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Topic: Health and Wellness

Mira Morton Luna

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Mira Morton Luna, M.A., serves as the associate director of the Health Institute at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her areas of expertise include health equity, diabetes, international affairs, career services, curriculum development, and organizational development. She has served as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Denver, where she previously taught cross-cultural public relations, health communications, and career and internship courses. Her career focus is centered around education and healthcare, with an international perspective.  

In addition to teaching, Luna is a professional career coach and serves as a career consultant to the International Career Advancement Program (ICAP). She also holds a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) credential, further contributing to her multifaceted engagement in human resources and career services.  

Before joining MSU Denver, Luna served as the associate director for Career Development at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. She also held roles as a Sales Manager at pharmaceutical companies like Kos and Bristol-Meyers Squibb. Furthermore, Luna served as a Program Director for the American Diabetes Association.

Luna earned her master’s degree in International and Intercultural Communications where she focused on cross-cultural health promotion, and a specialized graduate certificate in Human Capital in Organizations, both from the University of Denver. She also holds a bachelor’s degree in Communications with an emphasis on Hispanic Studies from Lewis & Clark College.

Lucía E. Briceño

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Emily Matuszewicz

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Emily Matuszewicz, D.C., is the Health Institute Director of Development and Partnerships at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She is charged with the oversight and development of an interdisciplinary educational approach that prepares students from diverse backgrounds to become Colorado’s future health professionals, improve health outcomes, and promote health equity.

Michelle Tollefson

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Michelle Tollefson is a physician and associate professor in the Health Professions Department at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She teaches in the Integrative Therapies program and is the current secretary of the American College of Lifestyle Medicine.

Tollefson worked as a private practice obstetrician and gynecologist, until leaving to work with Poudre Valley Health System as a medical director and director of Women’s Wellness Education. She is a certified wellcoach, guest faculty for Harvard and author of online continuing medical education for the Harvard Institute of Lifestyle Medicine. She is passionate about women’s healthcare, lifestyle medicine and teaching people to lead healthier and happier lives.

Tollefson is a graduate of Creighton University, where she received her Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine degrees. She completed her obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of Missouri in Kansas City and received her board certification in this medical specialty.

Ben Thompson

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Ben Thompson, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences at Metropolitan State University of Denver.

Prior to working in higher education, he was employed as an exercise professional for Johnson & Johnson as well as in hospital and community-based fitness facilities. Thompson is an active member in the American Physiological Society and the American College of Sports Medicine. He currently serves as the chair of the Committee on Certification and Registry Boards Certified Exercise Physiologist subcommittee for ACSM as well as a member-at-large for the Committee on Accreditation for the Exercise Sciences.

Thompson was recently honored to be named a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine. He is one of approximately 1400 in the entire College. He is also an ACSM Certified Exercise Physiologist and has maintained this certification for over 16 years. Thompson has published in well-known, peer-reviewed journals like the American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology and the Journal of Applied Physiology. He has continued research interests in skeletal muscle blood flow as well as the efficacy of physician/exercise professional national initiatives.

Thompson received his doctorate in exercise science from University of Toledo, a master’s in exercise science from Central Michigan University and a bachelor’s in kinesiology from University of Northern Colorado.

Erin Seedorf

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Erin Seedorf, Dr.P.H., is an assistant professor in the Department of Health Professions at Metropolitan State University of Denver. Her areas of expertise include public health, population health, public health policy, local public health and community engagement/advocacy.

Seedorf joined MSU Denver in fall 2010 as an affiliate faculty and now serves as a full-time faculty. Previously, she served as program manager at the University of Colorado Denver in the Center for Public Health Practice. At UCD, Seedorf managed a technical assistance program providing support to communities around the state working on tobacco control policy initiatives. She also served as an evaluation specialist with the Community Program Evaluation Group at UCD. Her research topics include public health policy and community-based interventions.

Seedorf received her doctor of public health in community and behavioral health from Colorado School of Public Health in 2017.

Diane Ream

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RN since 1999; nursing management, NICU, adult ICU, emergency, home health care, and nursing education. Retired from 23 years in USAF in 2005.

Joe Quatrochi

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Joe Quatrochi, Ph.D., is a professor in the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences at Metropolitan State University of Denver. He is the coordinator for the Exercise Science major within the HPS department.

Quatrochi professional experience includes extensive consulting activities for public and private entities in the areas of worksite health promotion and physical activity programs for adults, seniors/retirees, athletes and public service professionals (firefighters, security personnel). He has won numerous awards for his teaching and professional service.

During the past 25 years, Quatrochi has shared his expertise on numerous fitness and wellness-related topics in a variety of ways: through publication of several articles and chapters in books; delivery of dozens of presentations to various professional, private and public groups; and through many interviews for both print and electronic media. Most recently, he has shared his experiences as a cancer survivor. Specifically, Quatrochi has presented to various groups regarding the importance of self-responsibility to those being treated for cancer and other diseases. His primary research interest lies in the area of physical activity for the promotion of health and the prevention of disease.

Quatrochi received his doctorate in health promotion and masters in exercise physiology from University of New Mexico and a bachelor’s in physical education from Fort Lewis College.

Nhu Nguyen-Siedem

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Nguyen-Siedem, Ph.D. is a physical education professor in the School of Education at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She is an avid outdoors enthusiast, mother and teacher, and developed a progressive secondary methods course that became a part of required course curriculum for a K-12 physical education program. The program includes activities such as skateboarding, takraw, rugby, tchoukball and speedball.

When she isn’t teaching and advising her students, she can be seen coaching USA junior national volleyball, or playing the game herself.

Brandi Moore

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Brandi Moore, Ph.D., is a lecturer and naturopathic physician in the Department of Health Professions at Metropolitan State University of Denver. She teaches Dynamics of Health HON, Medical Terminology and Clinical Pathophysiology. In addition, she is the owner of Reclaim Integrative Health in Denver and the host of “The Pretty Healthy Podcast,” where she tackles trending topics in health and wellness from a balanced perspective.

Her interest in medicine started once she began her formal education in Naturopathic Medicine and began making changes in her own life after seeing significant improvements to her health. This fueled her desire to help and educate those around her in the healing power of nature. Moore understands first-hand how hard it is to make health a priority in people’s lives and helps women prepare their bodies for pregnancy, increase energy levels, lose weight, eat healthier and maintain a balanced mood.

Moore received her Ph.D., from Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in 2016 and completed a two-year residency in general medicine and naturopathic oncology in Portsmouth, New Hampshire. She received her bachelor’s in public relations from the University of Texas at Arlington in 2010.

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