Letter from the Director: What’s in a Name?

We all know (and hopefully love) STRIDE. So, it’s hard to even think about changing its name.  Maybe we don’t need to change it. However, I’ve noticed when talking with people unfamiliar with STRIDE that I have to insert a qualifier.  I usually say, “STRIDE – it’s the Center for Obesity Research at Cal Poly.” Sometimes, I feel brave and will attempt to unpack the acronym; “S.T.R.I.D.E. It stands for…Science…no, I mean…Solutions….through Translational…no we removed ‘Translational’ three years ago… Solutions Through Research in Diet and Exercise. Yes. That’s it,” I’ll say. 

Although the spelled-out versions have changed, the STRIDE name has been around for seven years, and people on campus and in our local community have gotten to know STRIDE and what it stands for — at least conceptually, if not acronymically. On the other hand, most of us cannot remember the acronym’s expansion. And, the name is pretty nondescript. 

What do you think? Please take the poll here or shoot me an email at sphelan@calpoly.edu. I’d love to hear your thoughts.  One thing we agree on is STRIDE’ s mission to “facilitate transdisciplinary research on the prevention and treatment of obesity and related diseases. Our research impacts all levels of society and leads to improved quality of life across the lifespan.”  You’ll see in the newsletter that STRIDE is busy carrying out this mission, engaging students with the community, launching Women & Infants Mobile Health, publishing findings on the early life origins of obesity, and spearheading new interdisciplinary research in metabolomics of obesity. Cheers to all the great work and best wishes for a healthy Spring,

Suzanne

Newsletter Writers: Casey Heaney, Suzanne Phelan, and Susan Staub.  If you have information to submit to the newsletter, please send it to Casey Heaney at heaney@calpoly.edu