ASU is a comprehensive public research university, measured not by whom it excludes, but by whom it includes and how they succeed; advancing research and discovery of public value; and assuming fundamental responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.
September 2025
Welcome to Healthspan, the College of Health Solutions’ new triannual newsletter, created to better connect and share the latest news with you, our Health Solutions community.
As we retire our previous newsletter, Better Health Solutions, we’ve chosen the name Healthspan to highlight an important aspect of our mission. Unlike lifespan, which measures how long we live, healthspan considers the quality of our years, how long we live in good health, free from significant chronic disease or disability that affects quality of life.
This concept is at the heart of what we do at the College of Health Solutions. As ASU’s engine for prevention and precision health, our mission is not just to extend life, but to optimize health across the lifespan. Through teaching, research, practice and community partnerships, we aim to shape a future where people live not only longer but better. This newsletter will share the latest developments along the way.
Published each September, January and May, Healthspan will give you access to:
• Exclusive college news and research updates before they’re released to the public.
• Inspiring stories from across our community – including students, staff, faculty, alumni, donors and community partners.
I hope you’ll read, enjoy and benefit from the stories and spotlights we share. Thank you for being part of our mission to help everyone live longer and healthier lives.
Michael Yudell Dean and Professor
In 1947, the National School Lunch Program was launched, offering free or reduced cost meals daily to nearly 30 million students nationwide. In 2010, the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act was passed with the objective of increasing consumption of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
In 2015, the Salad Bars in Schools Expansion Act was introduced in Congress to expand salad bars to more schools participating in the National School Lunch Program over five years. While the bill didn’t pass, it said that salad bars were effective at increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among elementary, middle and high school students. However, the research behind that conclusion did not show effectiveness in an experimental study.
That same year, School of Technology for Public Health Assistant Dean and College of Health Solutions Professor Marc Adams, alongside former Health Solutions Associate Professor Meg Bruening, received $2 million in grant funding from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute within the National Institutes of Health to test whether salad bars were an effective strategy for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption.
Now, 10 years later, his data reveals an over 100% increase in elementary school fruit and vegetable consumption when salad bars are coupled with marketing strategies such as posters, table tents and announcements. This research, which ran from 2017 to 2023 in elementary, middle and high schools across Arizona, furthers another study the two published in 2016, which revealed an increase in student consumption of fruits and vegetables when salad bars were placed inside the lunch line, rather than outside.
In the United States, most children fail to meet fruit and vegetable consumption recommendations, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A balanced diet is critical to young children’s health, as well as their success in the classroom.
“[A balanced diet] helps with their growth, their academics. It helps establish healthy behaviors early in life, and we know that that leads to healthy behaviors in adulthood,” said Adams.
Among the faculty members involved in the study is College of Health Solutions Director and Professor Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, whose research led to the Arizona Legislature providing free school meals for lowincome students in public and charter schools.
“Increasing fruit and vegetable consumption among school-age children is critical for improving their diets and preventing chronic diseases down the line. This study provides clear evidence that salad bars in schools can go a long way in improving student consumption of fruits and vegetables, without adding any additional food waste,” said Ohri-Vachaspati.
“As we expand school meal access to more students, providing salad bars at school lunch can be an effective strategy for making these meals healthier.”
Adams’ six-year Salad Bar Study measured fruit and vegetable intake over 10 weeks in elementary, middle and high schools statewide, from Yuma and Phoenix to Globe and Prescott. While data is still being processed for middle and high schools, elementary school results indicate a significant increase in fruit and vegetable consumption when salad bars are provided.
“By at least having them in place for 10 weeks, there’s no novelty effect of just being introduced and kids are attracted to them, then they stop using them. We saw a meaningful increase in consumption that became stronger over 10 weeks. So, I think that’s strong evidence that it’s not just a novel effect,” Adams explained.
Thirteen elementary schools with 50% of students eligible for free or reduced lunch participated in the study, none of which previously had salad bars. Across those schools, more than 3,000 children took part.
The study itself was four-pronged, looking at one control group and three other groups exploring the impact of salad bars and marketing each individually, then their effect together.
Fruit and vegetable items were measured twice before and after lunch. Using digital scales and photography, Adams’ team weighed students’ trays before and after their meal to check their fruit and vegetable intake.
“We took two measurements at the beginning, after they went through the service line, but before they ate, so we call that pre-lunch. Then photos after they ate. We intercepted them before they threw their lunch in the garbage. We put those trays aside, weighed and took photographs and laid them out of sight,” said Adams.
By comparing the two, the team was able to more accurately assess students’ fruit and vegetable intakes than if they had taken surveys. With this data, the researchers were certain that their results were significant.
Adams and his team found that introducing a salad bar led to an 87% increase in fruit and vegetable consumption in an elementary school environment. When paired with marketing strategies, fruit and vegetable consumption doubled.
“This study wasn’t about school salad bars. It was about how we best improve fruit and vegetable consumption for kids who have limited access to healthy foods. We showed that salad bars, and especially with the addition of nutrition marketing, are really effective at increasing
fruit and vegetable consumption. This is a relatively lowcost strategy that has large population health benefits,” said Bruening.
Increased nutrition reduces the risk of developing health conditions. Introducing salad bars in schools and making a balanced diet the easiest choice sets students up for a healthier, brighter future.
“If we can find small ways to improve consumption of fruits and vegetables among those 30 million students consuming lunch every day, that can have cumulative population-level benefits for them and for the communities that they live in,” said Adams.
“These kinds of studies are more than proof of concept. It is the confirmatory data that are needed to show that these types of strategies work and can be implemented system-wide.”
The Salad Bar Expansion Act was reintroduced by Congress in 2024 and 2025. Rigorous research now supports salad bars as an effective strategy to increase fruit and vegetable consumption among elementary children.
College of Health Solutions Associate Professor Chad Stecher has been conducting research in Uganda since graduate school with the goal of improving HIV health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. Now, as a Fulbright Scholar, Stecher was able to take his research as a health economist to the next level.
Stecher’s idea began to take shape while connecting with other ASU faculty who had previously completed a Fulbright. Now part of the 2024–25 cohort of Fulbright Scholars, he strengthens ASU’s status as a Top Producer for Fulbright Student and Scholar Programs.
Stecher spent six months in Uganda, departing in February 2025 and returning in August 2025. His objective? To create a more accessible and informative database of electronic health records for the staff and researchers at Mildmay Uganda, a hospital in Kampala.
Q What led you to become a Fulbright Scholar?
