April 29, 2004

Staff profile: Ken Papineau

Title: Director of health education

What do you do? I plan and develop student health promotion and prevention programs. Our department has undergone a restructuring with an increased emphasis on health and wellness issues. We want to influence the campus environment so that Northwestern students, especially undergraduates, have more information to help them make better choices.

photo by Stephen Anzaldi

How do you do that? Northwestern follows the four-part Environmental Management Model. First is the use of Environmental Strategies such as committees or task forces on various health topics. This is the area in which policies development and needs assessments are made. The second is Educational Strategies. That’s the traditional approach to health education and involves presentations, coordination of first aid and CPR classes and special events. The third is Early Intervention Strategies. For example, students are interviewed to screen for problems, such as alcohol abuse. We also provide referrals to support services like Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). We are available for consultations regarding the fourth approach, Enforcement Strategies, with individuals involved in judicial sanctioning, parental notification, etc.

Road to Northwestern: From 1995-2001, I worked in health education at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti and the HIV/AIDS Resource Center. For about a year during that time, I had a temporary job in health education at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The benefit of working three jobs at once is that I saw a lot of different perspectives. I also got my Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from Eastern Michigan during those years.

What do you like to do outside of work? I spend most of my time with my partner, friends and family and my dog. My new adventure? I’m learning to play Chicago softball. I love to read, especially autobiographies. I like to hear about the author’s experiences and challenges.

— Marilyn Idelman Soglin