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A Publication of the School of Exercise & Nutritional Sciences Fall 2009
In This Issue
Awards and Honors
Faculty News
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We want to hear from you!  If you've moved, been promoted, or have other good  news to share, drop us a line.  We'll try to feature as many appropriate updates as possible in every issue of ENS Happenings.  Photos are always appreciated!
 
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Message from the Director

Jan HarrisThe School of ENS continues to offer top-notch undergraduate and graduate degree programs in both Nutritional Science and Exercise Science. We are very proud of the quality of our recent graduates who are moving into advanced certificate and degree programs or embarking on professional careers. Program excellence is of course due in large part to the high quality of our faculty and students. At the same time, however, the distinctions our programs enjoy are due partially to the long tradition of support from our alumni and friends who have offered us many professional links, financial support, and a variety of community contacts. These definitely help us to keep our programs strong and move them forward. View highlights from ENS over the past year. 
 
We appreciate your support and are looking forward to a busy and productive 2009 - 2010 school year! 
 
Jan Harris
Director
Awards and Honors
 
Congratulations to 2009 Outstanding Graduates

 
Arafin (Alfi) Fullen (Foods and Nutrition) set high standards for her academic work in our Foods and Nutrition program, and she clearly met them. She graduated with a superb record of academic accomplishments made all the more remarkable by a difficult juggling act involving school, work, her family, and her sons' extracurricular activities. She says that one of her greatest accomplishments has been raising three wonderful sons together with her husband.  She looks forward to using the knowledge and experiences she has gained at SDSU in the next stage of her training to become a Registered Dietitian. As a professional, she wants to make a difference.
 
Corinne Pogemiller (Kinesiology) chose to enroll in our Athletic Training program and completed her studies in top-notch fashion. In addition to her excellent academic work, she participated in a variety of other activities. On campus, she served as an intramural referee, and she was also an intern with the School of ENS Center for Optimal Health and Performance where she led adult fitness classes, carried out exercise physiology testing, gained some marketing experience, and helped to plan a reception to honor emeritus School of ENS faculty member Fred Kasch.  She also gained valuable experience as an intern for the San Diego Gulls ice hockey team. In her last semester before graduation, she held offices in five campus organizations including three presidencies: Future Athletic Trainers Society, Physician Assistant Student Association, and Rotaract of SDSU.  In August 2009 she entered the Physician Associate master's degree program at Yale University. She eventually hopes to return to San Diego to work in either orthopedic surgery or sports medicine. 
 
ENS Faculty Members Named "Most Influential" by 2009 Outstanding Graduating Seniors
 
Three members of the School of ENS faculty were selected by Outstanding Graduating Seniors as the "most influential" professor throughout each student's academic career at SDSU. Arafin (Alfi) Fullen, Outstanding Graduating Senior in the Foods and Nutrition BS Degree Program, named Associate Professor Donna Beshgetoor. Athletic Training student Corinne Pogemiller, Outstanding Graduating Senior in the Kinesiology BS Degree Program, tagged Professor Mike Buono. And in the campus-wide Division of Undergraduate Studies Liana Grossman, Outstanding Graduating Senior in a major titled "Interdisciplinary Studies in Three Departments" identified ENS Associate Professor Dan Cipriani. The three outstanding students and the influential faculty members they selected were given special recognition at our May 2009 SDSU commencement ceremonies.
 
SDSU Students Awarded IDEA Health & Fitness Convention Scholarships
  
SDSU students Adam Reece and Casey Wheel were the recipients of two convention scholarships to the IDEA World Fitness Convention™ in Anaheim, CA, August 13-16.  Adam is an SDSU graduate student enrolled in the dual Masters degree program in Exercise Physiology and Nutritional Sciences while Casey is a recent graduate of this program. The scholarships covered the registration to the recent convention, where 4,000 fitness professionals from over 40 countries gathered to learn the latest information, research and trends in the fitness industry in over 300 educational sessions. Adam and Casey were chosen because their essays showed commitment to IDEA's purpose: Inspire the World to FitnessĀ®.  For more information on how you can apply for next year's convention scholarship or to be a volunteer, visit IDEA's website at www.ideafit.com and click on "Conferences" or call 1-800-999-IDEA.
 
Alumni Carolyn Peters Tapped for 2009 Robert J. Moore Athletic Training Distinguished Alumnus Award
 
Carolyn PetersSDSU's own Carolyn Peters was the recipient of the 2009 Robert J. Moore Athletic Training Distinguished Alumnus Award, given each year to a graduate of the School of ENS Athletic Training program who has made important professional contributions. She holds two degrees from SDSU: BA in Physical Education (1989), and MA in Kinesiology (1993). She has been an Assistant Athletic Trainer at SDSU since 1992, and over the years she has served as Head Athletic Trainer for women's basketball, women's soccer, men's golf, women's softball, and women's track and field.  In her "spare time" she is a service dog trainer for Paws'itive Teams and a member of the YMCA's Delta Society Pet Therapy Team. She has also offered her athletic training expertise to many groups including firefighters, paramedics, Navy Seals, US Marine Corps, American Cancer Society, and the California Police Olympics.
 
Ash Hayes Wins Lifetime Achievement Award
 
Dr. Asahel (Ash) Hayes (Kinesiology, '49) was named a winner of the 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award by The President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports (PCPFS).  Dr. Hayes, former executive director of the PCPFS, has worked vigorously to advocate physical activity and the importance of an active lifestyle during his six-decade career.  The award is presented to individuals whose careers have greatly contributed to the advancement and encouragement of physical education.  Dr. Hayes is a role model for a healthy lifestyle, and continues to promote physical activity in his work as a Physical Education, Physical Fitness and Sports Consultant.  Congratulations on this well-deserved recognition! 
 
