The Institute of Health and Human Performance

Dr. Hopper is a Professor of Kinesiology. His primary teaching area is adapted physical activity/education. He has served in a variety of administrative positions at Humboldt since he arrived on campus in 1980. Previously he was the Associate Dean for Teacher Education from 1996-2006. He has also served as Chair of Kinesiology and Recreation and Elementary Education departments. He has written six books and published his research on children’s health and fitness in peer-reviewed journals. He currently serves as a reviewer of grant applications for the National Institutes of Health. He was selected as the Scholar of the Year at Humboldt in 2015-16.

Recent Publications
Hopper, C., Fisher, B., & Munoz, K.D. (2007). Physical Activity and Nutrition for Health. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics.

Current Projects
Adapted Physical Education Grant Program funded by the U.S Department of Education.

Contact Information
Email: cah3@humboldt.edu
Phone: (707) 826 3853

Dr. Ortega is a Professor of Kinesiology. His primary teaching area is biomechanics and motor learning and development. He has served as the director of the Biomechanics lab since 2006 and as director of the North Coast Concussion Program (NCCP) since 2009. Over the past 10 years, Dr. Ortega research has focused on the effects of aging and exercise on the mechanics and energetics of movement; particularly walking. From this research Dr. Ortega has developed balance, mobility and fall risk assessments services for the surrounding North Cost community. At the NCCP Dr. Ortega’s provides concussion education and diagnostic services for over 20 schools of Northern California including k-12 schools and local universities. As part of this program Dr. Ortega integrates his expertise in balance and locomotion biomechanics to investigate the effects of concussions on neurocognitive and motor control function. He also has a research interest in the impact of concussion management practices on incidence and recovery of concussion in youth sports.  

Recent Publications

• Beck ON, Ortega JD, Roby JM, Turney AL, and Kram R. (2015) Older Runner Retain Youthful Running Economy Despite Biomechanical Differences.  Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 
• Ortega JD, Beck ON, Roby JM, Turney AL, and Kram R. (2015) Running for Exercise Mitigates Age-Related Deterioration of Walking Economy. PLoS ONE 9(11): e113471.
• Ortega JD, Lindstedt  SL, Jubrias  S, Kushmerick MJ, Nelson  FE  and Conley  KE. (2015) Making Sense of the Fenn Effect?  Journal of Experimental Biology 218, 2075-2082.
• Ortega, JD and Farley CT. (2015) Aging and the determinants of steady-state energetics cost during uphill walking. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology 25, 193-198.
• Ortega JD, Beck ON, Roby JM, Turney AL, Kram R (2014) Running for Exercise Mitigates Age-Related Deterioration of Walking Economy. PLoS ONE 9(11): e113471. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113471
• Ortega JD. (2013) Counterpoint: Aging does not reduce mechanical efficiency. Journal of Applied Physiology 114(8): 1112-1113.

Current Projects

• Effects of concussion among NCAA athletes funded by NCAA and Department of Defense Grant
• Effect of concussion on walking mechanics among high school and collegiate athletes
• Balance, mobility and fall risk among rural dwelling older adults

Contact Information:
Email: jdo1@humboldt.edu
Phone: (707) 826-4274

The North Coast Concussion Program (NCCP) provides concussion testing services for all student athletes in the Humboldt Del Norte (HDN) High School Athletic League. The HDN league is affiliated with the California Interscholastic Federation. The NCCP uses ImPACT® computerized neurocognitive testing. Concussion services are provided for the following schools: Arcata, Del Norte, Eureka, Fortuna, McKinleyville, Ferndale, Hoopa, St. Bernard’s, and South Fork High Schools. This is the third year of the project.

The NCCP has established exemplary working protocols that now serve as a model for concussion injury management. Each school designates a representative for return-to-play decisions and final communication on concussion-related injuries with parents and coaches as needed (e.g., Athletic Director, Athletic Trainer, or Principal). Each school establishes a school liaison to communicate with NCCP regarding any necessary testing scheduling logistics. Rosters/schedules are provided by school liaisons and each school liaison helps with logistics and scheduling of baseline testing. Athletes participating in all sports are tested prior to starting full-practice for their season. The NCCP recommends awareness education for all schools and all relevant persons including athletes, parents, coaches, teachers, and other applicable personnel. Attendees at these trainings are asked to sign an agreement that they have learned/understand basic concussion management.

For more information, contact NCCP Service Coordinator, Beth Larson  at Tel: (707) 826-4540 / nccp@humboldt.edu.

Or visit the NCCP Homepage at: https://kra.humboldt.edu/nccp

The NCCP is a community resource for concussion education, awareness, assessment, and management care. We provide a variety of baseline and post injury services, and we're also proud to be involved with community outreach and education, as well as on-going concussion research. Students at Humboldt gain hands on experience working with diverse community organizations and individuals, and in cutting edge concussion research. Browse our website to learn more about how the NCCP is making a difference.

