After 35 years, Steve Petruzzello leaves the University of Illinois the same way he built his career: putting people first
Professor Steve Petruzzello, associate dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs, is retiring from the College of Applied Health Sciences after more than 30 years at the University of Illinois. (Photo by Ethan Simmons)
There are easier ways to measure an academic career.
You can count publications. Research grants. Awards. Citations. National rankings. For Steve Petruzzello, those numbers are certainly impressive. For 35 years at the University of Illinois, the Health and Kinesiology professor helped shape the scientific understanding of how physical activity affects mental health, conducted influential research that improved firefighter safety, mentored generations of graduate students and earned a place on the University’s List of Teachers Ranked as Excellent more than 60 times.
But ask Petruzzello what mattered most, and he’ll answer with a single word.
People. The students who walked into his classroom every semester. The graduate students whose ideas he encouraged—even when those ideas challenged conventional wisdom. The colleagues who opened laboratory doors for a young professor before they had any reason to trust him.
Those relationships, more than any publication or promotion, became the defining thread of a career that unfolded in ways he never expected.
“When I came here,” said Petruzzello—who came to what was then known as the Department of Kinesiology in 1991—“I knew I’d set up a lab, get my research started and begin teaching. I don’t think I could have ever predicted the twists and turns it would take over 35 years.”
Petruzzello, known to students as “Dr. P.” and to most others as “Steve P.,” never had a rigid vision of where his career was headed. Looking back, he believes that may have been one of his greatest strengths.
“I’ve always tried to remain open to possibilities,” he said.
Sometimes those possibilities appeared in remarkable acts of generosity.
Fresh off earning his Ph.D. from Arizona State University, Petruzzello arrived at Illinois with little more than ideas and ambition. Established faculty in the Psychology Department—many of them nationally recognized researchers—offered him access to their laboratories and equipment.
“They didn’t know me from Adam,” he said. “And they were willing to let me do anything I wanted.”
Other opportunities arrived by pure chance.
One afternoon, exercise physiology professor Jim Misner mentioned he was conducting research with firefighters. Petruzzello immediately recognized a connection to his own work studying body temperature and the psychological effects of exercise.
A hallway conversation became a decades-long research partnership that would eventually influence firefighter training across Illinois.
For Petruzzello, that became a lesson he carried throughout his career: some of the most important moments aren’t carefully planned. They’re recognized.
From Olympic Archers to Everyday People
His path into research was equally unexpected. Growing up in Wisconsin, Petruzzello was always active. Summers were spent outside, not in front of screens. Football games with his brothers continued through snowy winters. Later came competitive swimming.
The turning point arrived during college. A teammate developed a peculiar pre-race ritual. Before every race, he disappeared into a dark hallway, lay quietly beneath a towel for several minutes, then emerged to dominate his event. Petruzzello couldn’t stop wondering why.
That curiosity led him into sports psychology, graduate school at Arizona State and eventually research on elite athletes, including members of the U.S. Olympic archery program. His team measured brain activity and heart function while elite archers shot arrows, searching for the mental ingredients behind world-class performance.
The work fascinated him. But eventually another question seemed even more important.
Instead of asking how to help elite athletes improve by fractions of a percent, what if researchers could understand how exercise affected everyone?
That realization redirected his entire career toward studying the psychological benefits of physical activity—a field that has since become central to public health.
“It was like, ‘This is what I’m going to do,’” he said.
Science with Immediate Consequences
Many researchers hope their work eventually changes lives. Petruzzello got to watch it happen. Working alongside the Illinois Fire Service Institute, his laboratory studied how firefighters respond to extreme heat, dehydration and physical stress during training exercises.
Initially, researchers simply evaluated whether a structured physical training program improved fitness. It did. But the partnership quickly expanded into something much larger. Petruzzello’s team measured core body temperature, hydration, heart rate and cognitive performance during live-fire training scenarios. Their findings revealed how heat stress could influence decision-making, reaction time and safety.
The practical implications were immediate. Departments adjusted hydration practices. Training evolved. Better information led to better decisions for firefighters entering dangerous environments.
“We’re finding things we can give back to these folks,” Petruzzello said, “and they can use them to make changes in how they do things.”
