About the Author

Bonnie Nygard, MEd, is an associate dean of academic affairs for the Community and Technical College at the University of Alaska at Anchorage (UAA). Before she held this position, Bonnie was a faculty member and coordinator of the physical education and recreation department at UAA for more than 15 years. Bonnies undergraduate degree is in physical education (K-12), and she earned her masters degree in adult education, with an emphasis in exercise science, from the University of Alaska at Anchorage. She is the coauthor of the Innovative Fitness Connections secondary physical fitness curriculum and resource package, The Ultimate Guide of One-Minute Workouts, Making the Fitness Connection, and When Cody Became a Mouse Potato, the first childrens book sponsored by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Tammy Green, MPH, is assistant professor and director of the Allied Health Science division at the University of Alaska at Anchorage. Tammy was recently invited by the Centers for Disease Control and Preventions Division of Adolescent and School Health (DASH) to speak at their annual Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) conference. Under Tammys guidance, Alaska became the first state to collect statewide weighted YRBS data using active parental consent. Previously Tammy was a health education specialist with the State of Alaska, Section of Epidemiology, managing the State Obesity Prevention and Control program. Tammy received her undergraduate degree in health and physical education from the University of Northern Colorado and her masters of public health (MPH), with an emphasis in health education and promotion, from Loma Linda University in southern California. Tammy has worked for the Alaska Department of Health as the school health program manager, a position in which she has collaborated with the Alaska Department of Education to increase coordinated school health programs throughout the state to deliver services and training to school districts and teachers.

Susan Koonce, MEd, has more than 20 years of teaching experience ranging from preschool to adult education. Her primary teaching emphasis is in working with elementary children with learning disabilities. Sue earned her undergraduate degree in special education from the University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh and has a masters degree in special education from the University of Alaska at Anchorage. Sue is currently a special education teacher in the Anchorage School District. She is the coauthor of When Cody Became a Mouse Potato, the first childrens book sponsored by the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.

Professional Development

The authors of the WOW! Health Education series are available to provide dynamic, hands-on professional development for elementary classroom teachers, physical educations, and health education teachers on implementing the WOW! program, as well as other related issues. For more information or to schedule professional development for your school, contact the authors at (907) 233-8110 or e-mail jtigreen@gci.net.