Communications

Professor

College of Health Sciences - Kinesiology

Bio

As a professor, Dr. Melissa Whidden's goal is to foster intellectual growth in her students and to inspire learning. Whidden brings her enthusiasm for exercise and health into the classroom and hopes that it rubs off on her students. Whidden currently serves as the Exercise Science Coordinator for the Department of Kinesiology and is instrumental in setting up our students with appropriate internships. Whidden engages in research with both undergraduate and graduate students. Her main research interests include ergogenic aids for exercise/sports performance, high intensity interval training, skeletal muscle adaptation, oxidative stress, and aging.

She is currently listed on over thirty peer-reviewed publications. She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and serves on the Health and Advocacy Policy committee. She serves on the research committee for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter of ACSM (MARC-ACSM). Whidden is also involved in promoting physical activity and exercise in her local community. She has served on the West Bradford Youth Athletics board and has coached recreational youth lacrosse and soccer. She chairs the annual Move-A-Thon fundraiser at her children’s elementary school, and she reaches out to community members for fitness screens and assessments.

Education

• B.S., University of Buffalo, 2001
• M.S., University of Buffalo, 2003
• Ph.D., University of Florida, 2008