October 1, 2025

Dear Health, Sport, and Human Physiology (HSHP) Faculty and Staff,

Welcome to the month of October and week 6 of the fall semester! A couple of weeks ago, the university enrollment census numbers were released. The official HSHP census undergraduate enrollments for fall 2025 indicate that this is our 2^nd largest enrollment since the creation of HSHP in 2010! The current census enrollments are:  Exercise Science (n=825), Human Physiology (n=672), Sport and Recreation Management (n=569), Health Studies (n=288), Health Promotion (n=96), and Therapeutic Recreation (n=93)- for a total enrollment of 2543!  This is a 14.1% increase from 2022! This means that HSHP undergraduate students make up 10.9% of the 23,407 undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Iowa this fall!  Some other interesting data. HSHP enrolled a total of 448 new first year undergraduate students this fall, which is 10.5% of the 4247 new first year students enrolled in CLAS, and 8.1% of the 5561 newly enrolled students across the entire University! The graduate program also has remained consistent with 101 graduate students enrolled this fall, including 19 PhD and MS thesis students, 6 MS Clinical Exercise Physiology students, 61 MA Sport and Recreation Management students, and 15 MS Child Life students.

In this month’s DEO newsletter, I will share current HSAB updates, information on ongoing faculty searches this semester, upcoming events, faculty and student achievements and recognitions, and faculty publications since my last update on September 1.

Lastly, remember to follow the department updates throughout the semester on our social media channels on LinkedIn, Instagram, and/or Facebook!

Thank you for all of our faculty and staff for all of your efforts and dedication to students in HSHP! Please reach out to me if you have any questions or concerns.

Departmental Updates

HSHP Communications Request Form 
The CLAS Marketing and Communications team, with support from our communications student, is now managing the department's Communications Request Form. Please bookmark the form for convenient access and use it for all requests. Note that email submissions will be redirected to the form. You can also find the form labeled “Marcom Request” at the very bottom of the HHP website.

Health Sciences Academic Building (HSAB)

Work is progressing nicely on the HSAB project. The team is actively working on departmental inventory, operational procedures, and policy development in preparation for the HSHP move-in.

North Tower Progress Highlights:

• Interior finishes are advancing on all levels, including painting, ceiling installation, and resinous flooring.
• Lab casework is underway on Level 5.
• Storefront installation is in progress on Levels 4 and 5.
• Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing (MEP) rough-ins are nearing completion on Levels 2 and 6.
• Epoxy flooring is being installed in the penthouse (Level 7).
• Phase 2 (North Building) remains on schedule for HSHP’s departmental move-in May 2026.
• Monthly project meetings are open to all faculty and staff. Contact Genette Campbell to be added to the distribution list.

HSAB Open Work Sessions

Join us for informal, drop-in work sessions to discuss HSAB updates, review plans, and ask questions:

• Tuesdays – In-person: E101A FH & Live Zoom
• Thursdays – Live Zoom only

If you have a specific topic you'd like to discuss or need materials prepared in advance, please email your request to genette-campbell@uiowa.edu.

For more information, refer to your Outlook meeting invites and visit the HSAB HHP Project HQ Teams site.

Faculty searches and hires

The department is conducting several faculty searches, an update on the searches is below: 

• Visiting Assistant Professor in Nutrition & Health: The job posting closes on October 3, after that time, the committee (Kathy Mellen, Stephanie Borst & Kelli Taeger) will begin reviewing candidates. The expected start date is Spring 2026.
• Open-Rank Instructional Track faculty search in Sport & Recreation Management: There is a strong applicant pool and the search committee (Alex Voss (co-chair) Packy Moran (co-chair), Dan Matheson, Jeremy Mims, & Kate Wakenight) has made a plan for initial screenings and set a timeframe for interviews.
• Tenure Track faculty search for Sensorimotor/Health Promotion in HSHP: The job posting closes on October 1, the search committee (Anna Stanhewicz (chair), Nate Jenkins, Kara Whitaker, Lucas Carr & Vitor Lira) will begin reviewing applications soon and scheduling zoom screenings of top candidates.
• Instructor faculty search in HPAS (2 positions): The job posting closed on September 26. The search committee, Megan Lewey(chair),  Andrea Short & Lauren Tetmeyer, will start reviewing applicant materials soon.
• Open-Rank Instructional Track faculty search in Exercise Science and Health: There is a strong applicant pool of 25+ applicants, and the search committee, Amy Fletcher (chair), Clay Peterson, and Shawn Flanagan, are in the process of screening candidates and will start interviews soon.

Events

Friday, October 10, 2025, 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM, Chauncey - Theater 2

Filmspotting Live - Join co-host Adam Kempenaar (UI professor) and longtime Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips, for a special live taping! Inspired by Opening Night film Train Dreams, Adam and Michael will share their Top 5 Movies Adapted from Iowa Writers. Filmspotting has produced "weekly installments of affable, insightful film analysis since 2005" (The New York Times). This event is part of the Refocus Film Festival.

