Anthony V. Parrillo
Associate Professor
Community Health Education and Behavior

Dr. Parrillo in his office

Background
Welcome… and thanks for visiting. Let me share with you a brief review of the road I have taken to arrive at this point. Let's begin by saying that since the early days of high school I have always wanted to be a teacher; it was during my sophomore year of college that my dream of teaching at the collegiate level was born. This dream of mine wasn’t always easy to pursue, as I was the first person in my family to attend college. Nonetheless, I was lucky in many ways; as a resident of New York City at that time, attendance in the City University system was cost-free, if you met entrance requirements. I did, and entered Queensborough Community College in the Fall of 1969. It was my good fortune to have done so, because I was exposed to many great teachers, those who had passion for what they were doing, and a commitment to students that was clearly evident. The same was true for my experiences at Herbert H. Lehman College, the four-year school in the Bronx that had recently opened to both men and women, after having been an all-girls school. It was there that I blossomed, majoring in health education, physical education, and biological science.

My career in teaching began shortly thereafter. My first job was teaching physical education at a Catholic elementary school in the Flatbush section of Brooklyn. Most families there had very little material wealth, but they had an indomitable spirit that was infectious, and since I taught all eight grades, I got to know every student in the school; in retrospect, they taught me much more than I taught them. Two years later, I took a job teaching health education and biology at the high school in Queens I had attended a few years earlier; needless to say it was a special place, but a short time later it was time to pursue graduate school. I chose Syracuse University and within a year I had a Masters Degree. That was 1984.

My professional journey was to take another turn; I decided to remain in Syracuse. I took a position with the Onondaga County Health Department, and my life’s work – public health – was about to begin. The AIDS epidemic was about to hit its stride, and I spent five years educating the citizens of Central New York about what needed to be done to reduce their risks. Among the most satisfying projects I led was the AIDS policy initiative we instituted. As a result of my involvement, the region’s school districts had sound AIDS policies upon which to draw; there were other projects as well, but none as satisfying and important as that one.

It was clear, however, that I needed another change, so I spent two weeks in New York City reflecting on the future. The one message that emerged was this: Follow Your Dream. So I enrolled at Indiana University the following fall in their doctoral program in health behavior. After completing the PhD, I joined the faculty of East Carolina University’s School of Allied Health Sciences in Fall 1992, teaching courses in health behavior, planning and evaluation of community health programs, AIDS and other STDs, and others. In 1998, I joined the Academy for Educational Development in Washington, DC as a behavioral scientist in the CDC/DASH project. While there, I conducted in-depth evaluation studies on the status of HIV/AIDS education and prevention programs nationwide.

But I missed college…and the South. So, when I learned that Georgia Southern was going to have a position open in 2003, I jumped at the chance. This is my fourth academic year on-campus, and I enjoy every minute. My appointment is with the Jiann-Ping Hsu College of Public Health, and my office is located in the Center for Rural Health and Research. I am both teacher and scientist, and I feel privileged to be at a University that is committed to its students through teaching excellence.

When reflecting on my career path, I often think of Robert Frost, who wrote in "The Road Not Taken:"

Teaching Philosophy and Strategy
To best introduce and explain the philosophical belief upon which my teaching is based, let me quote noted author, Anais Nin, who said: “We do not see things as they are; we see things as we are.” What this has always meant to me is that I am unique, and that is a strength I bring to the classroom. On the collegiate level – most especially in graduate education – a student often chooses to enroll at a particular University due to the writings, perspective, and teaching abilities attributed to the faculty member under whom he/she will study. And since my entrance into college teaching occurred after I had a significant set of experiences, I have always felt confident that I had something substantive to share with students.

A student and Dr. Parrillo discuss a course project.

I view the classroom as a special place, a place where magic happens. I have had the good fortune and privilege to be able to practice in a classroom; as such, I never take for granted what might occur in that setting, and always try to make magic happen. Serendipity is not just a great place in New York City to have chocolate desserts, it is also the “…art of making happy discoveries, or finding the unexpectedly pleasant by chance or sagacity.” Referred to as the teachable moment, it is part of the magic that often happens in the classroom; I look for it, and embrace it when it takes place.

I have been committed to delivering a state-of-the-art educational experience to students. While at East Carolina, I was “ahead of the curve” in doing so, but I must admit that when I returned to academe in 2003, so much had changed that I had a lot to learn. Thankfully, the Center for Excellence in Teaching provides resources for faculty that get them ready for delivering a high-quality lesson. The WebCT platform provides an avenue to do so, and I take advantage of that resource at every opportunity.

In that regard, delivering on-line education is something I was asked to do in my first year on-campus; my predecessor taught two on-line courses that were offered each Spring, and I gladly took them on. In fact, last Spring I added a third on-line course to the repertoire; I never set foot in a classroom the entire semester. Regardless of the method of delivery, I firmly believe in:

• Hands-on instruction;
• Being available;
• Staying abreast of resources and technology;
• Providing a support system for my students;
• Collaborating with colleagues; and
• Using personal experiences in my teaching.

I entered the academy at the time Boyer published Scholarship Reconsidered: Priorities of the Professoriate. As such, his writings and insights have shaped much of what I do in the classroom. So, as a teacher-scholar in an emerging profession – behavioral science – I am in the position to train the next generation of behavioral practitioners; and teaching masters and doctoral students permits a focus on higher-order taxonomy skills.

The strategic placement of behavioral science and applied research studies in each class is something I now do inherently. But since our classes are taught in the evenings, designed to accommodate professionals studying for an advanced degree, holding their attention can often be a challenge. Most weeks, therefore, classes are taught in mini-segments; each one lasts from 15-to-20 minutes and is designed to address the objectives for that class. Each includes research that supports the premise as presented, and provides time for discussion. Collectively they provide students with experiences in the three learning domains: cognitive, affective, and psychomotor; by thinking, feeling, and doing, our students are more likely to learn the skills they need to be successful.

As a behaviorist, I have attempted to more fully understand the role that self-efficacy plays in the ultimate success of my students. As a result, the four sources of efficacy information are included in my teaching plans; wherever possible, I stress high-order efficacy skills (i.e., performance attainment and vicarious experience, or modeling). In doing so, developing a student’s sense of professional self-esteem will more likely occur.

In the classroom, I challenge myself to always remember Aristotle’s ultimate compliment of educators: “Teaching is the highest form of understanding.”