For someone whose research centered on improving people’s lives, there was no greater reward than watching science move beyond journal pages.
I’ve always tried to remain open to possibilities.”
Steve Petruzzello
Outgoing associate dean for Undergraduate Academic Affairs
Despite an accomplished research career, Petruzzello never viewed teaching as secondary. Quite the opposite. Years ago, when asked to become director of graduate studies, he was offered the standard incentive: a reduced teaching load. He declined.
“If that’s what I have to do to take this job,” he told his department head, “I don’t want it.” He took on the role without giving up any of his teaching responsibilities.
Teaching wasn’t something to escape. It was the reason universities exist.
“We don’t have a job if we don’t have students,” he said. “Teaching has just been the best thing.”
Students sensed that commitment.
Every semester, Petruzzello updated his lectures rather than recycling decades-old material. He greeted students before class—eventually with fist bumps that became something of a tradition. He noticed who looked distracted, who hadn’t attended recently and who might simply need someone to ask whether everything was OK.
When students encountered illness or personal hardship, he tried to offer understanding before judgment. Sure, he admits, a few people probably took advantage of that kindness. He has no regrets.
“I don’t want to be the one that says, ‘I wish I would’ve given that student a little more leeway because they really needed it.’”
That philosophy explains why his teaching evaluations remained exceptional for decades. Students remembered not only what they learned, but how they were treated.
A Mentor Who Stepped Aside
Petruzzello’s impact extended far beyond the classroom. One of his proudest moments involved doing remarkably little.
Professor Steve Petruzzello says he’ll miss students and teaching. (Photo by Ethan Simmons)
Early in his career, doctoral student Panteleimon “Paddy” Ekkekakis approached him with four ambitious manuscripts questioning accepted ideas within exercise psychology.
One of the manuscripts was critical of the questionnaire developed by a more-senior faculty member. The faculty member was livid, Petruzzello said.
“He said, ‘How dare you let a graduate student do that?’ And I just sat there. And I thought, how dare I not? If it’s garbage, then the peer review process will point that out.”
Instead, all four manuscripts were accepted.
The work fundamentally changed how researchers study emotional responses to exercise and launched Ekkekakis into one of the field’s most influential careers.
Ekkekakis, now a professor and chairperson of the Department of Kinesiology at Michigan State University, said he first learned of Petruzzello in 1991 when he was an undergraduate student, and Petruzzello published a meta-analysis on the effects of exercise on anxiety in a leading review journal.
“Needless to say, at the time, for an undergraduate student in faraway Athens, Greece, the furthest thing from my mind was the notion that I could, one day, study for my Ph.D. under the guidance of Dr Petruzzello,” Ekkekakis said. “As fate would have it, a couple of years later, I met Dr. Petruzzello, in the flesh, at a conference in the U.S. We kept in touch and a few years later, I found myself driving a U-Haul truck through a major winter storm toward Champaign-Urbana, to enroll in the Ph.D. program under his guidance. I came to Illinois after a traumatic period of studying for my master’s, having experienced numerous variants of negativity, from racism to condescension and everything in between. In stark contrast, every interaction with Steve was like a breath of fresh air. In an early experience I will never forget, I observed him interact very calmly with a belligerent student in the classroom. I thought to myself ‘I wish that, one day, I will be able to develop this level of professionalism and self-control.’ Outside the classroom, Steve exhibited the perfect balance between providing guidance and cultivating autonomy. That’s a rare skill that I have also tried to emulate, but probably unsuccessfully.
“It is hard to put in a nutshell what Steve means to me as a mentor and academic role model. I owe him a huge debt of gratitude for helping me build a research program that has taken me all over the world and a professional career that I still find fulfilling. I consider myself enormously lucky that our paths crossed, especially considering how extremely improbable this encounter seemed back in 1991.”
Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences and a colleague since 2016, said Petruzzello “distinguished himself as a scholar, teacher, mentor and leader whose influence has shaped generations of students, faculty and staff.
“Steve’s leadership within the college has left a lasting mark. He has guided academic programs, supported student success initiatives and helped shape the educational experiences of countless undergraduate and graduate students. His steady guidance, thoughtful perspective and unwavering commitment to this college have strengthened our mission in countless ways.
