College of Health and Human Sciences students attend networking conference

Three College of Health and Human Sciences (CHHS) students earned the opportunity to attend the Health in Entrepreneurship Research Forum held in Chicago on Oct. 13-14. Event organizers included Tim Michaelis, assistant professor of entrepreneurship at NIU College of Business, who along with Becca Husar, associate director for Innovation and Partnership Development, provided CHHS with the student tickets.

Karianna Shackelford (public health), De’Janae Thrasher (nursing), and Omobolanle Wunuken (rehabilitation counseling) were selected after entering a CHHS Health in Entrepreneurship Research Video Contest in September. Students were asked to submit a two-to-three-minute video that addressed the physical and mental health stresses and challenges of entrepreneurism and self-employment and how their research training could build evidence on these topics. Along with a $500 scholarship and entry ticket to the forum, student winners received travel, hotel and meal cost reimbursement.

For Shackelford, the daughter of an entrepreneur, it was a topic she had seen firsthand.

“My father has been working at his business since I was a little girl,” said Shackelford, whose father is a chef who started Chef Mac Fine Eating in Rockford. “I know my father’s dreams as if they were mine since I sometimes work alongside him (helping with) his media marketing and aiding in the kitchen.”

Shackelford said attending the forum in Chicago and meeting with entrepreneurs was a great learning experience.

“I rarely ever think of the mental state of an entrepreneur and attending this forum opened my eyes,” Shackelford said. “It’s beyond making a product and selling it; the cost of trying to run a successful business can result in an unhealthy lifestyle.”

CHHS faculty Lynn Herrmann, associate professor of public health, and Thomas Pavkov, chair and professor in the School of Family and Consumer Sciences, attended the conference with the CHHS students.

“The event combined research on health and entrepreneurs with experiences from actual entrepreneurs,” Herrmann said. “”It was great to witness the back and forth discussions about what entrepreneurs need and how research can be more relevant and applicable to entrepreneurs.”

Herrmann said that students who attended were able to take a glimpse inside a specific research area with passionate professionals who have the entrepreneur’s best interests at heart.

“My takeaway message was healthy entrepreneurs are better entrepreneurs, however, there is a bit of a gap that needs to be bridged between research and behaviors of entrepreneurs,” Herrmann said. “It is easy to know (that) one should engage in healthy behaviors, but not always easy to act in the most healthful ways due to the demands on and stress experienced by entrepreneurs.”

Pavkov agreed, adding that opportunities like this are important for today’s students.

“Opportunities like this provide an interesting perspective on the health issues –  especially mental health issues – when engaged in entrepreneurship,” Pavkov said. “It also provides students with the opportunity to engage with some of the research in this area. There was an interesting convergence of family science and business in conference presentations.”

Rachel Gordon, CHHS associate dean for research and administration, said the college is excited about the ways this event supported faculty and students.

“(This opportunity) expanded their knowledge and networks about this important topic of physical and mental health among entrepreneurs,” Gordon said. “It also focused on research that can build evidence and guide changes in systems and resources to support them.”

Learn more about research at CHHS.

Source: NIU Today CHHS News