Ithaca College’s Division of Student Affairs and Campus Life would like to officially welcome Kaiden Girouard who will be taking on the new role of Health Promotion Specialist within the Center for Health Promotion. Girouard’s hiring comes following a detailed search process led by Michelle Goode, Program Director for the Center for Health Promotion.
“I am thrilled to welcome Kaiden Girouard to the Center for Health Promotion Team," said Michelle Goode. "He brings a lot of knowledge, passion and creativity to the campus, and I cannot wait to see how he builds positive connections with our students at IC."
As Health Promotion Specialist, Girouard will play a key role in developing, implementing, and promoting health and wellness related support programs for students at Ithaca College, including: resiliency building, stress management, alcohol and substance safety, healthy sleep practices, sexual health, relationship building, and additional programs to support students’ holistic well-being.
Girouard arrives at Ithaca College having recently completed his Master of Public Health Degree from SUNY Buffalo this past December. Girouard has assisted health promotion efforts at a variety of higher-ed institutions during his young career. Most recently, during the summer of 2021, he served as a Graduate Intern at Bryant University, developing health promotion materials, implementing marketing strategies, and creating programming presentations focused on alcohol safety and general wellness education. Prior to the onset of the pandemic, Girouard assisted the Office of Wellness and Health Promotion at California State University, at Long Beach as a Peer Health Educator. In this role, he facilitated wellness workshops focused on mental health and healthy sleeping practices, while also playing a key role in developing content for the office’s social media pages.
"I am so excited to have Kaiden join the IC Community because as a student he made me feel that I could trust him, that I could talk to him without feeling judged and I know that many students here at IC need a reliable person from whom they can learn without feeling judged," said Mariana Garcia Fajardo '25 who served on the search committee.
Girouard also has experience supporting pandemic related campus health efforts. He has served as a Contact Tracer at both Bryant University (October 2020 – June 2021) and, most recently, at Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts, during the Fall 2021 semester.
“I am excited to join Ithaca College’s Center for Health Promotion Team and want to thank everyone involved in the interview process for their time and the warm welcome. I look forward to collaborating on and supporting individual and community-based student wellness initiatives across campus.”
Girouard earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Food and Nutrition from Framingham State University in May of 2019. He also holds certifications which include: Question, Persuade, Refer (QPR) Suicide Prevention Gatekeeper, Opioid Overdose Recognition & Naloxone Use Training, Johns Hopkins COVID-19 Contact Tracing Certification, and a Certified Health Education Specialist.
Girouard officially started his Ithaca College tenure earlier this month.