Saying Goodbye
After three and a half decades, Petruzzello says he won’t miss committee meetings. He laughs about that. What he’ll miss are the conversations before class. The questions students asked that made him think differently. Conversations with fellow faculty members and colleagues. The faculty and staff members who quietly kept the department running every day.
Mostly, though, he’ll miss the students. For years, he joked that standing in front of classrooms full of 18-to-22-year-olds was the closest thing academia had to the fountain of youth.
Now, as retirement begins, he hopes the next generation of faculty remembers why universities exist in the first place. Help students. Be the best teacher and mentor you can be. Build meaningful research. Speak up. Stay curious. Those ideas sound remarkably similar to the principles that quietly guided his own career.
When asked for one final message, Petruzzello borrowed words that have long inspired him.
First came Maya Angelou: Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.
Then, with a smile, he reached for Winnie the Pooh.
“How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard?”
For thousands of Illinois students, colleagues and alumni, the answer is easy. They were lucky to have Dr. P.
There are several ways caregivers can tailor their meals to their relatives’ health needs (Google images)
My first science experiment was in sixth grade, for our county’s science fair. Over three months, I tested how my grandfather’s blood sugar responded to green leafy vegetables versus brown rice at dinnertime. My mom would prepare traditional South Indian meals including those foods, and my dad would supervise as I measured and administered insulin and recorded my grandfather’s blood sugar levels.
It was the first time I observed how complex it is to feed a relative with a complex health condition.
Today, as a health services researcher studying how family caregivers manage food and nutrition as part of taking care of older family members, I know that helping an older relative eat well doesn’t just support their health. It can also bring them joy, boost their energy, prompt nostalgia or offer a chance for experimentation with flavors.
Too often, caregivers are left to manage these substantial responsibilities alone, with limited resources and information about nutrition. Here’s what you need to know.
Changing nutrition needs
Nutrition needs change with age. Older adults generally need fewer calories, but require more protein, fiber and other nutrients to maintain muscle, bone and overall health.
And the shrinking number and size of taste buds and reduced saliva production can affect which foods people enjoy or are able to eat.
More than 7 in 10 older adults have more than one chronic condition such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dementia or osteoporosis. Some conditions are risk factors for developing others—for instance, having Type 2 diabetes raises the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, and both are risk factors for dementia.
Optimal nutrition is critical for managing these diseases—and often for reducing the risk of developing them. Over 60 million caregivers in the U.S. support a relative, friend or neighbor with daily activities, and my colleagues and I have found that roughly a quarter of family caregivers of older adults help with nutrition. They are often responsible for every aspect of providing it—from planning meals to grocery shopping and making sure the food gets eaten.
Associate Professor Minakshi Raj, outside near Freer Hall, is an expert on caregiving issues. (Photo by Fred Zwicky / University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign)
But different health conditions require different approaches to dietary changes, and those changes can be even more nuanced when someone has multiple conditions. For example, someone with Type 2 diabetes can benefit from eating fewer foods with refined carbohydrates found in cookies, candies and sodas, and more foods high in fiber, protein and fats to stabilize their blood sugar.
If that person also has kidney disease, they might need to restrict their consumption of foods that are high in potassium, such as potatoes and tomatoes as well as foods that are high in phosphorus, such as nuts, to avoid straining the kidneys.
Caregivers often don’t have the knowledge to help them with their nutrition responsibilities, such as making sure the food they provide includes the necessary amounts of macronutrients—proteins, carbohydrates and fats that the body needs. Many are also unsure of how nutrition affects their relative’s health condition and lack training on meal planning, budgeting and cooking for themselves and for a relative with chronic health conditions.
Key kitchen strategies
Online resources, such as those offered by the American Diabetes Association, can provide ideas for recipes as well as information about nutrition and management of specific health conditions. For caregivers who need to make dietary modifications to traditional, non-Western cuisines, resources such as Oldways can provide global culinary examples that meet specific nutritional needs.