A I am a health economist, and I do research both in the U.S. and abroad. I have been working in Uganda for over 10 years, and this Fulbright project was born out of my research experiences at Mildmay Uganda. I’ve always wanted to work and live abroad, so the Fulbright program has been on my radar since I joined ASU. The specific Fulbright project idea was sparked during a trip to Uganda for an existing research project at Mildmay Uganda. A Fulbright was the ideal grant to support the creation of an analytical dataset of electronic health records because that work requires being in-country for an extended period of time.
Q What are your research interests?
A My research interests include health behavior change, physician behavior and health care systems reform. Most of my research has focused on healthy habits and thinking about how to build interventions that can lead to behavior maintenance. This research agenda is what initially brought me to Uganda to study HIV medication habits. I’m also interested in broader economic development questions, and I’ve worked on a few projects in other East African countries that provide resources to help small businesses or families generate income.
Another area of my research focuses on physician behavior. This is a research topic we plan to explore using the datasets created during my Fulbright project. Specifically we want to understand how Mildmay
physicians make treatment choices for their patients. This research agenda is one that I’ve done mostly here in the U.S., looking at either physician treatment biases or the ways in which physicians learn from their peers.
Q What research did you conduct in Uganda?
A Most of my research at Mildmay Uganda has been on the design and testing of behavioral interventions to promote HIV medication adherence habits. HIV is largely a treatable disease, and the risk of transmission goes to zero if you’re adherent to your medication. So, getting people living with HIV engaged in HIV care and adherent to their medication is one important strategy for reducing the HIV epidemic in Uganda and elsewhere. While I was in Uganda completing this research, we started working with Mildmay’s electronic health records. This is data that Mildmay has been collecting for over 10 years, but to date, they have not had the local capacity or bandwidth to analyze these records. Our idea was for me to go back to Mildmay [as a Fulbright Scholar] and start to clean the data by merging files and tables, and ultimately constructing analytical datasets that either internal researchers or external collaborators could use
to answer research questions. The ultimate goal was for these analytical datasets to enable local researchers to write their own papers and grants, which would help build a more sustainable research enterprise at Mildmay.
Q What did you hope to accomplish professionally during your time abroad?
A My goal with the Fulbright project was to build a resource that could support Mildmay’s research program, and so, personally, I was not imagining a lot of immediate benefit. Professionally, I was hoping to build my research network in Uganda in order to generate new and impactful ideas and future research agendas. I believe that effective problem-solving requires engaging with local researchers, whose knowledge and perspectives are essential for identifying the right challenges and anticipating barriers to proposed solutions. These insights are difficult to capture remotely, but spending extended time in-country allows for building the trust and rapport necessary to generate ideas grounded in local realities.
Q In what ways is the Fulbright scholarship helping you to achieve your research goals?
A Two things really stand out. First, the relationships. Being in Uganda gave me the chance to meet researchers I never would have crossed paths with otherwise and to learn directly from them about how they tailor their work to fit the local context. Those conversations were invaluable and simply wouldn’t have happened if I’d been
working remotely. Second, the perspective. It’s one thing to read about HIV care and policy from the U.S., but it’s very different to see daily life and understand the economic, social and cultural challenges people face. That kind of firsthand perspective really changes how you think about interventions — not just what might work in theory, but what could actually be sustained in practice. I don’t pretend to fully understand Uganda’s many cultures and communities, but the experience definitely opened my eyes and has pushed my research in directions that I think can have both more immediate and more lasting impact.
Q What advice would you give to current scholars considering pursuing a Fulbright scholarship?
A Do it! Make sure you build a strong connection with your host and that your project really fits with their interests — that’s what makes an application stand out.
The advice I received that I would echo is: Be prepared to adapt and change your plans once you get to the country. That certainly was the case for me, and it seemed to frequently be the case for other scholars that I have talked to.
The project might not unfold exactly as you planned, but you may find there’s a real need for things like mentorship, teaching or help with writing papers — and those contributions can sometimes be even more immediately beneficial to your host and colleagues.
As a Fulbright student, Rahma Alifia is in her second year of her Master of Science in biomedical informatics and data science at the College of Health Solutions, the perfect environment to explore her varied interests and expand on the foundation she received through her education in Indonesia, her home country. Through her time at the College of Health Solutions, Alifia joined the ASU SHARES Lab, led by her mentor, Health Solutions Director and Professor Adela Grando, where she currently hones her skills in developing informaticsbased solutions.
Alifia’s interests lie in digital health, from infrastructure to data privacy. After developing a mobile health app for her undergraduate thesis, Alifia’s passion grew through her work at an artificial intelligence startup and the Ministry of Health in Indonesia. Her passion for making an impact takes shape through her mission to build effective and ethical data collection systems.
Where will her journey as a global scholar take her next? We had the chance to find out more about how she arrived at ASU and what comes next.
Q What led you to become a Fulbright student, and what attracted you to ASU?
A To be honest, although U.S. education is highly regarded in my country, studying in the states was not my initial plan. I think I was hesitant to dream that big; it felt too competitive and far out of reach. But as I explored more about my field, the more I realized that the U.S. has some of the most progressive resources for research and development opportunities, including implementation, especially in digital health, biomedical informatics and data science.
I understood that U.S. health systems were still far from perfection, but I figured it was definitely worth trying, and really, I had nothing to lose. So I prepared and applied, including for the Fulbright, which felt like a long shot but also an incredible opportunity.
I applied for the Fulbright scholarship because I saw it as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to pursue meaningful research and cross-cultural exchange. ASU stood out because of its strong interdisciplinary focus, its partnerships with health institutions, and its commitment to innovation. The biomedical informatics and data science program offered exactly what I needed: the chance to explore a broad range of interests — from data systems and governance to real-world implementation.
Q How did you learn that you had been selected for a Fulbright scholarship?
A I remember feeling pretty hopeless at first. The announcement for the administrative selection was delayed by about two weeks, and I assumed I didn’t make it. But surprisingly, I did — and I moved on to the interview stage.
The interviews were actually one of the best parts of the process. The panelists were incredibly cool and thoughtful, and the conversations were really substantive.
After passing the interview stages, I started to enter the long and intense journey. I went through several rounds of tests, including language and academic assessments, and enhanced my application materials to apply to U.S. universities. All of these processes nearly took a year! I could say it was exhausting, but worth every sweat.
Additionally, the long and intense journey included the part when I started looking more seriously into where I wanted to study. That was when I came across ASU, and the more I learned, the more I felt like it was a great match for me.
