therapy
  • Pre-Occupational Therapy
• Bachelor of Science in Health Studies
• Bachelor of Science in Public Health
• Minors
  • Health Promotion
  • Health Resources Management
  • Nutrition

Graduate/Postbaccalaureate Health Programs

• Master of Science in Athletic Training
• Master of Education in Health Promotion
• Postbaccalaureate Licensure in Health, Health/Family and Consumer Sciences PreK-12 (Initial Licensure)

Learn more at the Heath Sciences Website

Our students value the importance of health; whether they become physical education teachers, physical activity leaders, athletic trainers, personal coaches or strength and conditioning coaches, they want to improve the health, fitness, performance and quality of life of others.

Meeting the needs of students interested in AT, PT and OT programs

Looking to make a difference in the lives of others? What better way than to help the injured heal.

This idea is at the heart of athletic training, physical therapy and occupational therapy, three in-demand careers served by a new health science major at �����ؿ���Ƶ State University.

The major offers a general program of studies as well as concentrations in each of the fields. The concentrations prepare students to seek a graduate degree necessary for employment as a PT, OT or athletic trainer.

The major meets needs locally and globally, according to Dr. Suanne Maurer-Starks, a professor and director of the .

“We have students who hail from various states and countries and they will be able to take their skills and knowledge to make a difference in their respective communities,” she said.

And, if your passion is athletic training, health science offers a connection to BSU’s graduate athletic training program. To learn more, we talked to several first-year graduate students.

 Serving those who serve

 Athletic trainers are perhaps most known for helping injured athletes. However, Amanda Backstrom, G’21, wants to aid ailing military members.

“This is a good way to help the people that protect us every day,” the Taunton resident said.

Amanda came to BSU for its affordability, yet appreciates the program’s value and the strong foundation it provides.

“Our professors have really been a resource for us,” she said.

From injured to healer

After tearing his ACL in high school, football player Jake Lima, G’21, needed recovery advice.

“I didn’t have that person to help me along and give me tips,” he said. “I viewed this as a way I could help others in a similar position.”

BSU is a convenient school for the Warwick, Rhode Island, resident, who is completing a clinical experience at the University of Rhode Island. He appreciates the diversity of sites available to BSU students such as high schools, Division 1 NCAA athletics programs, and less conventional locations.

“Everyone I’ve met here has been amazing,” Jake said. “You get really close with your classmates. The clinical sites set it apart.”

International flavor

The athletic training program has a strong international presence thanks to students such as Sungwan Kim, G’21, and Minyoung Kwak, G’21, from South Korea.

They praised the program’s organization and opportunities to obtain hands-on, real-world experience. In a recent in-class exercise, for example, Sungwan and Minyoung acted as clinician and patient. The clinician had to diagnose what injury the patient was pretending to have.

“I want to make people healthy who got injured,” Minyoung said. “The athletic trainer is a very important person in health care.”

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