A few targeted kitchen strategies, like meal planning, can go a long way toward helping caregivers navigate food decisions and nutrition needs of older relatives. You can start by thinking through what types of foods to include—or to skip—in order to meet your relative’s health needs. For example, they might need high fiber to slow digestion and prevent blood sugar spikes in diabetes. Or, they might need to add dairy to meals for good bone health.
Creating a list of meals for the week based on food groups—such as grains, protein sources, vegetables, fruits and dairy—can help ensure these items are part of each meal. It also enables you to shop with a specific list on hand, which can reduce food waste or spoilage.
One common dietary change for older adults is reducing how much sodium they consume. Packaged and prepared foods are often high in salt because it enhances flavor. To maximize flavor in low-salt foods prepared at home, try experimenting with different spices and herbs. If your relative seems to really enjoy a particular blend, you could even create your own mix to use in a variety of dishes.
In some cases, Medicare will cover the cost of consulting with a dietitian. A dietitian can talk caregivers through their family’s specific concerns and preferences about managing an older relative’s nutritional needs. They can also help families make sure that any dietary modifications safely align with their relative’s health conditions, as well as with their medications and other therapies. Since 2025, Medicare has allowed dietitians to train family caregivers on how to manage special diets for conditions like diabetes or chronic kidney disease, even if the patient isn’t in the room.
Steps like these can help caregivers continue providing this help and might even bring new foods and flavors into the home.
Editor’s note:
Minakshi Raj is an associate professor in the department of health and kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. This story was originally printed in The Conversation and The Washington Post.
New research suggests the liver retains a molecular memory of past workouts, helping the body respond more effectively when exercise resumes after a break
Diego Hernandez-Saavedra, center, says his study shows that the whole body, not just the muscles, remembers exercise. (Photo by Fred Zwicky)
For millions of people who have stepped away from regular exercise because of injury, illness, pregnancy or the demands of daily life, returning to fitness can feel like starting from scratch. New research suggests that may not be the case.
A new study, “Endurance Exercise Elicits a Hepatic Memory Associated with Improved Metabolic Function and Protein Secretion,” provides evidence that the liver retains a biological “memory” of previous exercise, allowing the body to respond more effectively when physical activity resumes. The findings, led by University of Illinois Health and Kinesiology Assistant Professor Diego Hernandez-Saavedra, point to a previously unknown adaptation in the liver that could reshape scientists’ understanding of exercise, metabolism and chronic disease prevention.
The research expands on earlier work showing that skeletal muscle can retain a memory of prior exercise. This study is among the first to demonstrate that another major metabolic organ—the liver—also appears to preserve molecular changes after periods of regular physical activity.
Funding for the study came from the Center on Health, Aging and Disability in the College of Applied Health Sciences as well as the Campus Research Board.
“Our study shows that exercise can help our body be healthier, specifically our liver, and that those ‘memories’ that we stored from the time we exercised can help us stay healthy over time,” said Hernandez-Saavedra, who is in AHS. “This is the first-of-its-kind study that shows that the whole body, not just the muscles, remembers exercise.”
The liver plays a central role in regulating blood sugar, processing fats and producing proteins that circulate throughout the body. During regular endurance exercise, liver cells activate genes that improve metabolic health. While many of those changes diminish when exercise stops, the study found the liver does not fully return to its pre-exercise state.
Instead, researchers discovered that the organ remains biologically “primed.” When exercise resumes, those dormant pathways reactivate more quickly and more powerfully than they did during initial training.
“If you had to explain this paper to someone in one sentence,” Hernandez-Saavedra said, “your liver remembers every workout you’ve ever done, and that memory makes getting back in shape faster, more effective, and more protective for your metabolic health than if you’d never exercised before.”
The majority of the mechanistic work was conducted in mice using carefully controlled endurance-training and detraining protocols. Researchers found that animals returning to exercise after a period of inactivity demonstrated stronger improvements in blood sugar regulation, reductions in liver fat and enhanced metabolic responses compared with animals exercising for the first time.
One of the study’s most striking discoveries involved a protein known as carboxylesterase 4A, or CES4A. The protein was secreted into the bloodstream only during retraining—not during an initial training program of equal duration—suggesting the liver distinguishes between first-time exercise and renewed exercise after prior conditioning.