ASU had strong research and innovation, incredible faculty and partnerships with U.S. health institutions that really stood out — one of them was Mayo Clinic! The program also seemed flexible, which is perfect for someone like me who wants to explore different areas within biomedical informatics and data science. As I looked deeper into the courses and research topics, I believed that the program would also provide me with deeper knowledge and enhanced technical skills in the field.
A I have sparks of interest in many different areas. I love learning about digital health infrastructure, particularly how we design, govern and use data systems
responsibly. Designing how it’s collected, building systems like databases, surveys or apps to capture the right information, standardizing it using things like [Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources] data model or ontologies to make it scalable and reusable, defining technical requirements the data so it runs efficiently and finally turning the data into something meaningful for the users, whether that’s patients, clinicians, administrators or even policymakers.
In [the ASU SHARES Lab], I’ve seen how research can really have an impact when it’s designed thoughtfully and actually implemented to solve real patient or systemlevel problems. I am amazed by how research papers are continuously “turned into” real digital products/ solutions. Through my current research projects, I’ve become increasingly passionate about data privacy, consent frameworks and governance, especially in an era where AI tools are rapidly expanding. I want to help shape systems that are not only technically sound but also ethically and socially aligned.
Q How did you come to be passionate about your field of study?
A I realized that I really enjoy listening to people’s problems and designing solutions that work — not necessarily perfect for everyone, but win-win for the situation. I love trying to understand why people are confused when making decisions, and what kind of information I can provide to help them strategize or even shape policies.
Working on public-facing tools made me feel like the impact was direct. And once you feel that, it’s kinda hard to stop. It makes you want to keep creating solutions (or even innovations!) that can reach even more people and drive even greater change.
Q What are you hoping to accomplish during your time at ASU?
A Coming from both academic and professional experiences in Indonesia, I started to feel a growing need to strengthen my foundation, especially the core knowledge and hard skills in this field. I began to question how other countries handle their health care challenges and what we can learn from their approaches.
Therefore, I hope to deepen my understanding of those theoretical and practical knowledge areas. Definitely not just from lectures, but also through hands-on experience like research projects, collaborations and internships. I want to explore different angles of this field, from technical development to ethical and governance issues, and find ways to connect them to real-world needs.
So far, I feel really grateful that ASU, especially [the College of Health Solutions], provides such a rich environment to grow. The research opportunities, mentorship and the nonstop innovating community of faculty and students have been elevating my goals.
Q What are your long-term career goals?
A I hope to become a digital health and data expert, starting to put “researcher” as a career goal too, who
can help translate complex challenges into thoughtful, actionable solutions, especially for countries like mine that are still building and improving their health systems.
My goal is to bridge strategy and execution, design and policy. I want to be able to plan with purpose, work across disciplines and lead initiatives that improve health care delivery and outcomes. Ideally, I’d love to work in roles where I can bring together research, technology and policy, whether in government, international organizations or academic partnerships.
Eventually, I want to bring back what I’ve learned in the U.S. and add value to my country and the global health community. Of course, every place has different problems, gaps and contexts, but I believe the mindset, tools and experiences I gain here can be adapted and shared to make a positive impact at scale.
Q In what ways is the Fulbright scholarship helping you to achieve your goals?
A For me, the best part of being a Fulbright scholar is the people, the fellow scholars and alumni. Everyone here shares this drive and somehow motivates me to give back and make an impact on society. It’s really motivating to be part of a community that pushes you to grow, not just academically but also personally and as a future leader.
Fulbright has given me access to so many opportunities I wouldn’t have had otherwise. Even before starting at ASU, I was sent to a pre-academic training at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and met other Fulbright Scholars from around the world. That helped me a lot in adapting to the U.S. academic system and environment, improving my language and significantly building confidence before jumping into graduate school.
More than just funding, Fulbright connects me to a network and a mindset. It reminds me to think beyond myself, to always ask how my work can serve others, especially in the global context. That’s a big part of how it’s helping me shape and pursue my long-term goals.
Q What advice would you give to current students considering pursuing a Fulbright scholarship?
A I can finally say that being a Fulbrighter is a privilege, but it’s also a journey that takes time, reflection and persistence. My biggest advice is to be genuine with your purpose. Don’t apply just to study abroad, apply because there’s something you truly care about and want to contribute to.
Start by identifying an issue or cause that matters to you, something you’re willing to explore and stay committed to, even after the scholarship ends. I think Fulbright really values people who have a strong sense of purpose, a clear idea of the impact they want to make and the humility to keep learning.
And don’t be afraid to try, even if you think you’re not the “perfect” candidate. I had doubts too, but I took the chance. Prepare seriously, but stay true to your story, your unique background, voice and passion are what make your application stand out.
At the forefront of the next chapter in transformative health solutions — from research to real-world impact.
Michael Yudell has been appointed dean of Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions.
“Michael brings both depth of knowledge and a futurefocused vision to this role. [H]is interdisciplinary expertise makes him especially well-suited to lead in a time when technology and other forces are rapidly transforming health care,” Executive Vice President and University Provost Nancy Gonzales said in an announcement.
“Understanding how those shifts affect people and communities — not just systems — requires the perspective of a historian, ethicist and public health expert: someone who sees broad context, asks the right questions and keeps human experience at the center.
Michael is this kind of leader.”
Yudell joined ASU in 2021 as the college’s first vice dean and a professor. He stepped into the interim dean role in July 2024.
“[Michael Yudell] has continued to champion the success of our faculty, staff and students, while positioning [the
College of Health Solutions] as a vital contributor to the broader ASU Health vision,” Gonzales said.
During his time as interim dean, Yudell led the college through a period of growth — driven by rising enrollment and retention, expanded research and stronger collaboration across ASU Health and the university.
“When I announced his appointment as interim dean last summer, I knew Michael would lead with clarity and purpose during a time of critical transition. I’m grateful for his steady leadership and partnership over the past year,” said Gonzales.
Yudell expressed his gratitude and excitement for the future.
“I am deeply honored to be named dean of the College of Health Solutions,” Yudell said. “Over the past three years in my roles at Health Solutions, I have been inspired by the dedication, innovation and expertise of our students, staff and faculty. I’m excited to advance our mission of optimizing health across the lifespan, improving health outcomes for all and training the next generation of our health workforce.”
Dean Yudell has built a career at the intersection of science, ethics and policy. His research has addressed
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critical issues such as autism across the lifespan, Human Genome Project policy and ethics, health disparities and the use — and misuse — of race and other population identifiers in health research.
