Health for Life

Karen E. McConnell, PhD, a professor at Pacific Lutheran University, is a certified health education specialist (CHES) and has taught at the university level for more than 15 years in areas related to health and fitness education, curriculum and assessment, and exercise science. She has written or contributed to over a dozen book chapters and texts, including the teacher resources for Fitness for Life (fifth and sixth editions). She is a recipient of the Arthur Broten Young Scholar Award and has received the University Professional of the Year Award from the Washington Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance for contributions made to state standards in health and fitness. She enjoys running, having completed 38 half marathons and one marathon. As a resident of the Pacific Northwest, she enjoys participating in most outdoor activities.

Dr. Charles B. (“Chuck”) Corbin, PhD, is professor emeritus in the School of Nutrition and Health Promotion at Arizona State University. He coauthored two health series for use in grades K-8 and is senior author of several award-winning elementary, middle school, high school, and college texts, including Fitness for Life: Elementary School, Fitness for Life: Middle School, the sixth edition of Fitness for Life, all winners of Texty Awards (Text and Academic Authors Association, or TAA), and Concepts of Physical Fitness (17th edition), winner of the McGuffey Award (TAA). His books are the most widely adopted public school and college texts in the area of fitness, health, and wellness. Dr. Corbin is internationally recognized as an expert in physical activity, health, and wellness promotion and youth physical fitness. He has presented keynote addresses at more than 40 state AHPERD conventions, made major addresses in more than 15 countries, and has presented numerous named lectures. Among his many honors are the Alliance Scholar and Gulick Awards (Society of Health and Physical Education Professionals, formerly AAHPERD), Cureton Lecturer (ACSM), Healthy American Fitness Leaders Award (President’s Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition and National Jaycees), NASPE Hall of Fame, and Heterington Award (National Academy of Kinesiology). He served for more than 20 years as a member of the Advisory Board of Fitnessgram and was the first chair of the Science Board of the President’s Council (PCFSN).

David E. Corbin, PhD, taught health education at the high school level for many years before beginning a career in health education at the college level. He is emeritus professor of health education and public health at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, where he taught for over 30 years. He has authored, coauthored, or edited four other health-related books and is a fellow and lifetime member of the American School Health Association. Corbin received the Mohan Singh Award for humor in health education and health communication from the American Public Health Association. He was also named the Nebraska Health Professional of the Year by the Nebraska Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, and he received an Excellence in Teaching Award from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Corbin has also appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and You Bet Your Life with Bill Cosby. In his leisure time, he enjoys cycling, walking, traveling, and singing and playing guitar.

Terri D. Farraar, PhD, is a visiting assistant professor and director of the Bachelor of Arts in Kinesiology Program at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Washington. She has taught health and fitness at the high school level for 20 years, and teaches health and fitness pedagogy at Pacific Lutheran. She is a member of SHAPE America—Society of Health and Physical Educators (formerly AAHPERD) and of the Washington chapter of SHAPE America. She is also a member of the American Association for Health Education, the Association of Applied Sport Psychology, and the Alliance of Women Coaches. She enjoys traveling, working out, and coaching fastpitch softball.