Did
you grow up in Richmond? If not, where did you grow up, when did you come here,
and what brought you here?
I grew up in Saginaw, Michigan and
lived on Longboat Key, (near Sarasota for two years) before I accepted the
faculty position from Dr. Rhodes in 2004.
How
long have you been a Professor at Reynolds?
Last year
I obtained full professor status after I earned my Ph.D. and will celebrate my
14th year in August of 2018.
What
do you like best about teaching?
Unlike some jobs where one works with
the same set of people for the long-haul, I get to work with a new set of
individuals about every four months when the semesters change. It
gives me great satisfaction to work with students on some aspect of their
educational journey. I always tell students that our working
relationship is never over—I encourage them to come back and ask questions and
let me know how I can continue to assist them on their trajectory. One of my students kept in contact with me for almost eight years. I wrote
quite a few letters of recommendation for her over the years but she was unable
to gain acceptance into physical therapy school. After much consternation
on her part, she prevailed last summer. When she relayed the news, I was
elated for her. I liken her journey to the “Footprints in
the sand” reflection. There is one piece that mentions, "I
never left you during your time of trial…" and that part certainly rings true
in this situation. Of course I am not speaking of myself in the
Godly sense but I was with this student cheering her on every step of the
way.
What
drew you to the area of Health & Physical Education?
My
parents were really fit and became avid runners in the 80s and this inspired me
to want to be just like them. Ironically, I was just looking at my
scrap book over the Christmas break and marveled at how competitive I was
as a youngster. I remember looking forward to the President’s
Council on Physical Fitness events and how close I could get to the top tier or
percentile ranking in running, chin-ups, pushups and the like. As I
got older and mulled over majors, I came across exercise science, and therein
was that eureka moment! It just made sense to major in something so
pivotal to one’s longevity. Through the years my parents have
had their trials and tribulations with health setbacks and I am reminded that
Ralph Waldo Emerson was right when he said, “The first wealth is health.”
I am confident I made the right choice.
You
have written several articles for the Richmond Times Dispatch, Men’s Health
Journal and other publications. How did you get your start as a writer and what
is your favorite subject to write about?
I just
inquired with various editors and sent them samples of my work and made pitches
and from there, the ideas just seemed to stick. I
am passionate about the topics of nutrition and fitness but I really enjoy
writing about faith and religion. In fact, the World Health
Organization (WHO) recently added spiritual health into the wellness
continuum. Although religion and spirituality are not necessarily
synonymous, there is some interesting research out there suggesting that this
domain of wellness might be linked to better health in people who espouse some
sort of religion or those that have a spiritual sense. I wrote an article in the Faith and Values column of the RTD some years
ago on this very topic.
You
are an advocate for men’s health and have encouraged men to become in your
words, “better stewards of their health.” What are the most important things
men can do to maintain their health?
Men seem
to find time to take their car in for an oil change, but are reticent when it
comes to their health. Men simply need to place a phone call
to the doctor and set up an appointment for a head to toe physical. My three commandments for men are really indicative of lifestyle behaviors:
diet, exercise and sleep. This trifecta is all related and if one revamps their
behaviors, the rest will fall into place.
What
is your favorite thing to do in Richmond?
Eat out
at various restaurants—I am a foodie at heart. Next to DC or NY,
Richmond is really a mecca for all things food. I just wish
they had a good Polish restaurant!
After taxes, I would take the lump sum and divvy it up. I would take care of my entire family and friends and then donate to the church and other causes. Afterward, I would purchase a house on the Leelanau peninsula (Traverse City, Michigan area) and buy a vineyard. Next up, to avoid the harsh Michigan winters, I would buy a house on Siesta Key in Florida—often voted America’s Best Beach. Of course I would need the leer jet to take me between residencies.
