Center for the Advancement of Community Health and Wellness
The Center for the Advancement of Community Health and Wellness is an interdisciplinary center led by Dr. Kimberly Murphy. Founded in 2022, the center strengthens campus and community well-being through applied student research, internships, community service and other experiential learning opportunities.
The center’s focus aligns with the six dimensions of wellness developed by Dr. Bill Hettler of the University of Wisconsin. These are occupational, physical, social, intellectual, spiritual and emotional. The center's mission connects broadly with the Augustana's curricular and co-curricular programs.
The center's inaugural project was a partnership with Augustana's Upper Mississippi Center for Sustainable Communities and the city of Rock Island to identify and inventory lead water service lines in the city. That project included student research assistants and more than 100 student volunteers who engaged in canvassing events.
Dr. Murphy explained that the water line inventory project was “very much an interdisciplinary project, bringing together students and faculty from all majors — with different skill sets and perspectives — to help tackle a real-life problem close to campus.”
Other projects led by the Center for the Advancement of Community Health and Wellness have included movement classes for older adults, a maternal health survey and contributing resources to and designing programs for a Rock Island community resource center.
Dr. Kimberly Murphy, professor of biology, joined Augustana College in 2011. She has a Ph.D. in genetics and cell biology from Washington State University