School of ENS Professors Win Prestigious SDSU Awards

 
Two School of ENS Professors have been tapped this year to receive prestigious SDSU awards. Jeanne Nichols is the recipient of an Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Faculty Contributions to the University (the "Monty") for the 2009-2010 academic year. This was presented to her at the annual All-University Convocation on Thursday, August 27, with appropriate video flourishes highlighting her wonderful work. She joins School of ENS Professor Pete Aufsesser and Emeritus Professor Thom McKenzie who received the Monty in earlier years.
 
Peter AufsesserPete Aufsesser has been granted a President's Leadership Fund Award for Faculty and Staff Excellence. In its second year, this award is given for sustained innovation, excellence and entrepreneurship by faculty and staff that enhance students' educational experiences and extend SDSU's community engagement. Pete is the Founder and Director of the School of ENS Fitness Clinic for Individuals with Disabilities. We are very proud of this program, and Pete continues an active fund-raising campaign to help ensure that this work will be ongoing in the future. 
 
New Pedometer Step Recommendations: Recent Publication Gains Notoriety
 
Simon Marshall, Associate Professor in the School of ENS, is the lead author on a paper titled "Translating Physical Activity Recommendations into a Pedometer-Based Step Goal: 3000 Steps in 30 Minutes" that was published recently in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, co-authored with ENS Associate Professor Susan Levy, Catrine Tudor-Locke, ENS Professor Fred Kolkhorst, former ENS grad student Karen Wooten, Ming Ji, Caroline Macera, and former ENS Professor Barbara Ainsworth. Although they found that it is somewhat imprecise to use stepping rates alone to determine a person's walking intensity, as a simple-to-understand public health message they are confident to recommend that people should take 3000 steps in 30 minutes on 5 days of the week. News of this recommendation has been picked up by over 250 media outlets (including New York Times, BBC) in over 15 countries. Simon has done 22 print media interviews, 12 podcasts, and 8 live radio interviews in five countries.
Faculty News
 
ENS Welcomes New Assistant Professor in Physical Education Pedagogy
 
Nicole SmithIn August 2009 Dr. Nicole Smith joined the School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences as an Assistant Professor specializing in physical education pedagogy. She completed her doctoral work at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas while working as an instructor in the Department of Sports Education Leadership and serving as the Vice Chair of the Nevada Advisory Council for Fitness and Wellness. Her current research interests are related to the study of environmental and policy factors that influence physical activity behavior. We look forward to her arrival at SDSU.
 
For more detailed information about faculty activities, please click on the respective headline:
 
Fred Kolkhorst Does Sabbatical Work on Oxygen Uptake Kinetics
 
David Kahan to Spend Sabbatical in Local Schools
 
Mike Buono and Fred Kolhorst Engaged in Heat Acclimation Studies
 
Mee Young Hong Investigates Nutritional Factors Related to Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer
 
Roger Simmons Awarded $411,125 NIH Grant to Continue Research on Prenatal Alcohol Exposure
 
Pete Aufsesser and Jan Thurman Continue to Serve the San Diego Region Through the Fitness Clinic for Individuals with Disabilities
 
Jeanne Nichols in Sixth Year of Work on Female Athlete Triad Syndrome in Adolescent Girls
 
Mark Kern's Research Team Continues Active Agenda of Investigations in Nutritional Science
 
Emeritus Professor Thom McKenzie Continues His Active Research and Consulting Agenda
 
Lab Upgrades
 
Biomechanics Lab Upgrade Enhances Research Capabilities
 
In 2008 the Biomechanics Laboratory floor was upgraded to an elevated concrete system that replaced a troublesome walking platform where only straight-ahead walking studies could be conducted. Funded with support from the School of ENS and the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts, now the whole floor is an expansive, solid, elevated structure; the lab's two force plates have been installed flush with the surface; and all electrical cables have been tucked neatly out of the way underneath. School of ENS Associate Professor Dan Cipriani says that the new floor allows people participating in research studies to have much more freedom of movement beyond walking, including jumping, running, cutting, spinning in multiple directions, and other dynamic activities. And all the while precise measurements of their movement are recorded for later analysis using various motion capture instruments. continued... 
 
Fitness, Nutrition, and Health Option Moves into New Instructional Laboratory

 
Larry VerityIn January 2009 we were delighted to open a new lab space for instruction in health-related fitness assessment and programming. School of ENS Professor Larry Verity, who heads up our undergraduate program in Fitness, Nutrition, and Health,  is especially pleased because the lab sections associated with his class ENS 432 Exercise, Fitness, and Health are being held in this new space. He says it is an excellent facility for conducting these lab classes and facilitating active student learning. continued...
 
2009 Pathways to Health Colloquium Focuses on Exercise, Nutrition and Childhood Obesity
 
The annual School of ENS Pathways to Health Colloquium in February 2009 highlighted the nationwide problem of childhood obesity and included two distinguished lectures and a half-day workshop for parents and practitioners.  The distinguished lecturers were Thomas W. Rowland, MD and pediatric cardiologist at the Baystate Medical Center in Springfield, Massachusetts who spoke on "Early  Effects of Obesity on Cardiovascular Function in Youth"; and Virginia A. Stallings, MD and pediatric gastroenterologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia whose topic was "Early Growth and Risk for Obesity." Seven School of ENS graduate students joined the speakers for breakfast the next morning which gave them opportunities for direct dialog with these two well-known experts. The workshop was presented by Michelle Zive (MS Nutritional Sciences, SDSU, 1988) who is with the Division of Community Pediatrics in the UCSD School of Medicine. We give special thanks to the James Hervey Johnson Charitable Education Trust for providing major funding for the Pathways Colloquium.