About
Cheryl Dye is a Research Professor in the Department of Psychology and Professor Emerita in the Department of Public Health Sciences. She is the founding Director and a current Faculty Associate of the Institute for Engaged Aging. She has performed extensive research on health promotion of older adults. Her interests include chronic disease self-management through use of health coaches; development and implementation of interventions to improve physical activity and nutritional behaviors and to reduce falls; dementia care; and technologies and built environment approaches to enable aging in place.
Visit Dr. Dye's College Profile.
How their research is transforming health care
Dye is a co-creator and manager of Health Coaches for Hypertension Control (HCHC), which was designated as an Evidence-Based Program by the National Council on Aging within the Administration on Aging in 2018. This designation enables use of funds from the Administration on Community Living and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services by agencies which wish to implement HCHC. As of 3-2021, she has trained representatives from state government and aging agencies in eight states to implement HCHC. Dye also developed a dementia day program, the Brain Health Club, with her doctoral student Caitlin Torrence where those with early to mid-stage dementia can receive cognitively and socially engaging activities. The Brain Health Club was recognized with an Aging Innovations and Achievement (AIA) Award in September 2020 at the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (n4a) conference. Dye partnered with the state’s Department on Aging, local Area Agency on Aging, Alzheimer’s Association and the Town of Central to reopen a closed senior center in September 2018 to house the Brain Health Club and other aging services such as congregate meals and exercise classes. For its first three years of operation, CU Creative Inquiry students delivered cognitively and socially stimulating activities to Brain Health Club participants after being trained by Caitlin Torrence who also served as the Club’s first director.
News and media related to Dr. Dye’s research
- There's a growing population of older people across SC, and there are growing problems - Greenville News
- Clemson Institute for Engaged Aging program receives national award - Clemson News
- Clemson researchers, students offering fall prevention program in Upstate - Clemson News
Health Research Expertise Keywords
Faculty Scholar, Public Health, Aging, Older Adults, Health Coaches, Health Promotion, Alzheimer’s, Dementia, Caregivers, Family, Community, Lifestyle, Engagement, Quality of Life, Population Health