NCCP Website

The North Coast Concussion Program (NCCP) has received a $242,000 two-year grant from the NCAA and the U.S. Department of Defense to conduct groundbreaking research into the history and impact of concussions on NCAA athletes. The research is part of a landmark $30 million NCAA-U.S. Department of Defense initiative that funds the most comprehensive study of concussion and head impact exposure ever conducted. The initiative also supports efforts aimed at changing concussion safety behaviors and the culture of concussion reporting and management. The study will enroll an estimated 25,000 male and female NCAA student-athletes around the country over a three-year period. Participants will receive a comprehensive preseason evaluation for concussion and will be monitored in the event of an injury. At Cal Poly Humboldt, researchers will conduct baseline and post injury monitoring—up to six months after injury—of neurocognitive, motor control, and behavioral data in approximately 400 Humboldt athletes from all sports. Cal Poly Humboldt is part of the Longitudinal Clinical Study Core of the study, led by the University of Michigan. Ultimately, the work is designed to more fully inform a comprehensive understanding of sport-related concussion and traumatic brain injury.

For more information, contact Cal Poly Humboldt Kinesiology Professor Justus Ortega at (707) 826-4274 or Justus.Ortega@humboldt.edu

Or visit the NCCP homepage: https://kra.humboldt.edu/nccp

The Redwood Physical Education-Health Project (RPE-HP) is part of a collaborative, statewide network of physical educators, health educators, classroom teachers, and university scholars dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in teaching standards-based physical education and health education. It is focused on increasing teachers' academic content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge in health and physical education that is research-based and content standards driven. The RPE-HP is designed to support all k-12 students in California with the highest quality instructional programs that promote the development of skills, knowledge, and attitudes that lead to physically active lifestyles and positive health behaviors.The most recent RPE-HP professional development program included a summer 2015 week-long institute focusing on how body composition and nutrition influence body image. 

Teachers were introduced to strategies to align this content with the Common Core State Standards to improve student learning across the curriculum. Additional focus will was placed on strength-based leadership to enhance leadership skills at schools and in the community.

For more information, contact Cal Poly Humboldt Kinesiology Professor Rock Braithwaite at (707) 826-4543 or Rock.Braithwaite@humboldt.edu.

Humboldtfit is a program focused on fitness, fun, and friendship for children and youth with disabilities. Humboldtfit provides physical activities in a fun, noncompetitive atmosphere that supports each person in reaching his or her goals. By working alongside skilled Humboldt students, the program is designed to build friendships, increase self-esteem, improve motor skills and levels of physical fitness while ultimately having fun in a nurturing environment. Humboldtfit focuses on the whole family by welcoming siblings into the program and providing opportunities for parents/caregivers to participate in a parallel wellness program held at Humboldt.

The Humboldtfit Program provides trans-disciplinary practicum opportunities for Humboldt students. Each Humboldt Peer Partner will receive training and support to provide hands-on experience focusing on fitness and fun for children who have disabilities. Peer Partners come from a number of majors throughout the Humboldt, including: adapted physical education, recreation administration, kinesiology, elementary education, child development, and psychology. Peer Partners can build upon theories learned in their classes as they expand upon their professional service experiences. Humboldtfit also offers leadership opportunities for graduate students in adapted physical education.

For more information, contact Cal Poly Humboldt Recreation Administration Professor Jayne McGuire at (707) 826-3735 or Jayne.Mcguire@humboldt.edu.

To help support police officers and firefighters in managing the physical demands of their jobs, Dr. Young sub Kwon has created physical training and fitness programs. The Arcata Fire Department, the Humboldt Bay Fire Department, and the Humboldt Police Department are currently participating as Dr. Kwon develops personalized fitness programs for each participant. The program starts with a detailed assessment of a person’s overall fitness, measured by health and skill level.

The program is tailored to develop physical fitness traits that match the demand of the firefighting and police jobs. Firefighters have to be ready to climb across wires, use heavy and unwieldy equipment and run into burning buildings. Police officers have to be ready to run after a suspect after sitting in a car all day. The capacity to respond quickly in intensely stressful situations is taken into consideration in the development of the training programs. Although California’s police officers are not required to meet physical fitness requirements, many police departments are involved in programs to secure their own well-being as they perform physical and dangerous tasks.

For more information, contact Cal Poly Humboldt Kinesiology Professor Young sub Kwon at (707) 826-5944 or Young.Kwon@humboldt.edu.

The Humboldt Better Balance and Fall Prevention Program is aimed at improving balance and mobility among our elders and in turn to reduce the risk of fall. This program provides a series of balance, mobility and fall risk tests for seniors in Humboldt and Del Norte counties. The testing program evaluates balance that is controlled by a complex combination of visual, muscular and neurologic systems. The tests evaluate strength, a critical factor for a rapid response to a balance disturbance. Older adults typically display a slower walking speed with steps that are shorter and vary in length. These are all factors that increase risk related to falls. The ability to live independently is directly related to balance and fall risk. Testing and, if necessary, exercises help seniors learn how to reduce risk of falls, improve balance and walk more safely and confidently are the program components.

