Faculty Bio

Debra Kirchhof-Glazier

Professor of Biology|Director of the Health Professions Program

Office Location: Brumbaugh 201A
Phone Number: 641-3574

Personal Website: http://faculty.juniata.edu/kirchhof/

Professor Kirchhof-Glazier is a professor who reaches out beyond the classroom. A graduate of Lebanon Valley College (B.S., summa cum laude, 1973) and Cornell University (Ph.D., 1979, Outstanding Graduate Student Award), she spearheaded the formation of the Huntingdon County Earth Day Committee in 1990, the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association in 2003, and the Huntingdon Nutrition Action Group in 2005. She has served as a community mediator and consultant on peace studies for area school districts, and is currently the editor of The Natural Connection, a monthly news column of the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association. She is an active member of the Bahá'í Faith and is committed to working with others, both on and off campus, to help promote unity, peace, and justice.

Her activities at the College center around teaching Biology I and Nutrition and directing the Health Professions Program. She serves as advisor-at-large for health professions students, coordinates our program affiliations with health professions schools, and chairs the Health Professions Committee. She has published scientific poetry in Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, wrote sections of the first edition of Campbell's Biology text, published a curriculum for the National Association for Mediation in Education titled 'My Place in the Living World: Peace Studies Through Biology', served as a contributor for Medical Professions Admission Guide, a publication of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions, and has published articles in their journal, The Advisor. Dr. Kirchhof-Glazier has a special interest in incorporating interdisciplinary perspectives and critical thinking into her courses and in devising techniques to enhance student interaction and responsibility for their learning. In this regard, she has published an article titled 'Grading Group Projects Fairly: Students as Authors' in Collaborative Learning: A Sourcebook for Higher Education, Volume II.

Dr. Kirchhof-Glazier is a member of the National and Northeast Association of Advisors for the Health Professions and has served on the Executive Committee of the Northeast Association and as Membership Chair and coordinator of the Local Area Networks for the Northeast. She is also advisor for the Juniata chapter of HOSA (Health Occupations Students of America).

Dr. Kirchhof-Glazier's honors include Juniata's 'Woman of the Year' (1987 and 1996), the Lindbach Award for Distinguished Teaching (1987), and Outstanding Faculty Member of the Year in 2005 She was named as an Outstanding Collegiate HOSA Advisor at the State and National HOSA Conferences in 1992 and from 1997 to 2006.

She is married to Dr. Douglas Glazier and they have two grown children, a daughter Brynda, who is a ceramic artist, and a son Darron, who is severely disabled. Experiences with Darron inspired Dr. Kirchhof-Glazier to pursue integrative medicine. A sabbatical semester in the fall of 2002 at the University of Bridgeport College of Naturopathic Medicine and Acupuncture Institute catalyzed the formation of the Huntingdon Health and Wellness Association. The Nutrition Action Group was formed as an extension of her outreach efforts through the Nutrition course she teaches with Dr. Ruth Reed. The latter group unites college and community activists dedicated to education and direct assistance for Huntingdon residents struggling in the current economic climate. Her personal interests focus on gardening, hiking, knitting with exotic yarns, and brewing and sharing teas from around the world.