About

I am an Associate Professor of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of South Carolina Aiken. I teach classes in exercise physiology, research methods, and  nutrition, exercise, and health. I also conduct research in exercise performance, physical activity and health, and weight control.

I earned a Ph.D. in Exercise Physiology from the University of Tennessee, an M.A. in Exercise Science from Central Michigan University, and a B.S. in Biology from Stonehill College.

My research experience includes metabolic changes with weight loss, resting and exercise energy expenditure, environmental influences on physical activity, and functional limitations associated with obesity. My current research interests include functional fitness deficits with obesity and the role of weight loss and exercise in improving fuctional fitness, the effect of indoor and outdoor exercise on mood and cognition, and exercise science pedagogy.

I am  involved with community and professional organizations including Eat Smart Move More, the Family Y (YMCA), and the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). I am an ACSM certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist.

I also lead the ACSM Exercise Science Education interest group (more information here).

I write a weekly Health & Fitness column for the Aiken Standard and I have been a regular guest on TalkBack Live on ASTV. I am also a semi-regular guest on the RadioMD show “Train Your Body” and a frequent source for the local media.

I have written for Well Being Magazine and I have contributed to several articles on Lifehacker.com and io9.com. I was also quoted in this Fox News story. I also give talks to community groups, like this one I did last year for the Family Y Team Lean program.