In the Spotlight is an opportunity for the campus community to get to know one another better. The goal is to build Eastern’s community by becoming familiar with the faces of faculty and staff members.
Date: December 2, 2011
Name: Robin Pickering, PhD, CHES
Title: Program Director, Community Health
Department: Physical Education, Health, and Recreation
Number of years at Eastern: This is my 7th year of teaching, though I did my undergraduate and master’s work here at EWU as well. They had a hard time getting rid of me…
Brief personal/professional description: I am currently an Associate Professor and Program Director of Community Health. Prior to teaching at the college level I was a personal trainer, fitness director, and group exercise instructor. I currently am a certified WellCoach and Yoga instructor. My research interests include weight management, stress management, wellness coaching, women’s health issues (specifically pre and postnatal weight management and wellbeing), and behavior change as it relates to wellness. I am a card-carrying vegetarian (kidding, they don’t actually give us cards) and love to run most days at an hour that makes most people wince when I tell them. I believe that I was put on this earth to promote health and to inspire others to do the same.
Favorite book: If I say the Twilight Series will I sound un-professorial? I also actually really like Martin Seligman’s works on Positive Psychology. His work has changed the way that I live my life and the way that I teach.
Favorite movie: Easy, Grease and Grease Two… Aren’t those everyone’s favorite?
Favorite restaurant: I am a vegetarian, so I love any place with traditional and unusual vegetarian dishes and great wine. My favorite local restaurants are probably: Mizuna, Savory, Scratch, and Latah Bistro.
Favorite quote: “Mom, are you awake? I whispered just in case so I wouldn’t wake you.” (Spoken by my daughter to me while I was quietly driving back to Spokane from Moscow one late night). I explained that if I was asleep while driving it would probably be a good idea to wake me up… Years later, this still makes me laugh.
Favorite vacation: I enjoy anywhere that I can experience with my beautiful thirteen-year-old daughter.
Volunteer activities: I am currently a Board Member for the EWU Early Head Start Program. I also am a member of the Birth Outcome Task Force in Spokane. I enjoy partnering with local agencies that promote women’s health and access to healthy foods and physical activity. I also partner with many local schools on various health education promotion projects.
Awards received within the past five years: I was awarded the Professor of the Year Award (2009) by the Washington Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance. I was also awarded a full scholarship to the American Cancer Society and Centers for Disease Control Higher Education Academy 1(2009) & 2 (2010).
If I could do anything today I would: In my next life I plan on coming back as a lounge singer in a red dress singing next to a piano in a bar somewhere. So probably that!
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Ah, Robin, reading this just made my blah day seem so much more cheery!
Love your positive outlook—and your yoga class!
Robin rocks!! What I love most about her is she’d be the first to admit it. :~) She’s super positive, confident and funny — a great role model. When I’m having a bad perspective on something, I turn it around (in Robin style) and find the positive. Not sure why she’s waiting for her “next life” to do the lounge singer thing — I’m good to see it now!