Debra J. Rose, PhD, FNAK
Professor and Department Chair,
Co-director, Center for Successful Aging
Location: KHS 121D
Telephone: (657) 278-5846
Fax: (657) 278-5317
Email: drose@fullerton.edu
Advising Areas:
Undergraduate:
Clinical Exercise Science; Fitness and Health Promotion; Gerokinesiology
Graduate:
Clinical Exercise Science; Fitness and Health Promotion; Georkinesiology
Courses Taught:
KNES 371: Human Motor Control and Learning
KNES 455: Functional Performance Assessment and Programming for Older Adults
KNES 471: Motor Control and Movement Dysfunction
KNES 571: Advanced Study in Human Motor Control and Learning
Biosketch:
Debra Rose, PhD, is a professor and Chair of the Kinesiology Department. She also serves as the co-director of the award-winning Center for Successful Aging at California State University, Fullerton and the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence established in 2005 with funding from the Archstone Foundation. Dr. Rose received her M.Sc from the University of Oregon in 1982 and PhD from Penn State University in 1985. Her primary research focus is in the area of postural control, mobility enhancement, and the prevention of falls in later years. Dr. Rose is nationally and internationally recognized for her research in the assessment and treatment of balance and gait disorders. Her research has been widely published in numerous peer-reviewed journals, book chapters, monographs, and professional journals. She has also received more than $6.0 million in external funding for her research in this area. Dr. Rose has been frequently recognized for her contributions to the scientific literature and to the profession. The innovative fall risk reduction program she developed called FallProof™ was recognized by the Health Promotion Institute of the National Council on Aging in 2006 as a “Best Practice” program in health promotion. This program is currently being replicated in numerous community-based settings and retirement communities throughout the United States. Dr. Rose is also the recipient of the 2103 Herbert A. DeVries Award for Distinguished Research on Aging from the Council on Aging and Adult Development, American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation, 2013. Debra is also the past Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity and a past-president and fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology.
Interest Area:
Dr. Rose’s research is focused on the development of effective fall-risk screening and assessment tools that can be used to predict fall risk as well as fall risk reduction programs for older adults at all stages of risk.
Current projects:
Dr. Rose is currently involved in writing the third edition of “FallProof : A Comprehensive Balance and Mobility Program”; and serving as the editor of the second edition of “Physical Activity Instruction of Older Adults." Her current research projects include: 1) Development and validation of the Multi-Systems Balance Test (MSBT), 2) Evaluating the Efficacy of the "Stay Well At Home" fall risk reduciton program and 3) Establishing the predictive validity of the MSBT in identifying fall risk.
