Christian T. Gloria, Ph.D., CHES
- B.S., Kinesiology: Health Promotion & Fitness The University of Texas at Austin (2005)
- M.A., Health Education The University of Texas at Austin (2009)
- Ph.D., Health Behavior & Health Education The University of Texas at Austin (2013)
Taking a weight training class—“for fun”—during my undergrad stint unexpectedly became the seed that flourished into my now life-long passion in public health. After earning my BS, I became a personal trainer and enjoyed helping individuals. However, I realized that if I wanted to “save the world,” my efforts needed to go beyond the individual person and instead aim to change populations. This dream motivated me to pursue graduate education, so that I could equip myself with the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to begin moving such mountains. Throughout grad school, I was surrounded by the best, brightest, and kindest faculty, staff, and fellow students who challenged and supported me to become far more successful than I ever expected. I also had invaluable opportunities to experience the many dimensions of public health research and practice through internships at St. David’s Hospital, 3M Corporate Wellness, and the Texas Department of Health. Presently, I am living the dream and loving life in paradise as an Assistant Professor of Public Health at Hawaii Pacific University.
Live meaningfully and purposefully. Make decisions and actions that will result in you waking up each morning a better version of yourself and a greater gift to the world.
The key to my success—a gem I discovered during grad school—was realizing that for every question, problem, and barrier, there are answers, solutions, and wall-breakers. However, these resources—like any of life’s treasures—are often hard to find, but only those who persevere will be rewarded.