In 2016, Yudell received the Arthur J. Viseltear Award from the American Public Health Association for his influential book “Race Unmasked: Race and Biology in the 20th Century” and his contributions to the field. Since then, he has explored the ethical dimensions of autism research, the challenges of using social media data in public health research, and strategies to build trust between the public and the health care system.
Yudell holds a bachelor’s degree in history and Soviet studies from Tufts University, a Master of Philosophy in U.S. history from the City University of New York, and both a Master of Public Health and a doctorate in sociomedical science from Columbia University.
“I am especially grateful to Provost Nancy Gonzales and President Michael Crow for their support and for the opportunity to lead at this extraordinary institution, one that, as our ASU Charter says, assumes fundamental responsibility for the overall health of the communities we serve,” Yudell said.
Looking ahead, Yudell will continue working within the ASU Health ecosystem with Dr. Sherine Gabriel, Executive Vice President of ASU Health, and alongside the leaders of the School of Medicine and Advanced Medical Engineering, the School of Technology for Public Health and Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation, to prepare health professionals who improve lives across Arizona and beyond.
Study reveals impact extreme heat has on classroom productivity
ABC15 | Allison Poulos
Got the sniffles? Here’s what to know about summer colds, COVID-19 and more
The Associated Press | Frank LoVecchio
https://www.abc15.com/news/local-news/study-reveals-impact-extreme-heat-has-on-classroom-productivity
https://apnews.com/article/covid19-surge-summer-flu-cold-7bacbb01a1ab6a52b6c7bc044b172ddc
Muscle mass key to link between metabolism and age
PBS | Robin DeWeese
July is the worst month for drug overdose deaths. Is heat to blame?
Los Angeles Times | Pope Moseley
https://azpbs.org/horizon/2025/07/professorspeaks-on-the-link-between-metabolism-andage/
https://www.latimes.com/environment/story/2025-07-29/summer-is-worse-for-drug-overdose-deaths-is-it-the-heat
Forget discreet droplets. This is how sweat really forms
Science News | Stavros Kavouras
Older adults with autism are at higher dementia risk. Brain donation could help find out why
KJZZ
| B. Blair Braden
https://www.sciencenews.org/article/ how-sweat-forms-perspiration
New Medicare pilot program launching in Arizona sparks debate
Arizona Horizon on PBS | Swapna Reddy
https://www.kjzz.org/science/2025-07-17/olderadults-with-autism-are-at-higher-dementia-riskbrain-donation-could-help-find-why
https://azpbs.org/horizon/2025/09/medicare-pilot-program-arizona-debate
As an industry executive, College of Health Solutions Professor of Practice Roshini Moodley Naidoo routinely integrated value-based care into her day-to-day work. As the faculty lead for the Master of Science in health care administration and policy capstone, she prepares students to do the same in their own health care careers.
But what is value-based care? In its simplest form, valuebased care is often thought of as an equation of quality over cost.
“Value-based care is more than an equation. It is a way of thinking that finds common ground between stakeholders in health care ecosystems. When we think about value-based care, we think of alignment and shared goals,” said Moodley Naidoo.
The question becomes: How can health care providers maximize quality while minimizing costs? This is the question Moodley Naidoo seeks to answer through her professional work and research at the College of Health Solutions as well as through a fellowship at her alma mater, Harvard University.
The Senior Fellows Program at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government involved two key portions: research and thought leadership. Moodley Naidoo began the fellowship in 2023 and, during this time, participated in a collaborative forum for senior fellows, where she received mentorship from Professor Joseph Newhouse while writing and publishing research. In addition to this, Moodley Naidoo taught current Harvard graduate students, bringing in guest lecturers to share their practices and facilitate the transfer of knowledge.
Though the fellowship traditionally lasts one year, Moodley Naidoo was invited to continue her work as a senior fellow for an additional year, yielding two published works and two working papers studying the barriers to implementing value-based care within that time. During this time, she focused her research on artificial intelligence’s applications within value-based care, finding that it has great potential to limit costs and improve quality of care.
Now, after completing her fellowship, Moodley Naidoo returns to the College of Health Solutions to assist graduate students with gaining real-world experience through the capstone program. Working alongside local health care organizations such as HonorHealth, Banner
Health Solutions faculty mentorship and support.
Q How did you combine your work in value-based care with artificial intelligence in your research?
A This is an exciting topic and still evolving. What’s crucial, for AI to enable value-based care, is for AI solutions to explicitly reduce costs and improve the quality of care. One technology, for example, that we studied was virtual scribes that function as natural language processing technology.
In the traditional non-scribe office, you would have the physician sitting around the laptop, usually accessing an electronic health record, typing notes, with not much time spent with the patient. If you think about how physicians work, they have very limited time from one patient to the other due to how their work schedules are organized. The physician thereafter would use what’s tellingly called “pajama time,” to complete writing up the patient’s notes.
Understandably, this process can be very onerous, and is often cited as a culprit for physician burn-out, negatively affecting the physician-patient relationship. A virtual scribe relieves that burden, because a virtual scribe does the note-taking in real-time. It’s an ambient listening system, so the physician has to take almost no notes while the engagement is happening.
So that’s AI-enabled care, right? What’s happening in the new virtual scribe environment is the nature of the communication between the physician and the patient is improving vastly, which means the physician can spend time on things that are really critical to the patient, which might not always be possible in the more traditional way. It is expected that the patient has a better experience and is more likely to follow the physician’s instructions, leading to improved quality of that encounter. Where the cost comes in is reducing wasteful care. If a physician-patient encounter is rushed and communication is unclear, lots of things that should be done are not done, and vice versa. That can be very costly to the health care system, and also lead to very poor outcomes for the patient. That’s a good example of how a virtual scribe, if designed correctly, can both reduce costs, as well as improve quality outcomes.
Q Why did you choose this field? What interested you most?
A What’s new now and what’s quickly evolving is AI coming into the space, but value-based care, for me, was not new. In my industry role, since I was responsible for risk management, it was my job to remove waste from the health care system. I had studied quality improvement at graduate school and value-based care was the perfect way for me to use my quality learning to reduce costs.
My fellowship allowed me to switch gears a bit and think about value-based care, instead of a practitioner, more from a research perspective, a forward-looking perspective, because when you’re a practitioner, to some degree, your constraints are what you can implement within tight timelines. My company was publicly listed, so the timelines were even shorter. As a researcher and as a teacher, as an educator, you don’t have that constraint. You can be forward-looking, you can think about what’s coming in two years, in three years.
