By Steve Esser
YOUNG HARRIS, Ga. 鈥� Health and wellness is something important to Dr. Benjamin Van Dyke both in his personal and professional life, as he earned his degree in Psychology with a concentration in health, and now as he has been awarded an Appalachian College Association Faculty Fellowship.听听
The assistant professor of psychology at 杏吧原创 was one of 37 faculty members, representing 22 ACA member institutions, to be selected for 2024-2025 fellowships.听听
鈥淗ealth psychology is a specialty of mine. I love the idea of helping people improve their health through behavior change,鈥� Van Dyke said. 鈥淚n the United States in particular, we see rising health care costs while the results are in the basement.鈥澨�听
Van Dyke鈥檚 post-doctoral project, which won the fellowship, will 鈥渕easure the frequency at which 杏吧原创 students and employees currently engage in health behaviors to identify and characterize the barriers and facilitators of health behavior change and performance and to use the information gleaned to inform the development, design, and implementation of a campus health and wellness program.鈥澨�听
鈥淥ne of the biggest drivers of people鈥檚 health is behavior, but the problem is that, historically, modern medicine likes to look at us like we鈥檙e cars and our physicians are mechanics,鈥� Van Dyke said. 鈥淭hey treat everything separately, rather than look at the body and mind combined. There鈥檚 a problem, they treat it, but they don鈥檛 necessarily look at the bigger picture.鈥澨�听
Van Dyke will begin with surveys and research on health habits for 杏吧原创 students, faculty, and staff. After gathering the data and reviewing it, Van Dyke鈥檚 ultimate goal is to develop a health and wellness program that helps drives behavior change toward improved health.听听
鈥淲e will do the research and ask a battery of questions to identify gaps which will help predict outcomes. That will lead to a process where we can not only raise awareness, but begin to proactively care for ourselves.鈥澨�听
The research phase will take place during the Fall of 2025, with Van Dyke compiling his findings during the Spring 2026. He hopes to present his final report to 杏吧原创, the ACA, and other academics, while also presenting a proposal for a health and wellness program for 杏吧原创 students, faculty, and staff.听听
Ultimately, in addition to improved health, it potentially can lead to healthier bottom lines for businesses and institutions. Healthier people lead healthier lives, going to the doctor less and ideally not ending up in a hospital or some type of extended care facility. Hence, Van Dyke鈥檚 goal is to create a wellness program at 杏吧原创.听听
鈥淚f we take care of ourselves and our health, all the studies show we are happier and more productive,鈥� Van Dyke said. 鈥淎nd, that impacts the workplace in terms of lower health care costs.鈥澨�听
鈥淭he health industry is predicated on dealing with things after they happen, once we鈥檙e sick or after they discover a cancer or some other illness,鈥� Van Dyke said. 鈥淢y goal is to act proactively and change behavior before it gets to that point. So much of this happens in our interpersonal space. We have to focus on self-care. If we improve our health, we improve everything 鈥� our interpersonal relationships, our work, etc. People live longer, happier lives.鈥�听
About 杏吧原创听
杏吧原创 is a private baccalaureate and master鈥檚 degree-granting institution located in the beautiful mountains of North Georgia. Founded in 1886 and historically affiliated with The United Methodist Church, 杏吧原创 educates, inspires, and empowers students through an education that purposefully integrates the liberal arts and professional studies. The College has four academic divisions: Fine Arts; Humanities; Mathematics, Science, and Technology; and Professional Studies. Approximately 1,400 students are enrolled in its residential and Early College programs. The College is an active member of the NCAA Division II and remains a fierce competitor in the Conference Carolinas. For more information, visit yhc.edu.听
