Princeton University

Task Force on Health and Well-Being

Recommendations lead to appointments

Princeton NJ — Three staff members have been named to positions created as a result of recommendations made last year by the University’s Task Force on Health and Well-Being.

They are: Gina Baral as director of health promotion and wellness services in University Health Services; Mandy Clark as clinical nutritionist in University Health Services; and Mary Piteo as work-life coordinator in the Office of Human Resources.

Baral, who has been coordinator of health promotion and wellness services for UHS since 2001, is overseeing the new “Healthier Princeton” program for students, faculty and staff. The initiative will focus on the development of programs in a variety of areas, including: health risk assessment; health maintenance and disease management; depression awareness; alcohol and drug education; nutritional counseling; stress and time management; weight management; smoking cessation; and fitness.

Baral has managed a variety of health and wellness programs for students and employees at Princeton, including the AlcoholEdu course for incoming freshmen, alcohol awareness marketing campaigns, the Princeton Depression Awareness Program and the FluFest immunization program. She has worked closely with the Student Health Advisory Board, peer educators, student volunteers and numerous offices across campus.

“Gina has done an exceptional job of building our health promotion and wellness services, developing new programs and strengthening our relationships with students, faculty and staff,” said Daniel Silverman, chief medical officer. “Her experience and creativity will be essential as we undertake this important initiative to enhance the well-being of our campus community members.”

A licensed social worker and certified health education specialist, Baral is a consulting editor for the Journal of American College Health. She also is a member of the board of directors of the Bucks County (Pa.) Drug and Alcohol Commission.

Prior to joining the Princeton staff, she was a health educator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Baral also has worked in disease prevention research with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and in health promotion at Bentley College.

A graduate of the University of Delaware, Baral holds master’s degrees in public health and social work from Boston University. She is pursuing a doctorate in public health from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey.

Clark will be responsible for providing comprehensive nutrition services to University students, including assessment, counseling and education. In collaboration with “Healthier Princeton,” she also will offer education and outreach to faculty, staff and other appropriate groups on nutrition-related issues and information.

A registered dietitian, Clark holds a bachelor’s degree in nutrition from Pennsylvania State University and a master’s degree in nutrition from Texas A&M University. She previously was a sport dietitian in the University of Notre Dame’s athletic department, where she built the university’s first sport nutrition program and educated student-athletes, coaches, support staff and administrators on the role of nutrition in athletic performance and overall health.

Piteo’s responsibilities will include serving as a frontline staff person to assist faculty, staff and graduate students in the areas of work and family balance, child care and elder care. She will be the liaison with Carebridge, the University’s faculty-staff assistance and work-life programs provider. She also will work with a campus work-life committee to develop related policies and programs.

Piteo previously was employed by LifeCare Inc., one of the largest privately owned employee benefits organizations in the United States. She oversaw Quality Connections, a work-life initiative piloted by Lucent/Avaya and the Agere Family Care Development Fund.

Most recently, she was a services and sales consultant at Rideau Recognition, a provider of employee recognition and incentive programs. In previous positions, Piteo has coordinated state and federal programs with a focus on child care and family support.

A graduate of Rutgers University, Piteo holds a master’s degree in developmental psychology from Columbia University Teachers College.