So that’s what I enjoyed doing. I could think very intentionally about new solutions from different perspectives and contemplate implications for the future through a multifaceted lens. I am very fortunate to work with professors Bill Riley and Matt Martin at [the College of Health Solutions], where we work to take research insights rapidly into practice. This closes the loop very meaningfully.
Q What do you foresee for the future of value-based contracting?
A One part of me is just the optimist, so I want to absolutely believe that this is going to continue to grow, and it has. It has grown tremendously in the United States, as well as globally. However, I do think that there
are reducing pressures and dynamics. So beyond just aspiration and optimism, there is also reality.
Health care is becoming much more expensive and patients struggle with costs. There are wasteful pockets of care as well that have to be addressed. Outcomes ought to be the best for the amount of funds that are spent on health care. Value-based contracting allows those challenges to be addressed. So just for that reason, it is important that value-based care continues to grow. It’s a good organizational model to advance care.
The information asymmetry that exists between patients and health care systems is going to rapidly close with AI as more clinical information becoming available to patients. As patients become more knowledgeable and empowered about their care, I think patients themselves will gravitate towards models that are value-enhancing. It will be truly meaningful if patients become champions of value-based care.
The ideal health care system is seamless to navigate, where it’s one person coordinating care, and care journeys that can be easily understood. So, with that happening, and largely enabled by AI, by information, I think that will be another enabler of value-based care in the medium term.
Q What is your proudest accomplishment?
A I would think about it twofold. It’s very much about being a mentor. I especially enjoyed supporting people at the early stages of their careers. Being there when someone I mentored got their first promotion would always be the proudest moment.
Personally, it’s also very much about being a mom. I’ve always tried to blend both my home and professional worlds. I don’t know if my children would say I blended very well, but I do take my journey as a mom as a source of pride and inspiration.
The ideal health care system is seamless to navigate, where it’s one person coordinating care, and care journeys that can be easily understood.”
College of Health Solutions Director of Employee Engagement Kissa Powell kicked off Days of Service in 2025 with the mission to give back to the community and create a solid foundation for working within the community – one of the pillars of the Health Solutions’ charter.
ASU’s charter emphasizes the importance of assuming responsibility for the economic, social, cultural and overall health of the communities it serves.
“When ASU employees step into the community, they bring the ASU charter to life in tangible ways. For College of Health Solutions employees, service takes on an even bigger meaning. Health isn’t just about medical care, it’s about strengthening community wellbeing,” said Christina Ngo, Arizona State University executive director of social embeddedness.
Through Days of Service, Health Solutions employees work to fulfill that mission.
“When I started, I had a lofty goal, but I wanted the College of Health Solutions to be the blueprint for what service within a college looks like. I want to continue to expand that, and I want to increase the presence of our faculty and our staff,” Powell said of the future of Days of Service.
Powell found that individual service events weren’t enough to make an impact on the community or the college, so she began Days of Service to create a consistent schedule to allow people to complete acts of service.
“I wanted to give people an opportunity to have some regular structure to give back, to have some greater purpose, particularly in times where things are challenging,” said Powell.
Days of Service now run two to three times per month with organizations ranging from animal shelters and food banks to naloxone clinics and urban gardens. Employees across ASU are granted eight volunteer hours per year to participate in service events like these.
“By encouraging employees to use their paid volunteer time off, Dean Yudell is sending a message that this time isn’t just a benefit, it’s an investment. It demonstrates that the leadership of (the College of Health Solutions)
values their employees’ time and sees service as part of their professional contributions,” explained Ngo.
Since January, 90 individual employee volunteers have stepped up to complete Days of Service.
“Every (College of Health Solutions) volunteer event is a chance to show that faculty, staff and students are neighbors and partners fostering healthier futures. When (College of Health Solutions) employees use this time, they strengthen local trust, ensuring that the ‘Sun Devil’ isn’t just a mascot but a symbol of service and care. Volunteering reminds the community that ASU’s impact isn’t abstract or far away, it is deeply personal, local and lasting,” said Ngo.
For those who volunteer, fulfillment comes from a variety of places, from the community found within the college to a passion for service stretching beyond the bounds of ASU.
“The most meaningful aspect of my volunteer experience has been the sense of camaraderie shared with others who are driven by similar goals and a passion for service. So working alongside individuals who care deeply about making a difference has been both inspiring and motivating, and these experiences have reaffirmed my belief that there is still kindness, compassion and goodness in the world,” said one participant.
In the future, Powell hopes to expand to new organizations and assist different populations, such as veterans, children and those affected by chronic illness.
“(My goal is to expand) to more health-oriented organizations, sprinkling in some different stuff with animals or going to cooling centers. But always maintaining this opportunity where people can come together, give back and feel that purpose, but also get to know one another and build community in the process,” said Powell.
utensils 7,300 meals packed for Feed My Starving Children since January.
clock 31.5 volunteer hours since January.
user-group 90 volunteers since January.
box 2,181 naloxone kits packed for the City of Phoenix Office of Public Health – the most kits packed in a single session in program history! This contribution alone should keep all of the city facility distribution sites fully stocked for two months.
From partnering on educational programming to facilitating engagement opportunities, College of Health Solutions Director of Community Placements Danielle Zelaya leads her team as they support and guide students through the process of navigating experiential learning.
After many years of working in employer partnership roles, Zelaya began work at the College of Health Solutions excited for the opportunity to mentor and lead a team. Now, it’s the college’s mission of improving health outcomes within the community and sense of purpose that motivates her every day.
Within just a year of serving in the role, Zelaya has made impressive strides within the college, winning her the Rookie of the Year award in summer 2025. We had the opportunity to catch up with Zelaya and see where the last year has taken her.
Q What does a day-in-the-life look like?
A Every day, and really every hour of the day, looks different, and I love that! Health Solutions has a startup culture where everyone wears multiple hats, new initiatives move fast and we are constantly evolving to best support changing student needs. It keeps work exciting and interesting – I haven’t had a single day of being bored!
I joke with colleagues that my door is often closed, but that’s because I am constantly meeting with employers and stakeholders from Health Solutions and across the university. I enjoy building relationships and working collaboratively with others to improve processes and accomplish a goal. ASU as a university may be large, but Health Solutions is a tight-knit community with a culture where people support one another.
Q Why the change from Community Placements to Experiential Learning?