Researchers also observed a dramatic increase in gene activity during retraining.
This is the first-of-its-kind study that shows that the whole body, not just the muscles, remembers exercise.”
Diego Hernandez-Saavedra
Assistant Professor, HK
“The liver went from expressing 18 differentially regulated genes after initial training to more than 6,000 after retraining,” Hernandez-Saavedra said. “That’s not a subtle effect.”
Although the strongest evidence comes from laboratory mice, the study included a six-week human exercise program involving 20 participants that produced encouraging results.
Researchers found that carboxylesterase activity increased after exercise in humans as well. Those increases were greatest among participants with higher cardiorespiratory fitness and a greater history of previous physical activity, mirroring the retraining response observed in mice.
“We’re cautiously optimistic,” Hernandez-Saavedra said. “The human data we present are preliminary … but the pattern is strikingly consistent with what we found in mice.”
The findings could have important implications for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, or MASLD, formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. The condition affects roughly one-third of adults worldwide and is closely linked to obesity, Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Exercise remains one of the most effective treatments for improving liver health, but maintaining consistent physical activity over time remains a challenge for many people.
“If we can establish that a history of exercise, even interrupted, confers durable protection on the liver and amplifies the response to future training, that changes how we think about exercise prescriptions for people at risk of or already living with MASLD,” Hernandez-Saavedra said. “It also opens the door to new therapeutic targets.”
The researchers are now investigating whether those beneficial exercise memories can eventually be activated therapeutically, potentially allowing scientists to mimic some of exercise’s protective effects for patients unable to engage in regular physical activity.
Still, Hernandez-Saavedra cautioned against overinterpreting the results.
“Our study shows that prior exercise history provides a biological advantage when exercise resumes,” he said. “It does not show that stopping exercise is without consequence.” Many of exercise’s measurable benefits diminished during periods of inactivity, he noted, meaning the memory remains dormant until exercise begins again.
Instead, the research offers encouragement for people who have fallen out of an exercise routine.
“Start again, and don’t be discouraged by the gap,” Hernandez-Saavedra said. “The biology suggests that your previous exercise history is not gone; it’s simply dormant.” Even modest activities such as walking, cycling or light resistance training may be enough to reactivate those molecular pathways.
Scientists caution that several important questions remain unanswered before physicians can apply the findings clinically. Researchers still need to determine how long hepatic exercise memory lasts, whether it differs by age or sex, what types and amounts of exercise activate it most effectively and whether specific carboxylesterase proteins can serve as biomarkers of liver health in humans.
Even so, the study challenges one of the most common assumptions surrounding exercise—that periods of inactivity erase previous gains completely.
“People assume that if they stop, they go back to zero,” Hernandez-Saavedra said. “Our research supports a different view: exercise is an investment that accumulates biological capital in your tissues, including your liver, and that capital doesn’t fully disappear when you stop. The body keeps a record.”
While additional human studies are needed to confirm the mechanisms, the research offers a hopeful message to anyone hesitant to restart an exercise program after months—or even years—away: the body may remember more than previously believed.
Candice Solomon-Strutz and Chris Tidrick have in-depth conversations about what it means to be a leader today. Candice and Chris are IT leaders at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and collectively have more than 50 years of experience working in higher education. In this episode, they speak with new University of Illinois Chancellor Charles Isbell.
Dean Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell was reappointed following her latest five-year review
Dean Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell.
Following her 10th year leading the college, Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell has been reappointed as dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences, pending approval by the University of Illinois board of trustees.
Hanley-Maxwell, a three-time Illinois alumna, joined the College of AHS as dean in August 2016. Her latest five-year evaluation committee, chaired by College of Veterinary Medicine’s Dean Peter Constable, singled out her “effective and supportive” leadership, and her strengthening of the college’s teaching and research efforts.
“Through her advocacy for the college on and off campus; her encouragement of faculty research, creative, and scholarly work; and her commitment to the mission of the college, Dean Hanley-Maxwell is well positioned to guide the college forward in the years ahead,” Illinois Provost John Coleman said.
