LauraLaura Chandler

Assistant Professor
Location: KHS 251
Telephone: (657)278-7995
Fax: (657)278-5317
E-Mail: lchandler@fullerton.edu
View Dr. Chandler's CVPDF File Opens in new window

 

Advising Areas
Health Education and Promotion

Courses Taught:
HESC 101: Personal Health;
HESC 350: Nutrition;
HESC 410 Community Health Education;
HESC 470 Childhood Obesity, Nutrition and Social Context

Biosketch:
Laura Chandler received her B.A. in psychology at California State University, Long Beach and her master’s and doctorate in Public Health at Loma Linda University. Dr. Chandler's early work in the field of health education with a community-based organization included collaborative development, grant writing, creating, implementing and evaluating youth development programs which encompassed nutrition and physical activity-related interventions. In addition, she spent five years as the director of health education and promotion with CSUF's Student Health Center. Here, she served as principal investigator on a number of college health programs emphasizing healthful eating, exercise, reproductive health, alcohol and other drugs and other health behaviors. Further, her research focusing on the role of fitness assessments in motivation for physical activity among college students showed that contrary to their wide use, fitness assessments, in some, may actually lead to a decrease in motivation to exercise. Additional work regarding college students includes her role as co-PI on a USDA grant to promote nutrition education and better prepare diverse students to work in the field of nutrition and obesity prevention. Findings from this project indicate a significant increase in students’ knowledge, self-efficacy and likelihood to pursue these careers compared to a comparison group. Her latest publication focuses on the process of assessing need and the development of a health and wellness smartphone application. Throughout these projects, Dr. Chandler has mentored and developed students' involvement in research and project development and was recognized by the university's community engagement office as Extraordinary Internship Coordinator.