A If I asked most students, faculty or staff what community placements means, they would likely say something to the effect of ‘you place students in community opportunities.’ With limited exceptions, we actually don’t place students!
While much of my team’s day-to-day work involves supporting students as they navigate the internship search and corresponding compliance processes in order to receive academic credit, we also connect students with impactful experiential learning options including research, translational team opportunities,
service learning courses and study abroad. Our hope is that changing our name from Community Placements to Experiential Learning will help convey the breadth of what my team offers and how students can engage with diverse co-curricular experiences.
The name change also resonates with the way experiential learning is in the DNA of our college. So much so that completing an experiential learning opportunity is literally a graduation requirement for undergraduate Health Solutions students!
Q What are some of your proudest accomplishments since starting at the College of Health Solutions?
A When I first joined, it was apparent that even though there was an amazing spirit of camaraderie, everyone on my team was in their own work bubble and very siloed. The nice thing about being new is that you get to ask lots of questions! I quickly learned that the team wanted to build a stronger sense of collaboration and to break down barriers to be able to better serve students as well as support each other. I am lucky to have a team that was willing to try out new ways of doing things in order to improve processes and remove silos. We function as
a very different team now than when I started, and that is definitely thanks to each member of my team being open and putting in a lot of hard work this year.
Some of the specific accomplishments that stand out over the past year include building a strong relationship between Health Solutions and ASU Career Services, which has already helped embed career readiness into so many of our programs and opportunities, and revamping our spring career fair to diversify the employer audience and internship opportunities, expanding the event to include graduate students and increasing student attendance by 150%.
Q What is the most fulfilling part of your job?
A I am lucky to work with an exceptional team of smart and capable individuals who care deeply about student success and supporting students as they navigate experiential learning. They each bring unique talents and perspectives to their role. The most fulfilling part of my role is finding ways to uplift, motivate and encourage my team, and to see them grow and shine.
Q How did you find out that you received the Rookie of the Year award?
A I knew I was nominated ahead of time, but I didn’t find out I received the award until that day! Even when I walked up to receive the award, I couldn’t quite believe it at first.
We don’t talk about it enough, but everyone faces imposter syndrome when they start a new role – that includes me. There have been many times in the last year when I faced doubts in myself and whether I had the abilities my team needed in a director. Receiving this award represents not only an incredible honor and milestone in my career, but confirmation that I am making a positive impact with my team and at the college.
Even though the award has my name, to me this is actually a Community Placements team award. My team and my supervisor set me up for success by welcoming me right from the start and embracing the many changes and transitions that have occurred over the last year. They have each rolled up their sleeves right alongside me and approached challenges head on.
Q Do you have a mantra that sums up your approach to your work?
A Progress not perfection! I think the sentiment applies to lots of areas of life including work. All we can do is keep trying and putting in our best efforts. This keeps moving the needle forward. If we aim for perfection, we may stall out in the details and lose momentum.
Q What are some of your hobbies outside of work?
A I have a three year old so he takes up most of my attention outside of work! Cooking is probably my main ‘hobby’ and that is usually how I spend my Sunday afternoons. I love when there’s a birthday on my team because that means I get to bake something.
The most fulfilling part of my role is finding ways to uplift, motivate and encourage my team, and to see them grow and shine.”
Over 350 new Health Solutions students turned out for the Health Devil Welcome celebration on Aug. 19 held in the Arizona Ballroom of the Memorial Union.
Students spent two weeks studying healthy lifestyles in Ikaria, Greece, one of the world’s five Blue Zones, where people are known to live longer and healthier lives.
Speech and hearing science graduate student clinicians run the Summer Program to Enhance Language and Literacy, or SPELL camp, for children going into third grade.
Kinesiology, sports science and performance programming, and strength and conditioning students volunteered at the MLB Draft Combine for the second year in a row.
Dean Michael Yudell speaks to a crowd of students at the murder mystery themed Dinner with the Dean, an event designed to provide an opportunity to network with Health Solutions leadership.
More than 60 students presented on topics ranging from language learning and pediatrics to healthy aging and neurological disorders at the 2025 College of Health Solutions Student Research Symposium.
Shreya Raval’s decision to pursue her doctorate in exercise and nutritional sciences at the College of Health Solutions was the natural next step in her professional journey, combining her bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics with her master’s degree in sports nutrition.
Raval’s motivation to combine disciplines led her to create the ‘School Meal Rap’ through the Phoenix Bioscience Core’s Art Grant. The rap aims to build awareness and excitement around school meals for elementary school students. Alongside teammates from the ASU Food Policy and Environment Research Group, Raval filmed a music video at a school within the Osborn School District.
Raval now seeks to continue her work researching solutions and crafting health policies to shape population health.
Q What led you to combine your coursework with your passion for rap?
A I have always been passionate about supporting children in developing healthy eating and physical activity habits. Working with children is especially meaningful to me because habits formed during childhood often carry into adulthood. With the ASU Food Policy and Environment Research Group, I’ve been involved in projects evaluating school meal policies, and over time this has become a topic very close to my heart.
I started writing rap songs in 2020 as a creative outlet during the pandemic, often using them to tell stories or share health-related messages with friends and community groups. I have written raps on topics such as nutrition, diet and cancer, as well as lighthearted, humorous raps that many people can relate to. Rap has always been a fun, expressive way for me to connect with people, and I enjoy the rhythm, wordplay and storytelling it allows. So, when I got the opportunity to express my research interests through art, writing a rap about school meals felt like the perfect way to combine my professional work with something I truly enjoy. This project gave me a refreshing break from my regular academic routine and a chance to reconnect with that creative passion.
Q What was your experience writing and performing the ‘School Meal Rap’?
A The process was initially overwhelming and I was nervous about completing the project during the semester, and uncertain if I would be able to find a school willing to collaborate. However, my mentor and my friends believed in me, and that motivated me to pursue this idea. Once the audio was ready I reached out to a school nutrition department via Instagram and explained to them the project. Fortunately, the Osborn School District nutrition department loved the project and were excited to participate.
Later, my teammates from ASU Food Policy and Environment Research Group — Dr. Robin DeWeese and Lauren Housley — helped me shoot the video and I’ll always be grateful for their time and help. Then I edited the video, added captions and it was completed right at time. This ended up being one of my most favorite rap projects I have ever done, not only because I got to shoot at schools with children, but because it had a meaningful purpose and allowed me to see the joy it brought to students and staff.
Q Why did you choose to advocate for school lunches?
