July 28, 2010
American School Health Association to honor Fetro
CARBONDALE, Ill. -- Joyce V. Fetro, professor of health education at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, will receive the American School Health Association’s highest honor Oct. 13 in Kansas City, Mo., during the organization’s national convention. Its William A. Howe award recognizes outstanding professional contributions and service in furthering health education. Fetro will receive a plaque.
Judy C. Drolet, a former colleague now retired who nominated Fetro for the award, noted that Fetro’s involvement with school health spanned nearly four decades.
“It is an exceptional career focused on all aspects of school health,” Drolet said.
Fetro has served as a middle school teacher, a researcher and a district health programs supervisor in addition to her 13 years at SIUC, where she shepherded through a complex curriculum revision for all the department’s programs.
“Dr. Fetro’s course and curriculum development consistently strengthened our program’s offerings for hundreds of undergraduate and graduate students who successfully continue her model in school, college and university settings nationwide,” Drolet said.
Consultant work has spread her reach from coast to coast as she provided professional development services to some 15 large, urban school districts in 14 states. In addition she has served on experts panels put together by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and has played key leadership roles in not just the American School Health Association but in the American Association for Health Education and Eta Sigma Gamma, the national health education honor society, as well.
Fetro’s research has focused on such topics as teens’ risky health behaviors; drug, alcohol and tobacco education; the effectiveness of teen pregnancy prevention programs; and middle school wellness among others. Over the course of her career, she has received nearly $18 million in grants to support her work.
The association previously presented Fetro with distinguished service and outstanding educator awards. Other honors include designations by the American Association for Health Education as health education scholar and professional of the year. SIUC also named her as its top teacher in 2004.