In the announcement of her reappointment, Hanley-Maxwell addressed the Applied Health Sciences community, pledging to strengthen research collaborations and transparency as the college develops its next strategic plan.
“I feel very fortunate to be part of this community,” Hanley-Maxwell said. “Thank you for your partnership, your openness, and your ongoing commitment to AHS and to one another. I am inspired by what we have built together and energized by what we will accomplish next, and I look forward to continuing this important work with all of you.”
The Veteran Residential Transition Program helps Veterans navigate the shift to college life with housing, career development and individualized support
The VRTP connects students with individualized guidance and campus resources (Photo by Ethan Simmons)
For many military Veterans, the transition from active service to college life can be as challenging as any mission they faced in uniform.
The loss of structure, leadership and a clearly defined sense of purpose often coincides with the demands of navigating an unfamiliar university system, balancing family and financial responsibilities and determining a new professional direction.
A new initiative at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign aims to ease that transition.
The Veteran Residential Transition Program, or VRTP, housed at the Chez Veterans Center, was created to support Veterans as they move from military service into higher education. The program combines housing assistance, individualized case management, career development and academic support to help student Veterans establish stability and build a path toward long-term success.
“Success isn’t about how students use a program; it’s about how they move forward over time,” said Ingrid Wheeler, associate director of student success and wellbeing at the Chez Veterans Center.
Wheeler said many Veterans arrive on campus highly capable but suddenly without the structure that guided their military experience.
“In the military, individuals operate within a highly structured system with clear leadership, direction and shared purpose,” she said. “When they leave, that system is gone almost overnight. Even highly capable people can suddenly find themselves without a clear sense of direction or support.”
Rather than focusing solely on services or engagement activities, VRTP was designed to help rebuild the conditions that allow Veterans to make meaningful progress toward goals they define for themselves.
The program emphasizes early stability through housing and structured support, while connecting students with individualized guidance and campus resources. At the center of the model are case managers, who work one-on-one with participants throughout their transition.
“Case managers play a central role,” Wheeler said. “They provide a form of transitional leadership, helping students make sense of their situation, identify next steps and connect to the right supports at the right time.”
Success isn’t about how students use a program; it’s about how they move forward over time.”
Ingrid Wheeler
Associate director of student success and wellbeing, Chez Veterans Center
The goal, she added, is not to create dependence on the program but to help students regain confidence and independence.
“The goal isn’t to keep students connected to VRTP,” Wheeler said. “It’s to help them regain structure, find direction and move forward confidently without needing us.”
A key component of the program is the Individualized Transition Plan, which helps students identify priorities, set goals and assess their progress. Unlike a traditional roadmap, however, the plan is designed to evolve as students’ needs and aspirations change.
“We expect it to change, and when it does, that’s often a sign that progress is happening,” Wheeler said.
Case managers use the plans as a framework for ongoing conversations, helping students evaluate challenges and opportunities as they arise. Progress is measured through multiple indicators, including academic performance, personal stability, career development and tools such as the Military Transition Scale, developed by Health and Kinesiology Associate Professor Chung-Yi Chiu.
To develop the scale, Chiu conducted interviews with 16 student veterans to better understand their experiences transitioning from military service to higher education. Based on these interviews, she created the Military Transition Scale and collaborated with Dustin Lange, assistant director of the Chez Veterans Center, along with several student Veterans, to ensure the items were meaningful, relevant and easy to understand. Additional data collection was conducted to validate the scale across the nation. Michael Lotspeich-Yadao, assistant director of research and evaluation at Chez, has assisted in survey data collection.
Chiu said the Military Transition Scale evaluates several dimensions of transition experiences, needs and challenges, including motivation; career trajectory; social networking and support system; effective study skills; benefits of military service; self-awareness; existing and future resources; barriers, personal strength, and coping; and attitude toward veterans. These dimensions highlight the complex and multidimensional nature of the transition process.
Chez uses the scale to assess how well student veterans have adapted to higher education while balancing new academic roles with existing personal and family responsibilities, Chiu said. Based on the results, case managers can identify needs and connect student veterans with appropriate resources and services. Because transition is dynamic and changes over time, the scale can also be administered periodically to monitor progress and adjust support accordingly. The goal of the Military Transition Scale is not simply to identify challenges, but to help student Veterans thrive and successfully integrate their military experiences into meaningful academic and civilian lives.