A Extensive research, including from our group, demonstrates that school meals benefit children in multiple ways, from improving diet quality to supporting academic performance and healthy weight outcomes. While much of my research focuses on understanding state and federal policy impacts, I wanted to use this grant opportunity to engage more directly with students.
I know how important school meals are for children in our community – it is also said to be the most nutritious meal children eat outside of their home. Creating this rap allowed me to advocate for school meals in a fun way, while highlighting a topic that’s both personally and professionally meaningful to me.
Q Who do you think played an important role in the creation of the ‘School Meal Rap’?
A First and foremost, I’d like to thank Dr. Cynthia A. Standley and the Phoenix Bioscience Core Arts
Committee for launching this initiative. I’m also grateful to the exercise and nutritional sciences program for sharing the opportunity with us students. My mentor Punam Ohri-Vachaspati’s encouragement played a key role in motivating me to undertake the project.
A special thank you goes to the Osborn School District, especially to Principal Cory Alexander and his team for graciously allowing us to shoot the video with their students and cafeteria staff during lunchtime. I’m also thankful to Dr. Robin DeWeese and Lauren Housley for helping me film at the school.
Q What are your thoughts on the Phoenix Bioscience Core Art Grant?
A The PBC Art Grant is a fantastic initiative. It encourages students who are often immersed in academics to reconnect with their creative side. It was a good break and a stress reliever for me. I first heard about the opportunity via an email from the PBC Art Committee, shared in our ENS program newsletter and by my mentor, Dr. Punam Ohri-Vachaspati, who encouraged me to apply. I applied through a Google Form and later received the notification that I had been awarded the grant. I really appreciated the clear communication throughout the process, especially from Dr. Cynthia A. Standley, and the generous timeline, we had about three months to complete the project, with check-ins along the way.
Q What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?
A My greatest accomplishment has been taking the leap to pursue my PhD at ASU. It was a tough decision to move away from my family and comfort zone to chase my dreams, but I’m proud of that choice. Over the past two years, I’ve grown not just as a researcher working
on impactful projects and learning from outstanding coursework and mentorship but also as an individual. This journey has been transformative in more ways than I could ever imagine.
Q What led you to the College of Health Solutions?
A While applying for doctoral programs in the U.S., I was looking for a place that would foster my growth as an independent researcher. I wanted a program that offered strong mentorship, access to cutting-edge research, and opportunities to grow personally and professionally. The College of Health Solutions checked all those boxes. I’ve felt supported here by the faculty, staff and student community, and I appreciate how the college celebrates and uplifts faculty and students’ achievements.
Q What are your long-term career goals?
A My long-term goal is to work in research focused on how health policies affect individual and population health. I want to explore how systems, environments and policy-level factors shape behavior and well-being especially using the social-ecological model as a guiding framework. Ultimately, I hope to work at national or international research institutions, contributing to evidence-based policy solutions that promote health equity across different communities and countries.
Health informatics alum becomes leader in ethical artificial intelligence use
Sarah Riaz had only moved from Pakistan to the United States a few years before deciding to pursue her graduate studies in health informatics at Arizona State University’s College of Health Solutions. After conducting cardiovascular research and teaching, she decided to take a break to pursue her Master of Advanced Study. Now, with a background in medicine, Riaz works on developing ethical artificial intelligence policies and practices, also known as AI governance, for one of the largest health care systems in the United States.
By combining her clinical knowledge with her education in health informatics, Riaz has become a leader in responsible innovation, working to develop trustworthy tools and initiatives to pave the way for the future of health care technology. Using this expertise, Riaz is now writing a book that she hopes will inform those interested in new innovations in health care and the biological sciences.
Q What inspired you to pursue a career in health informatics?
A I decided to pursue a career in health informatics because I wanted to be at the intersection of health care and technology, where real change happens. I’ve
always been drawn to the idea of improving patient care — not just through direct interaction, but by enhancing the systems and data that support it. Familiarizing myself with health informatics and health information systems allowed me to do exactly that: analyze health data, streamline workflows and help clinical providers make better decisions. The field is growing rapidly, and I was excited by the opportunity to work with cutting-edge tools like AI, big data and clinical decision support tools in electronic health records to solve real-world problems. What sealed the deal for me was knowing that I could make a meaningful impact, helping health care become more efficient, personalized and hopefully accessible for everyone someday.
Q What do you feel is your greatest accomplishment?
A While I’m proud of my contributions so far, I believe my greatest accomplishments are still to come. The work I’ve done highlights my ability to innovate and help build foundational systems as part of a team, which has prepared me for future challenges. I’ve had the opportunity to help in the development of new AI tools for critical health conditions and implement governance support structures for AI use cases. These efforts provide
a strong framework for all future projects. My current personal project is writing a book on a niche subject, which I believe will be a significant accomplishment in my personal journey to contribute to the advancement of knowledge.
Q How would you distill your career into three words?
A Conscientious physician, innovation, ethical governance.
As a conscientious physician, my clinical background informs my commitment to ensuring that new technology is used responsibly and equitably. My work in innovation involves helping create new AI tools and solutions to address critical health care needs. Finally, my focus on ethical governance of artificial intelligence is about helping build the necessary frameworks and processes to ensure our innovations are implemented fairly and safely, maximizing their positive impact.
Q What is the impact of your work?
A My work has a direct and significant impact on my organization’s AI initiatives by improving patient care, enhancing operational efficiency and ensuring responsible technology use. I’ve contributed to the development of new clinical AI tools that improve patient outcomes and access to care. I also help train my colleagues on the clinical use of AI, helping them integrate new solutions into their daily practice. I’ve built a strong foundation for reliable AI by helping in data sharing initiatives, implementing a support structure for clinical projects and maintaining a high completion rate on assigned AI governance-related tasks. Furthermore, my efforts in deploying an industry-recognized AI governance framework and participating in initiatives to reduce algorithmic bias demonstrate a deep commitment to ethical and compliant AI practices.
Q What is the most interesting part of working with artificial intelligence in the current day?
A The most interesting part of working with AI is the dynamic challenge of balancing rapid innovation with responsible and ethical implementation. I get to be at the forefront of creating new, powerful tools while also actively building the necessary governance and guardrails to ensure they are safe, fair and trustworthy.
Q What drew you to the College of Health Solutions?
