Dianne Hales
Dianne Hales is a widely published and esteemed journalist and author. In addition to more than 30 editions of college textbooks related to health, she is the author of 16 trade books, including LA PASSIONE: HOW ITALY SEDUCED THE WORLD; MONA LISA: A LIFE DISCOVERED; LA BELLA LINGUA; JUST LIKE A WOMAN; and CARING FOR THE MIND. Her books have been translated into many languages, including Chinese, Japanese, Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish and Korean. Hales is a former contributing editor for Parade, Ladies’ Home Journal, Working Mother, and American Health, and she has written more than 1,000 articles for national publications. She has received writing awards from the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association; an EMMA (Exceptional Media Merit Award) for health reporting from the National Women’s Political Caucus and Radcliffe College; three EDI (Equality, Dignity, Inclusion) awards for print journalism from the National Easter Seal Society; the National Mature Media Award; and awards from the Arthritis Foundation, California Psychiatric Association, CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), Council for the Advancement of Scientific Education, and New York Public Library.
Lara Lauzon
Lara Lauzon is an Assistant Professor at the University of Victoria in British Columbia. Her teaching focus in the School of Exercise Science, Physical and Health Education is student health, wellness, and personal potential. Her research specialty is in teacher wellness. She is also a consultant specializing in workplace wellnessand leadership. She has worked for not-for-profit, municipal, provincial, and private health and fitness agencies. Sheco-produced and hosted an internationally syndicated health and fitness show called Body Moves for seven years. She has won many awards, including a Faculty of Education Teaching Excellence Award (University of Victoria), a Graduate Student Award for Teaching Excellence, the Victoria “Y” Women of Distinction Award for the fitness and health category, the B.C. Promotion Plus Leadership Award for promotion of girls and women in fitness and sport, a B.C. Paraplegic Association Award for the production of two fitness videos for persons with disabilities, and a Community Wellness Award for outstanding contribution to the field of community wellness. She accepted an honorary membership to the Golden Key International Honour Society at the University of Victoria. She has writtenhundreds of fitness and health columns for newspapers and health magazines and has published a number of fitness and health journal articles. She is a co-author of Leadership for Recreation, Leisure and Parks Services, fourth edition and also has a chapter titled “A Work In Progress” included in a collaborative work called Wise Women Speak: Changes Along the Path. She is a popular keynote speaker and continues to present health and wellness workshops in Canada and the United States.
