Primary Authors & Editors

Kristen Beavers, RD, MPH, PhD, ACSM-CPT.   Kristen completed her doctoral training in the Exercise, Nutrition, and Preventive Health program at Baylor University.  Kristen earned her bachelors degree in human biology, health, and society at Cornell University, and a masters of public health at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.  Kristen serves as one of the dietitians in the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab.  Kristen helped develop the meal exchanges, sample diets, and meal timing programs for our athletes at Baylor University.  She also has worked with track and field athletes as well as designing the training table at Baylor.

Rodney G. Bowden, PhD   Dr. Bowden is an Associate Professor of Health Education in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation at Baylor University.  A former regionally competitive cyclist, Dr. Bowden has published a number of clinical papers concerning lipid metabolism, issues specific to End-Stage Renal Disease, and behavior change/enhancement in international and national level journals. 

Bill Campbell, PhD, FISSN, CSCS.   Dr. Campbell currently serves as Assistant Professor in the School of Physical Education and Exercise Science at the University of South Florida.  Bill was a doctoral research assistant in the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory at Baylor University.  He served as the Sports Supplements Studies Coordinator and was involved in numerous clinical studies investigating the effects of various sports supplements on health and performance.  In 2005, Bill was elected as the student representative to the International Society of Sports Nutrition.  Bill's diverse clientele has included collegiate athletes (golf, basketball, and football) and those seeking to improve body composition through exercise and nutritional interventions.  Bill was a collegiate basketball player and has competed as a natural bodybuilder. 

Mike Greenwood PhD, FACSM, FISSN, FNSCA, CSCS*D.  Dr. Greenwood is a Professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance and Recreation at Baylor University.  He serves as the exercise physiology graduate program director and conducts research within the Center for Exercise, Nutrition & Preventive Health and the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Laboratory.  Mike is a fellow of the International Society of Sport Nutrition (ISSN) and American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM). He is certified as a strength & conditioning specialist with distinction by the NSCA and has previously served as a collegiate athletic coach as well as a strength training/conditioning professional.  Mike is currently serving on the Advisory Board of ISSN and the NSCA Certification Commission Executive Council. His primary lines of research are in the area of sport/exercise nutrition and strength and conditioning.

Mikaele (Mike) Iosia, PhD, CSCS, CSCCa.   Dr. Iosia earned his Bachelors of Science at The University of Southern Mississippi, Masters at Auburn University, PhD at The University of Alabama and served as post-doctoral research fellow at Baylor University's Exercise Sports Nutrition Laboratory.  Mike is now an Assistant Professor at Lee University.  Mike was a walk-on long snapper at Southern Miss who earned a scholarship his senior year and played in the 1993 Senior Bowl.  Mike has spent a decade as a strength and conditioning coach at the Division IA level. He served as student assistant at Southern Miss, graduate assistant and assistant strength and conditioning coach at Auburn University, Football and Head Strength and Conditioning coach at Tulane University and a temporary assistant at The University of Alabama.  He was part of the staff that helped lead Tulane University's football team to an undefeated season 12 - 0 season and #7 Associated Press ranking in 1998.  His research interests are in the areas of fatigue and recovery, athletic performance evaluation and improvement and resistance training in elderly populations.

Jean Jitomir, MS, RD, PhD.  Jean recently completed her doctorate in the Exercise, Nutrition, and Preventive Health program at Baylor University.   Jean is a competitive fitness and figure contestant as well as a bodybuilder (see www.jeanjitomir.com).  She received her undergraduate degree in nutrition and dietetics from Cornell University and a MS degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.  She currently serves as the dietetics coordinator in the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab.  Jean worked with several other ESNL dietitians to develop meal plans. 

Chad M. Kerksick, PhD, CSCS*D, ATC, NSCA-CPT*D.  Chad Kerksick is an Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma.  Dr. Kerksick was the Assistant Lab Coordinator for the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory at Baylor University from 2002 to 2006 and recently completed his PhD in Exercise, Nutrition and Preventive Health.  He received his Masters of Science degree in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Memphis.  He first received a Bachelor's of Science in Exercise Science with an emphasis in athletic training and exercise physiology and is also certified as an athletic trainer, strength and conditioning specialist and a personal trainer.  He has worked with numerous athletes in addition to specific sports teams ranging from high school athletes to professional athletes providing consulting on areas related to strength and conditioning, nutrition and recovery.  His primary research interests include sport nutrition as well as the biochemical, cellular and molecular adaptations relative to various forms of exercise and nutrition interventions.

Rafer Lutz, PhD.  Dr. Rafer Lutz is an Associate Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation at Baylor University.  Dr. Lutz's research focuses primarily on the psychology of exercise participation and related health psychology topics, though he has secondary interests in the study of sport performance enhancement.  A former Academic All-American golfer, Dr. Lutz has served as a performance enhancement consultant for a variety of business organizations, individual athletes, and athletic teams.