A I chose the health informatics program because I’ve always been passionate about improving health care. With my background in medicine, I wanted a program that would let me bridge the gap between clinical care and data-driven decision making. ASU’s curriculum stood out for its blend of technical skills, leadership training and real-world application, especially the opportunity to work on projects that directly impact health care systems. The flexibility of the online format also made it possible for me to continue working while advancing my education. Ultimately, I saw this program as the perfect path to help me become an emerging leader in health innovation and make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.
Q How did your time with the College of Health Solutions contribute to your success?
A My time at the college equipped me with both the theoretical knowledge and skills I needed for my career. I gained a deep understanding of complex health systems, data analytics and health policies while also benefiting from collaborative team and solo projects, solving realworld complex issues. This experience, combined with a strong desire to do better, gave me the confidence to secure an impactful role and help drive ethical innovation.
Q What is the most fulfilling part of your career?
A The most fulfilling part of my career is a combination of seeing direct, positive results and receiving recognition from peers and executive leaders in the health care space. The satisfaction comes from knowing my work has a clear impact and from being acknowledged for my organized efforts in facilitating key meetings and collaborative processes. I also find fulfillment in teaching and training colleagues in utilizing electronic health records and AI and helping them grow in their roles.
Q What is the best advice, professionally or otherwise, you ever received and continue to carry with you?
A “Fail fast.” The fear of failure often prevents people from starting over. By embracing the idea of “failing fast,” you learn to view mistakes not just as temporary setbacks, but as valuable data. This mindset encourages you to experiment, learn quickly and pivot without wasting time or resources on something that isn’t working, essentially avoiding the “sunk cost fallacy” mindset.
Q What are some of the most influential books you’ve read while advancing your career?
A I’ve been deeply influenced by Eastern philosophies, particularly the works of Rumi and Kahlil Gibran, which have an innovative take on life that goes against many long-held beliefs. Rumi’s profound concept of a single thread of love uniting the whole world, created to be radiated and manifested in all we do, serves as a philosophical guide for my professional life. This sense of universal connection and purpose is what drives my mission in health information systems, artificial intelligence and technology — to serve thousands daily and ensure that our technological advancements are rooted in empathy and care.
The willingness of Rumi and Gibran to challenge the status quo of their time inspires me to do the same in my own field. Just as they offered new perspectives then, I strive to do so in health care. This unique combination of ancient wisdom and modern technology is what defines my approach to innovation and service.
Since 2017, the Phoenix Scottish Rite Foundation has donated more than $160,000 to programs and over $90,000 in scholarships to Arizona State University.
“The Scottish Rite has been so generous in their student support over the past eight years. Many of the students wouldn’t be able to select sites that require a greater time commitment if they didn’t have the additional funding from the Scottish Rite,” said College of Health Solutions Clinical Professor Kelly Ingram.
At the 2025 Speech and Hearing Science Awards, the Scottish Rite Foundation awarded five students the Scottish Rite Foundation Stipend with the objective of relieving the financial burden associated with a master’s education. The Scottish Rite Foundation Stipend assists second-year graduate students interested in pediatric language and literacy as they pursue unpaid internships. The stipend offers $3,000 per student. Since 2018, 29 students have been supported by this stipend.
“There’s an old saying. If you want to go fast, go it alone. If you want to go far, go as a team. You’re our team. We could not have done this on our own. We are not speechlanguage pathologists, but we are an old organization. We’ve been around since the 1700s. The reason we have persisted is because we’ve gone as a team,” said Curtis White, the former president of the Scottish Rite Phoenix Valley, at the ceremony.
The Scottish Rite is the most widely practiced Masonic rite in the world, starting in France in 1750. The Foundation is segmented into Valleys, similar to other organizations’ chapters. Each Valley is devoted to supporting initiatives related to a different part of the body. The Phoenix Valley Scottish Rite Foundation, which was started in the 1980s, is dedicated to supporting speech and hearing science.
White and Tony Darin, the former vice president, were responsible for the reinvigoration of the Foundation. The two have since retired, becoming emeritus members of the Scottish Rite and continuing to sit on the board in an advisory capacity.
The Foundation has gone on to provide assistance for evaluation and treatment services in the Speech and Hearing Clinic and support participants in the Summer Program for Elementary Language and Literacy, the Camp for the Enrichment of Oral Language and Literacy Acquisition, and the Adult Aphasia Book Club, as well as the Scottish Rite Foundation Stipend. As the organization continues to grow, so does its ability to donate to causes across Arizona.
For those interested in contributing, White suggests choosing to support a single program that piques your interests.
“One of the reasons why we’re successful, I think, in a way is that we don’t overstretch ourselves. We don’t take on a whole bunch of stuff and do a mediocre job doing it. It’s better to do one thing well than 10 things poorly,” said White.
The work, according to Darin and White, is rewarding on account of the impact it makes on the broader community. A smiling child, a grateful student, a sense of understanding in a client – all indicators of a job well done.
“It’s paying it forward for the things that we should be doing in society to help those folks that help others,” said Darin.
Those interested in supporting speech and hearing students can provide donations via the ASU Foundation.
As society faces some of the most complicated issues in recorded history, ASU’s Changing Futures campaign is shaping a world of opportunity, sustainability and transformational possibilities for people and communities everywhere.
Although many active individuals consume sports drinks like any other beverage, these products are specifically designed to optimize fueling and hydration during exercise, particularly when activity is intense and lasts longer than an hour. Sports drinks are often the beverage of choice during training and competition, especially in endurance events. While each brand has its own formulation, a 20-ounce bottle typically contains 20 to 40 grams of carbohydrates (about 80 to 160 calories), which is roughly 50% less than a regular soda. They also provide electrolytes, such as sodium and potassium, that are lost through sweat, and some formulations include additional ingredients like amino acids or caffeine.
Electrolyte drinks, on the other hand, are more suitable for occasions outside of exercise. They can be a good choice to support rehydration after significant fluid losses. During intense exercise in the heat, an athlete may lose 32 to 64 ounces of sweat per hour. Sweat contains not only water but also electrolytes; yet, many people believe that water alone is sufficient, as electrolytes can also be obtained from a variety of foods.
Potential benefits of electrolyte drinks include:
• Improving flavor, which encourages fluid consumption in individuals who dislike plain water.
• Enhancing fluid retention, as electrolytes help the body hold onto fluids more effectively.
• Promoting greater overall fluid intake by sustaining the desire to drink for longer.
In a recent study we conducted in eight- to 10-year-old children in Arizona, we found that when children consumed a low-sugar, flavored beverage during light exercise in a warm environment, they drank nearly twice as much fluid compared to water, resulting in better hydration.
