Health Science Programs
Curing Diseases. Cultivating Health. Changing Lives.
We saw the need and responded to the call. Northeast Texas faces a healthcare shortage. Our mission is to improve healthcare availability and accessibility across the region. At East Texas A&M, we're making this happen. Every day our students are making a difference in the world through caring for others. With our help, they'll not only save lives. They'll transform them.
Programs by Interest
A Note from President Rudin
Dear Lion Community,
I am pleased to present the long-awaited Nursing and Health Sciences Building on the campus of East Texas A&M University!
This beautiful facility will enable us to meet the growing healthcare needs in East Texas and beyond. Here, future healthcare leaders will learn life-saving skills in our Clinical Learning Center, and faculty will conduct leading healthcare research in our state-of-the-art laboratories.
The building's open-concept design places education on display and promotes a collaborative learning experience. Students will engage with peers using interactive elements, like writable whiteboard walls and tables, technology for connected group work sessions, and Active Learning Environment classrooms designed for high-impact education.
The clear glass exterior reminds us that our work doesn't end here. East Texas A&M is not only committed to caring for our community, but also our state, nation and world. We are ready to partner with outside industries, healthcare providers and school systems to expand training programs, innovative research and community outreach.
A bright future lies ahead for East Texas A&M. With our new Nursing and Health Science Building, we can ensure that East Texas A&M will continue to produce leading educators and healthcare workers in the state of Texas.
Please stop by and tour the facility the next time you're on campus. You will be amazed!
Go Lions!
Health is more than a discipline. It's an integrated mission.
Opened in 2020, our Nursing and Health Science Building provides a collaborative space for innovation, growth and discovery. The three-story facility features a simulation hospital, teaching kitchen, laboratories and learning centers. You’ll have access to leading technology for conducting advanced research in public health, nursing, body mechanics, nutrition and wellness, and kinesiology.
What We Do
Five years ago, East Texas A&M united together with a single purpose in mind: improving the healthcare of Northeast Texas. Together, the Department of Nursing, the Department of Health and Human Performance and the Biomedical Institute for Regenerative Research are making this happen.
A Once Broken Heart is Being Restored
Located in the new Health Science Center, the Biomedical Institute for Regenerative Research (BIRR) is a new venture of East Texas A&M that discovers ways to reduce damage and restore hearts. While here, you'll work with a renowned team of scientists as you explore ground-breaking discoveries. We're paving the way in cardiac regenerative research. Are you ready to join?
Treating Patients, Caring for People
Healthcare continues to change. At East Texas A&M, we're evolving with it. Our nationally recognized nursing program uses the latest technology to prepare our students for an ever-changing world. While here, you'll join a community of faculty and students who strive for excellence in nursing education, practice and administration. Discover how you can make a difference. Explore our nursing program today!
Transforming Lives in Commerce and Beyond
Improving rural health is our mission. You can help make this happen. Featured in our Nursing and Health Science Building, our Department of Health and Human Performance has one goal in mind: making a difference. Join our team as we discover new ways to prevent diseases, promote health and provide support. At East Texas A&M, we’re paving the way to a better future within our community, country and world.
Faculty Spotlight
Student Profiles
Featured News
A&M-Commerce Introduces Bachelor's with Strength and Conditioning Emphasis to Train Future Athletic Performance Coaches
The bachelor’s in strength and conditioning will provide a comprehensive curriculum combined with theoretical knowledge and practical applications.
A&M-Commerce Instructor Self-Publishes Four Sport-Related Books
A&M-Commerce alum and instructor Brandy Runyan has self-published four titles this summer aimed at various groups in professional sports. “Understanding the Role of Agents and Navigating Legal Aspects of Contracts and Endorsements” equips aspiring agents, seasoned professionals and clients with essential knowledge and skills to excel in the dynamic field of professional representation. It covers […]
TAMUC Health and Human Performance Researchers Helping Build Resilience in First Responders
Faculty researchers in the Department of Health and Human Performance at Texas A&M-Commerce are at the forefront of improving physical fitness preparation and performance for first responder populations. Instructor Hussien Jabai and Associate Professor Dean Culpepper recently penned an article for “CRACKYL,” a digital magazine providing health and wellness resources for the fire and rescue […]
TAMUC Alum, Instructor's Agency Named a Top Dallas Firm in 2024
Texas A&M-Commerce alum and instructor Brandy Runyan’s public relations firm, Black Diamond PR and Sport Management Firm, is one of the top PR firms in Dallas for 2024, according to PRNEWS.IO. The site also published an interview with Runyan, discussing her PR journey and motivation for founding her own firm. Runyan is the founder and […]
Third Annual Health Fair at A&M-Commerce a Big Success
Texas A&M University-Commerce public health students—in conjunction with Exercise is Medicine® On Campus, Student Health Services and the Department of Nursing—recently hosted the third annual Health Fair on campus. More than 30 vendors and 120 attendees created a dynamic and engaging event featuring health education and resources covering topics including mental health, nutrition, sexual health, […]
Community Food Drive Benefits A&M-Commerce Lion Food Pantry
A&M-Commerce student and Master of Public Health intern Alyssa Brimer, along with Assistant Professor of Health and Human Performance Dr. Katharine Halfacre, recently coordinated a food drive benefiting the Lion Food Pantry on campus. The drive netted 3,700 pounds of food donations. With the number of students seeking assistance from the pantry having doubled in […]
A&M-Commerce Kinesiology Student Discovers Career Focus as a Champion for Accessibility in Sports
Standing courtside at a recent unified basketball event hosted at Texas A&M University-Commerce, kinesiology student Katelyn Frisbie’s eyes light up as she cheers for both special education and general education students participating in the event. As an aspiring adapted physical education (PE) teacher, it’s an environment where she feels right at home. What is Adapted […]
A&M-Commerce Earns Third Consecutive Silver Distinction for Campus Wellness Efforts
Texas A&M-Commerce is one of only 145 universities and colleges worldwide recognized by Exercise is Medicine for its efforts to create a culture of wellness on campus. The Exercise is Medicine on Campus (EIM-OC) leadership team at A&M-Commerce—including Dr. Vipa Bernhardt, John McQuillan and graduate students Chaehyun Byun and Ernesto Balderrama—earned silver-level distinction for the […]
TAMUC Health and Human Performance Students Present at Regional Conference
Twelve students and three faculty from the Department of Health and Human Performance at A&M-Commerce attended and presented at the annual conference for the Texas chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine in Waco, Texas, Feb. 22-23. Marshall Tousant, Raquel Cavazos, Francesca Aquilino, Shelby Gerner, Austin Riffe, Ernest Balderrama, Chaehyun Byun and Cheyenne Martinez—all […]
Health and Human Performance Students Present at Social Change Conference
A&M-Commerce students from the Department of Health and Human Performance, guided by Assistant Professor Katharine Halfacre, presented an educational session titled “Roundtable: Perspectives on Women’s Health and Nutrition” at the Social Change Conference held on campus Feb. 20. The session addressed various topics related to health equity, including diet culture, eating disorders, women’s health programs, […]
Our Work Is Local, But Our Vision Is Global.
Whether here or abroad, we’re committed to improving the well-being of those around us. Graduates from East Texas A&M have traveled around the world, bringing their knowledge and service with them. Through our shared vision of transforming lives, we are creating solutions to an ever-changing, ever-growing world.