Brandon Marcello, PhD, CSCS.  Brandon Marcello was a doctoral research assistant in the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory at Baylor University, where he is involved with numerous clinical studies investigating the effects of various sports supplements and strength training protocols on athletic performance.  Dr. Marcello formerly served as the Associate Director of Athletes' Performance, a world class training facility for professional and elite athletes in Tempe, Ariz. While at Athletes' performance, he trained a number of professional athletes from all sports enhancing their strength, speed, flexibility and agility.  Dr. Marcello served as the speed and conditioning coach for the Baylor Women's Softball Team. Under his guidance, the Bears broke the Big XII stolen base record three years straight.  More recently, he was named Director of Performance Enhancement at Stanford University and is responsible for all training, nutrition, and performance assessment programs.  A recognized author, Marcello's work appears in various journals, strength and conditioning text books and numerous periodicals. He is also currently a consultant for Adidas International and Nike, and serves as the strength and conditioning coach for the USA Softball National Team.

Charlie Melton, MS, CSCS.  Charlie Melton serves as the associate strength and conditioning coach for Baylor Universities Men's basketball team.  He also serves as coordinator for Baylor athletic team performance assessments in the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Lab.   Melton joined the Bears in June 2005 after spending four seasons as a full-time strength coach at Florida State University. He spent one season as a graduate assistant for FSU's football program before being hired as a full-time strength coach in 2001.  A 1998 graduate of the University of Memphis, Melton earned a master's degree in Exercise and Sport Science in 2000.  During that time, he worked as a graduate assistant in the strength department under Todd Stroud and with Memphis' Exercise and Sport Nutrition Research Lab under Dr. Richard Kreider.  An accomplished weightlifter, Melton placed third and fourth in the Collegiate Weightlifting National Championships in 1997 and 1998, respectively.   Melton is a certified through the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association (CSCCA). He has also completed the certification requirements of Level 1 club coach through USA Weightlifting (USAW).

Monica Serra, MS, RD, PhD, ATC.   Monica just completed her doctoral training in the Exercise, Nutrition, and Preventive Health program at Baylor University.  Monica earned her bachelor's degree in Athletic Training from Duquesne University and a master's degree in Nutrition from Case Western Reserve University.  Monica is a Certified Athletic Trainer as well as a Registered Dietitian.  Monica helped develop the meal exchanges, sample diets, and meal timing programs.  She also has worked with various athletes as well as assisted in designing the training table at Baylor.

Lem Taylor, PhD, CISSN.  Dr. Taylor is an Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology at The University of Mary Hardin Baylor.  His primary line of research has focused on the cellular and molecular responses that occur in skeletal muscle following various forms of exercise and he has also been involved in numerous clinical studies investigating the effects of various sports supplements and nutritional interventions on health and performance.  In 2006, Lem completed his Ph.D. in Exercise, Nutrition, and Preventive Health at Baylor University.  He is certified as a Certified Sports Nutritionist by the International Society of Sports Nutrition.  In addition, Lem Taylor's clientele has included collegiate athletes (golf, football, and rugby) as well as amateur athletes and anyone seeking to improve exercise performance and body composition through exercise and nutritional interventions.  Lem was a collegiate football player and still plays competitive rugby. 

Colin Wilborn, PhD, CSCS, ATC.  Dr. recently completed is doctorate in Exercise, Nutrition and Preventive Health at Baylor University and was a doctoral research assistant in the Exercise and Sport Nutrition Laboratory.  Dr. Wilborn has a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology  from Baylor University.  He currently serves as Assistant Professor of Exercise Physiology at the University of Mary Hardin Baylor.  While at Baylor, Dr. Wilborn was the Weight Training Studies Coordinator and was involved in numerous clinical studies investigating the effects of various sports supplements on health and performance.  In addition, Dr. Wilborn has designed both nutrition and strength and conditioning programs for collegiate football, soccer, basketball, and softball athletes.  Dr. Wilborn has also published research on the effects of sport supplements and exercise on body composition, metabolism, and performance.

Tim N. Ziegenfuss, Ph.D., CSCS.  Dr. Ziegenfuss is the Chief Executive Officer of The Ohio Research Group of Exercise Science and Sports Nutrition. "Dr. Z" is a well-known author, speaker, and researcher with expertise in exercise training, nutrition, dietary supplements and sports performance. He is a fellow of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and has recently been appointed Chair of the exercise physiology and sports nutrition program at the American Academy of Nutrition.  Dr. Z earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Lock Haven University, a Master of Science degree from Purdue University, and a Doctorate from Kent State University. During his five-year tenure as a professor, he taught undergraduate and graduate level courses in exercise physiology, metabolism and body composition, anatomy, physiology, pathophysiology, and sports nutrition at Lock Haven University and Eastern Michigan University.