STEPHENVILLE, Texas — Tarleton State University joins Erath County, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension, the Alzheimer’s Association of North Central Texas and Sodexo during National Public Health Week, April 3-6, for Erath Engaged — a grant-funded project that focuses on a comprehensive exchange of health and wellness information. 

Activities begin Monday, April 3, with a virtual speaker series and culminate with the Erath County Health and Wellness Fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, April 6, in the Barry B. Thompson Student Center ballrooms on the Stephenville campus. More than 20 community and university booths will provide information on everything from nutrition to resources for mental and clinical health.

All NPHW events are open to the public. Many have virtual options.

Dr. Diane Stearns, Tarleton Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, kicks off the virtual speaker series at 11 a.m. Monday followed by keynote presenter Dr. Mike Faires, Associate Professor and Extension Health Specialist. He will cover the interconnection of lifestyle medicine and public health. Next up is Dr. Robert Carpenter, Clinical Associate Professor and Physician at Texas A&M University-Health.

Speakers will be part of the Erath Engaged (@erathengaged) Instagram takeover coordinated by the Texas Social Media Research Institute at Tarleton. To register for the speaker series, go to https://tinyurl.com/TarletonNPHW23. A Zoom link will be emailed.

Tuesday’s session starts with a “Healthy in a Hurry” cooking show by food and nutrition Assistant Professor Paula McKeehan. She and her students will present healthy food recipes and ideas at 11:30 a.m. in Thompson Student Center 27. 

Wednesday features a health mini-conference, plus Sodexo’s Farmers Market will offer fresh fruits and vegetables for purchase from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the Dining Hall Patio. The mini-conference, in Thompson Student Center 130, will feature three sessions on healthy living, nutrition and well-being. Sodexo is Tarleton’s dining partner.

At 10 a.m. “Healthy Living for Your Brain and Body” will be facilitated by Melissa Griffin from the Alzheimer’s Association of North Central Texas. The second session, “Nutrition for Better Health and Performance Among College Students,” will be led by Andrea Brooks, Family and Community Health Agent from Texas A&M AgriLife – Erath County. Morgan Young from Tarleton Student Counseling Services will lead the final session, “Foundations of Well-being.”

A sign-in sheet will be available at each event. Attendees will be entered in a drawing for a chance to win an Erath County Health Pack.

This health-focused week has been celebrated at Tarleton since 2014. 

Erath Engaged is sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services, Tarleton Public Health, Sodexo, the Tarleton Rural Communication Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service, Tarleton Student Counseling Services, the Alzheimer’s Association of North Central Texas, the Department of Communication Studies, School of Health and Service Professions, the Public Health Student Association, and the Department of Medical Lab Sciences, Public Health and Nutrition Sciences.

For more information, contact Dr. Subi Gandhi at [email protected], Dr. Jennifer T. Edwards at [email protected] or Dr. Misty Smith at [email protected]. 

A founding member of The Texas A&M System, Tarleton State University is breaking records — in enrollment, research, scholarship, athletics, philanthropy and engagement — while transforming the lives of approximately 18,000 students in Stephenville, Fort Worth, Waco, Bryan and online. For 125 years, Tarleton State has been committed to accessible higher education opportunities for all while helping students grow academically, socially and professionally through programs that emphasize real world learning and address regional, state and national needs.