Rather than focusing solely on graduation rates or retention statistics, Wheeler said the program emphasizes what she calls “trajectory”—the direction and quality of a student’s progress over time.
“Traditional metrics tell you where someone ended,” she said. “Trajectory tells you what it took to get there and whether it will sustain.”
One student’s experience illustrates the approach.
A Veteran enrolled in VRTP entered the university uncertain about academic and career goals. While taking a career development course designed for military-connected students, it became apparent that the student’s aspirations differed from more conventional career pathways. A theater major interested in costume design for theater and film productions, the student needed support tailored to a creative profession.
Program staff responded by connecting the student with industry professionals, including leaders at Flyover Film Studios in Rantoul, Illinois, and an Illinois alumnus working in the field. The student received individualized coaching to develop a professional resume and online portfolio showcasing costume design and theater work.
The result, Lange said, was far more significant than a potential internship opportunity.
“The most significant outcome was not simply the possibility of an internship or future employment opportunity,” he said. “It was the transformation from uncertainty and limited career direction to a clear professional pathway supported by industry connections, mentorship and a growing sense of confidence.”
The program also recognizes that practical concerns and personal growth are deeply interconnected.
“We don’t treat those as separate things,” Wheeler said. “You can’t think about purpose when you’re just trying to stay stable.”
By addressing housing, finances and other basic needs first, the program creates conditions that allow students to focus on larger questions about identity, career direction and life after military service.
Creating a sense of belonging is another priority. Wheeler said VRTP encourages connections among Veterans while also helping students build relationships across the broader university community.
“Our goal isn’t to be the one place students belong,” she said. “It’s to help them build belonging across the places where their lives actually happen.”
To achieve that, the Chez Veterans Center works with academic units, campus offices and community partners to ensure Veterans encounter supportive environments throughout campus and beyond.
“Students don’t need one place to belong,” Wheeler said. “They need to feel like they belong in their classes, their workplaces and their broader lives.”
As the program continues to grow, Wheeler said future expansion efforts would focus on strengthening the elements that have proven most effective: reaching students earlier, increasing access to stable housing and improving coordination among academic, career and health services.
“Growth only matters if it preserves what makes the model work,” she said.
Ultimately, Wheeler said, the program’s mission remains straightforward.
“The goal is simple,” she said. “Help more students move forward, without losing the quality and timing of support that makes that possible.”
These three RST graduates “always knew” they’d be working together again someday
Three Recreation, Sport and Tourism alums, Eva Schmidt, Chelcia Abajian and Christine Stromberg work together through the U.S. Tennis Association. “It’s incredible to see the three of us together again.” (Photo provided)
More than a decade after their time together at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, three alumni from the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism have found themselves reunited in a place far removed from campus, yet deeply connected to their shared past.
Today, Chelcie Abajian, Eva Schmidt and Christine Stromberg work together through roles connected to the U.S. Tennis Association, contributing to the operations and hospitality surrounding one of the sport’s most prestigious events: the U.S. Open in New York. Their professional reunion, however, is only part of the story. At its core lies a friendship that began during their graduate school days at Illinois and endured long before their careers converged again.
Seeing one another again in the same professional space has been both surreal and deeply meaningful.
“It’s incredible to see the three of us together again,” said Abajian, who is senior manager, conferences and events at the USTA. “Even during the years we weren’t working side-by-side, our bond never wavered.”
Some of their most vivid memories from Illinois weren’t formed in classrooms or lecture halls, but in moments of spontaneity that helped cement their friendship. All three got both their undergraduate and graduate degrees in RST.
“My favorite memory from our Illinois days is more on a personal level,” Abajian said. “Just three months after we met, we took a spontaneous trip to New York City, which was Eva’s first time ever visiting. Looking back, that was the moment we knew this friendship was for the long haul. It’s pretty remarkable that the city where we first bonded as friends is now the same place where we’re making our mark together during the U.S. Open.”
Another favorite memory comes from the final days of their time at Illinois.
