JILL W. VARNES, ED.D.
Professor Emeritus
Ed.D. in Health and Physical Education, University of Southern Mississippi (1978)
M.A. in Physical Education, University of Florida (1974)
B.A. in Physical Education, University of Florida (1973)
Curriculum Vitae

Office:
Address:		P.O. Box 118210 Gainesville, FL 32611-8210
Contact:		(352) 392-0583 jvarnes@hhp.ufl.edu

Biography:

Jill W. Varnes, Ph.D., is currently Professor Emeritus in the Department of Health Education and Behavior and former Director of the Florida Center for Health Promotion. Varnes has served a three-year term as Interim Dean in the College. Prior to serving as Interim Dean, Varnes spent almost four years as Director of Accreditation and New Degree Programs in the Office of Academic Affairs at the University of Florida. Previous administrative experience includes serving 11 years as Assistant Dean in the College of Health and Human Performance with primary responsibility for student affairs.

Varnes has published in journals such as Preventive Medicine, Journal of Health Education and Health Education and Behavior and is author or co-author of numerous book chapters and books. She is credited with grants in excess of $3 million. Varnes was the Principal Investigator for the Florida Study Center’s Working Well Research Trial, funded by the National Cancer Institute. Working Well was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of using the work place to deliver health promotion programs to adults. In 1984, she initiated the University of Florida's employee wellness program, Living Well, which has grown to be a self-sustaining enterprise with a full-time staff.

In the area of professional service and leadership Varnes served as President of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD) in 1999-2000. She has received a number of recognitions: Biennial Health Education Scholar from the International Council for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, the AAHPERD Honor Award, the American Association for Health Education Professional Service Award and listing in Who's Who in American Education among others. She holds fellow status in the Association for Worksite Health Promotion; American Association for Health Education and the North American Society for HPERD; and is a Certified Health Education Specialist.

Over the course of her career Varnes has planned and implemented wellness programs, professional development programs and leadership institutes for school districts, volunteer organizations and professional associations. She has served on the Gainesville Well City Steering Committee, a group that successfully guided Gainesville’s efforts to become the first city in the US to be designated as a Gold Well City by the Wellness Council of America. Varnes is currently the vice-chair of the Healthy Gators 2010 coalition, whose mission is to create a campus environment supportive of the development and maintenance of a healthy body, mind and spirit for all members of the University of Florida community.

She was the University of Florida’s NCAA Faculty Athletics Representative and member of the Southeastern Conference Executive Committee. Varnes was also a member of the NCAA Division 1 Academic Cabinet.

Research Interests:

• • Worksite health promotion, specifically effectiveness of using the work place to deliver health education programs
• • School based wellness programs for faculty and staff and impact on student academic achievement

Classes:
HSC 4694/6695 Health Promotion in the Workplace
HSC 4950/5925 Behavioral & Environmental Determinants of Obesity
HSC 3134 Education for Emotional Health and Health Counseling
HSC 3301 Elementary School Health Methods
HSC 4905 Special topics: Environmental and Behavioral Aspects of Obesity
HSC 6567 Health Promotion and Programming in Gerontology
HSC 6695 Worksite Health Promotion