Wednesday, October 15, 2025, 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM, Field House Main Deck

UI Health and Well-Being Fair - HSHP students and faculty will be providing health screenings, including cholesterol, blood pressure, and grip strength. Students in Prof. Kathy Mellen’s HHP:4010 Behavioral and Clinical Health Assessment course will be conducting the health screenings they’ve learned in lab this semester. Students in Prof. Lauren Tetmeyer’s HHP:3820 Community Wellness Guided Practicum: Health Communication course developed the handouts explaining the screenings and interpreting results and also created a 2-minute video that will be part of the Virtual Health Fair (new this year). Finally, the Community Health Collaborative directed by Prof. Lucas Carr will be offering a door prize of a free resting metabolic rate (RMR) or body composition test (winner can decide which). Please stop by and support our students and faculty and get a free health screening!

Tuesday, November 4, 2025, 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM, Field House Main Deck

Fall Experiential Learning Fair - this event gives students the opportunity to talk with their peers who have participated in internships, practicums, research and study abroad and learn more about these experiences. Students will also have the chance to meet and connect with internship site supervisors, faculty, relevant student groups, the Pomerantz Career Center and more! Join us to learn about the many educational and professional opportunities the department offers outside of the classroom!

Celebrating achievements and recognitions

TR Fall Practicum with the National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic

Ten students and three professors in the Therapeutic Recreation Program participated in a fall practicum course with the National Disabled Veterans Golf Clinic (NDVGC) on Sept. 7-11, in Riverside, Iowa. They learned about adaptive golf equipment, techniques and helped with the implementation of evening recreation activities, ex. bowling, kayaking, adaptive cycling, aquatics, audio-rifle, etc. Learn more about VA Adaptive Sports and Arts on their Facebook page.

Journal of College and University Law Article

Josh Lens was invited to submit an article to an upcoming special edition of the Journal of College and University Law on the changing business model in college athletics. Josh presented his article, "Enforcing & Arbitrating Name, Image, & Likeness Compensation Limits" at the corresponding symposium co-hosted by the National Association of College and University Attorneys on Sept. 25, 2025.

WCX Outstanding Poster Award

Erin Talbert's poster, titled "“Myosteatosis is not associated with muscle wasting in patients with PDAC” won a WCX Outstanding Poster award at the 8th Cancer Cachexia Conference in Turin, Italy.

ORWH Women's Health Research Roundtable

Dr. Kara Whitaker was featured as a presenter in the ORWH Women's Health Research Roundtable webinar titled "Reaching Rural Women: Implications for Research on Pregnancy". Dr. Whitaker presented findings from the Pregnancy 24/7 Study; highlighting lifestyle and psychosocial factors affecting pregnancy outcomes in rural populations.

Human-Animal Interactions for Wellbeing Collaborative

The University of Iowa Obermann Center has announced the launch of a new working group-the Human-Animal Interactions for Wellbeing Collaborative-co-directed by Professor Adrienne Johnson (Department of Health, Sport, and Human Physiology) and Dr. Katy Schroeder (Department of Counselor Education, College of Education). This exciting initiative will unite faculty, staff, students, and community partners to explore the vital role of animals in supporting human health and wellness. Participants will include professionals in counseling, recreational therapy, Student Care and Assistance, UI Hospitals and Clinics, public safety, and community-based organizations. As an applied research and practice initiative, the Collaborative is dedicated to bridging evidence-based knowledge with real-world implementation. Its mission is to advance scholarship and practice in human-animal interaction, ensuring that interdisciplinary expertise informs the responsible and effective integration of animals into human services, education, and health systems. The group warmly welcomes faculty, staff, students, and community members across disciplines to join in this exciting new effort.

SRM Symposium

The Sport and Recreation Management program held its 10th annual Symposium on September 15, which included a full weekend of activities. On Saturday, faculty, Advisory Board members and friends of the program attended the Iowa Football game and President Wilson’s Tailgate event. On Sunday, the Advisory Board and faculty held its annual Symposium weekend business meeting, an exclusive networking function was held for SRM master’s students and select undergraduates with the Advisory Board and friends of the program, and SRM held its annual program celebration where scholarship recipients were recognized and program alumnus Tyler Barnes, Iowa Football Chief of Staff/GM, was honored with the Dr. Michael Teague All-Star Award, the SRM program’s highest honor.

On Monday, SRM converted the IMU into an educational and professional development conference with presenters, panel discussions, networking sessions, an internship and job fair and more. Engagement by students, Board members, friends of the program and faculty was exceptional. KGAN news covered the event and produced a story for its evening newscast. Please visit the SRM Facebook page or Instagram account to see dozens of photos from the event.

Publications

Recent peer-reviewed research publications by HSHP faculty members are listed below:

Nuckols VR, Davis KG, Pierce GL, Hoth KF, Santillan MK, Barone Gibbs B, Whitaker KM. Sleep, physical activity, and pregnancy symptoms: factors associated with cognitive performance in early pregnancy. Midwifery. 2025;150:104585.

VanWiel L, Butler O, Carr LJ, Gorzelitz J, Story WT, Whitaker KM. A qualitative analysis of postpartum women’s experiences with urinary incontinence and physical activity. Midwifery. 2025;150:104591

Crisp A, Gallagher JB, Wilhite K, Trude A, Haggerty T, Barone Gibbs B, Whitaker KM. Rural-urban differences in dietary intake across pregnancy trimesters: a multisite prospective cohort study. J Rural Health. 2025. [In Press].

Borrowman J, Carr LJ, Pierce GL, Story WT, Barone Gibbs B, Whitaker KM. Development of a postpartum physical activity intervention after a hypertensive disorder of pregnancy: the barrier analysis. Am J Health Beh. 2025. [In Press].