To help seniors remain active, strong and healthy, the Humboldt Biomechanics Lab offers Balance and Fall Risk Assessments. Safety is a major concern of the entire Humboldt Biomechanics Lab and staff measure a person’s balance and risk of falling using the following tools: Physical History and Fall Risk Survey, Lower body strength and flexibility, Mobility assessment, Balance assessment and a Clinical Test for Sensory Integration in Balance.

For more information, contact Cal Poly Humboldt Kinesiology Professor Justus Ortega at (707) 826-4274 or Justus.Ortega@humboldt.edu.

In Spring 2016 a new weekend surf camp for children with autism will be held at Moonstone beach. The pilot weekend camp will be the first surfcamp of its kind in North California offering a unique opportunity for youth with autism to learn how to surf in a fun, active, social environment. The goals of the weekend camp are to provide youth with autism with the skills and knowledge necessary to participate in surfing as a lifelong physical activity. A clear emphasis will be the development of social skills through the learning and practice opportunities scheduled throughout the camp activities. The camp will provide an enjoyable positive environment for the surfers to interact with peers and instructors and develop confidence and responsibility around and in the water for the participants. The surf camp will also provide approximately 40 students of kinesiology and recreation with practical experience of interacting with, and instructing, youth with autism.

Watch the news coverage of our 2016 event!

Wellness Leadership Certificate Program

“Where service and health meet”

Cal Poly Humboldt (Humboldt) has developed a comprehensive Wellness Leadership Certificate Program (WLCP) in partnership with the Six Rivers National Forest to support the health and wellness of firefighters. The WLCP is a program of study based on evidence-based practices. Using an interdisciplinary approach, firefighters develop personal and professional skills to provide leadership for health and wellness for themselves and within their organizations. This program supports and complements the existing efforts of physical fitness training programs within the National Forest Service system. The wellness focus and broad health emphasis is in recognition of following key factors for Forest Service personnel to:

• Attain high-quality, longer lives, free of preventable disease, disability, and injury;
• Create social and physical environments that promote good health for all;
• Promote quality of life, healthy development, and healthy behaviors across the professional life span, and;
• Provide leadership within the organization to support new and existing efforts to promote wellness.

The program defines a roadmap for the real-world implementation and use of an effective worksite wellness program. This program will have immediate economic benefits for communities, by improving the health of firefighters and reducing operating costs due to early retirement, overtime, illness, and injury. 

The following outline provides an overview of the topics and priorities for the program based on the body of literature for facilitating health promotion behaviors with evidence specific to firefighters. 

Mission

Using an interdisciplinary approach, personnel develop personal and professional skills to provide leadership for health and wellness within their organization.  

Goals

Specific goals include but are not limited to:

1. Improve the identification and treatment initiation of mental health management plans for fire fighters
2. Increase consumption of nutritionally balanced meals and snacks in daily life and in the field
3. Increase physical fitness specific to the needs of the tactical athlete 
4. Develop wellness leadership skills
5. Implement injury prevention components within the job demands of a firefighter

A key program component is the implementation of evidence-based practices. The program plans to support significant improvements over the coming decade in the quality of life for all Forest Service employees. Occupational safety and health research has led to many improvements in workplaces and processes that prevent injuries, illnesses, and deaths in workers. However, the individual wellness of each person is often based on lifestyle factors that can have a significant impact on health. The Wellness Leadership Certificate will translate and transfer research findings, technologies, and information into highly effective wellness interventions and education designed to support health promotion and disease prevention. These approaches can be readily integrated into the workplace, resulting in more immediate lifestyle improvements in the lives of participants.

The following outline provides an overview of the courses in the program. Courses include content on health promotion behaviors for each topic with evidence specific to fire fighters where available and are delivered in a mixture of in-person and online formats.

Contacts

Josh Eichamer
Forest Fire Training and Apprentice Coordinator Six Rivers NF and Redwood National Park 
Phone: (707) 601-7080        
Email: jeichamer@fs.fed.us

Carl Hansen
Administrative Lead for Humboldt Dean, College of Extended Education and Global Engagement
Phone: (707) 826 3731
Email: Carl.Hansen@humboldt.edu

Jill Pawlowski
Program Coordinator for Humboldt Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Recreation Administration
Phone: (707) 826 4541
Email: Jill. Pawlowski@humboldt.edu

Chris Hopper
Director, Institute for Health and Human Performance, Cal Poly Humboldt Professor, Department of Kinesiology and Recreation Administration
Phone: (707) 826 3853
Email: cah3@humboldt.edu

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Co-authored by Daniel Aslan (‘15, Kinesiology, ‘16, MS, Kinesiology) and Humboldt Kinesiology Professor Justus Ortega,  Bicycling Exercise Helps Maintain a Youthful Metabolic Cost of Walking in Older Adults, has shed light on the cycling benefits in older adults. Read more here: http://now.humboldt.edu/news/cycling-keeps-you-young/