Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences (HP)

The Division emphasizes the behavioral sciences as applied to public health. Although this includes topics that are taught in other schools of public health, such as health education and program evaluation, there are two major distinctions in orientation and approach between the HP Division at SDSU and similar programs at other public health schools. First, the theoretical foundation of the curriculum and the degree program is Applied Behavior Analysis (also known as 'behavior modification'), a sub-discipline within psychology emphasizing behavior-environment rather than cognition-behavior relationships. Second, students matriculating in the HP division receive more research training than might be true in many traditional health education programs.

These two emphases are a response to new directions in behavioral science and public health requiring graduates to understand and interpret research findings and apply appropriate research procedures in the course of managing health promotion programs in the community. Graduates of the HP Division are expected to be "scientist practitioners" and be able to establish high quality and accountable programs of health promotion.

HP Faculty

• Dr. Guadalupe Ayala
• Dr. John Elder
• Dr. Melbourne Hovell
• Dr. Joni Mayer
• Dr. Gregory Talavera
• Dr. Paula Usita

In addition to core faculty listed above, the Division enjoys active participation and involvement by a number of part-time faculty from other Departments at SDSU and the community.