Director of Health Education and Research,
School of Public Health and Social Policy (PHSP)
Dr. Michael Hayes offered the first Research Conversation on November 3, 2010. He is the inaugural Director of Health Education and Research at UVic. In making this appointment, the university seeks to raise its profile in the arena of health education and research, and to create a formal mechanism for strategic planning around future investments and opportunities. Michael had been at SFU since 1988 and spent the last 10 years helping to develop its Faculty of Health Sciences.
He described his new role and the university’s goal in his appointment. UVic has a vibrant culture of health education and research but there is no university-level focus for this activity. Research and educational programming occurs in units across campus, including several professional programs including nursing, but only three units (the Schools of Exercise Science, Health and Physical Education; Health Information Science; and Public Health and Social Policy), one Centre (for Aboriginal Health), and one graduate program (Social Dimensions of Health) have the word in their title. No faculty does. This lack of a focal point makes it difficult for the university to tell its story to prospective students, community groups, potential health sector partners and funding organizations, even though there is a great story to tell.
Part of Michael’s mandate is to develop a narrative for health education and research. He believes that the narrative needs to be rooted in the university’s
strategic plan, reflect the university’s values and objectives, and tell the outside world what it is that motivates health education and research activity at UVic. Given the extent of health research in the School of Nursing, he welcomed our involvement in the development of this narrative.
From 2011 Winter Communiqué
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