The IU School of Public Health-Bloomington is proud to announce the 2016-17 Trustees Teaching Award Recipients. These annual awards were established to honor individuals who have a positive impact on learning through the direct teaching of students, especially undergraduates.

“We are very fortunate to have a number of outstanding faculty in our school teaching the next generation of public health workers,” says Mohammad Torabi, dean of the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington. “The faculty being recognized this year represent a group of educators who are passionate, experts in their field, and dedicated to teaching students in our school.”

This year’s award recipients include:

Jared Allsop

Jared Allsop is a lecturer in the School of Public Health’s Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies, and primarily teaches courses in recreational therapy and inclusion in recreation, parks and tourism. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Recreation Therapy from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from the University of Utah. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. here at Indiana University.

Before coming to IU, Allsop served as the director of a non-profit organization in Salt Lake City, Utah that provided recreational and educational opportunities to children, teens, and adults with physical and cognitive disabilities. He has also served as a recreational therapy substance abuse counselor. Allsop is passionate about the field of recreation therapy and takes great delight in educating future professionals. He currently serves as the Recreation Therapy Internship Coordinator and the Recreation Therapy Student Club faculty representative.

Brandon D. Howell, Ph.D.

Brandon D. Howell, Ed.D., M.B.A., is a lecturer in Tourism, Hospitality, and Event Management in the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Studies, and teaches courses in lodging operations, food and beverage management, and event planning. Dr. Howell graduated from Indiana University in 2004 and returned to his alma mater after 11 years of service with The Walt Disney Company.

Dr. Howell advises undergraduate and graduate students in the Department’s Graduate Recreation Society (GRS) and Professional Tourism Management Club (PTMC).  Dr. Howell is deeply passionate about his field, staying current with industry trends and participating in research focusing on service-learning pedagogy, as well as theme park, lodging, and restaurant operations; in relation to public health.

Dr. Howell is very active in the Bloomington community as well, serving as a board member for The Taste of Bloomington and advisor to the Bloomington Independent Restaurant Association, Indiana University Residential Programs and Services Dining Operations, and Indiana Memorial Union Dining Services unit.  Furthermore, Dr. Howell is a member of the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions; International Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education; the National Restaurant Association; and Resort and Commercial Recreation Association.

Hsien-Chang Lin, Ph.D.

Hsien-Chang Lin, Ph.D. is an assistant professor in the Department of Applied Health Science. He currently teaches advanced evaluation research in public health, public health economics, and public health organization and administration for graduate students, and research methodology in public health for undergraduate students, and mentors a dozen doctoral students. He has a multidisciplinary educational background in economics, sociology, health policy, pharmacoepidemiology, and health outcomes research with master’s degrees from National Taiwan University and the University of Michigan. He also earned his Ph.D. in Health Policy and Pharmacy Administration from the University of Michigan.

Before joining the faculty at the School of Public Health, Dr. Lin was a visiting scholar at the National Taiwan University, and served as a research fellow in the Center for Medication Use, Policy and Economics, and the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences at the University of Michigan. He is currently the Associate Director of the Tobacco, Obesity, and Behavioral Wellness (TobWell) Research Working Group.

Dr. Lin’s current research areas include prescription drug misuse, use of substances including marijuana and e-cigarettes, and policy interventions to reduce substance use and enhance health and well-being. He is a frequently invited speaker on health systems and pharmaceutical use topics.

Margaret Lion

Margaret Lion is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology, and teaches computer courses to both undergraduate and graduate students to prepare them for their future academic and professional careers. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre and Drama, and a master’s degree in Education in Instructional Systems Technology from Indiana University.

In addition to the courses she teaches at the School of Public Health, Lions has taught in the School of Informatics and Computing, Ivy Tech Community College, and IUPUI’s Department of Computer Science.

While Lion is constantly adapting her class to meet students’ needs, she also serves on the Leadership Committee for the Indiana Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (IAHPERD), is the faculty web champion for the Center of Excellence for Women in Technology, and served on the planning and marketing committees of HoosierNet, a non-profit Internet service provider based in Monroe County.

Lion focuses her research efforts on investigating technology instructional methods, video and hobby gaming, physical activity and health.