She then worked as a Health Educator with Ingham County Health Department in Lansing Michigan for five years, before being hired as the Health Education Services Coordinator at Olin Health Center in January 1985. She oversees a multi-focused health education program which provides education and outreach services targeted to MSU students in the areas of alcohol and other drugs, fitness, nutrition, and sexual health. She serves as the advisor to the MSU Student Food Bank, MSU Health Advocate Program and the MSU Student Cancer Support Network.

Along the way, Nancy married John Allen(Ohio State University-Optometry Alumni). They have two children, Brandi and Jenna. She enjoys family activities, reading, gardening, running, travel and working at MSU!. Nancy feels the academic preparation and working experiences she gained as a Medical Technology student and practitioner provided an excellent background for her current work as a health educator and she is extremely proud to be an alumnus of the MSU program!

Recent Update:
from "The Source" fall 2003 an MSU Publication
New Director

We have recently completed a search for a new director, hiring Nancy Allen as the new director of this unit. Nancy has built the Olin Health Education unit over a period of many years to one of the most respected student health education units in the country, so she comes to the new position with significant experience, knowledge of the MSU community and a passion for helping to build and connect health education efforts across campus. She also is committed to following nation health goals that have been in the news more in the past year, articulated in Healthy People 2010 document, put out by the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services. This document articulates important goals for all of us in realizing and maintaining health. At the top of the list for the nation agenda are smoking cessation, addressing obesity, and increasing activity for all citizens. It will be exciting to support Nancy in her efforts to coordinate health education programming, and to deputize all of us as agents promoting and working toward healthy lifestyles. For anyone who is not aware, Healthy U has new home, on the third floor of Olin Health Center. The fall programming can be viewed on their website at www.msu.edu/unit/healthyu.