“My favorite memory together at Illinois was taking our graduation pictures at Memorial Stadium,” said Schmidt, now director of premium hospitality, office of the president with the USTA. “With the help of a colleague, we were able to take pictures in the Colonnades and it was a fun way to reflect on the last two years. Today, 12 years later, it’s surreal to be working together again, but I love the camaraderie!”
Their journey from classmates to colleagues was never guaranteed, but perhaps it wasn’t entirely surprising either.
“In a way, I think we always knew,” Abajian said. “Christine and I have been a team since 2008, first as student-athletes and now as colleagues who share a love for event operations and tennis.”
That long-standing partnership eventually played a role in bringing the trio back together professionally. When Abajian joined the USTA in 2022, she quickly realized the potential of reconnecting with familiar talent.
“When I landed at the USTA in 2022—due to Christine referring me—one of my first major events was managing the president’s suite,” she said. “I called Eva because her hospitality background was the missing piece of the puzzle for our staff. Watching her move into a full-time role afterward was the ‘full-circle’ moment we’d been building toward since college.”
Another member of the group shared a similar perspective about their eventual reunion.
“Similar to Chelcie’s answer, I always knew we’d be working together again in some capacity,” Schmidt said. “Our paths were always parallel and it was only a matter of time before they intersected.”
Even so, the exact setting was a surprise.
“When we were at Illinois, if I could have predicted where we would end up, at least for me and Eva, I thought it would be in Chicago somewhere, not all living in new places,” said Stromberg, who is director of U.S. Open Player Services. “The years after graduation, following each other’s careers and supporting each other in what we were pursuing is one of the things that kept us all together.”
Their individual career paths since college have been anything but identical.
Abajian remained closely tied to athletics after completing her master’s degree, eventually transitioning into her current role with the USTA.
“I stayed in college athletics until I shifted to the USTA in 2022,” she said. “I’m not surprised by my journey. I have a love for tennis and event management and this role marries the two together.”
Schmidt said her trajectory was far less predictable.
“My career journey since college has been completely nonlinear,” she said. “Every time I thought I had a pathway, I’d pivot and go the polar opposite direction. Working at the USTA has felt the most stable so far.”
Unexpected turns ultimately became a rewarding part of the journey.
“I never thought I’d end up outside of the state of Illinois but that’s my favorite part of my career path,” she said. “I never expected any of this and I continue to surprise myself. Who knows what’s next!”
For Stromberg, tennis itself became the unexpected thread tying everything together.
“Even though I grew up as a tennis player, my original goal was not to work in tennis,” she said. “I started taking opportunities as they arose and walked through some doors that were open and found the career path that I was ultimately looking for; I just didn’t know it’s what I was looking for.”
Many of the skills they rely on today trace directly back to their student-athlete experiences and time at Illinois.
“My skills go back to being a student-athlete,” Abajian said. “Most importantly: time management. I can juggle multiple tasks, prioritize what needs to get done and work my daily life around a schedule.”
Schmidt credited her early experiences working within Illinois athletics as formative.
“I was fortunate enough to have an internship in the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics as an undergrad that took me into my graduate assistantship at Illinois,” she said. “Those years were so formative and have influenced everything I’ve done.”
Accountability, Stromberg added, remains central to how she approaches leadership today.
“Similar to Chelcie, my skills go back to being a student-athlete,” she said. “In addition to what she mentioned, accountability is one of the most important things I learned and it drives how I make decisions and lead today.”
Their friendship has only strengthened as their relationship has shifted from classmates to colleagues.
“It has only grown,” Abajian said.
Working together professionally has also given them new perspectives on each other.
“It’s certainly grown and also allows us to approach things from a different perspective,” Schmidt added.
“It continues to grow every day,” Stromberg said.
One moment in particular made their shared journey feel complete.
During one U.S. Open, the three unexpectedly found themselves together in the player walk-on tunnel at Louis Armstrong Stadium during the retirement ceremony for American tennis player John Isner.
“In my first year full time with the USTA, the three of us found ourselves in the player walk-on tunnel at Louis Armstrong Stadium for John Isner’s retirement ceremony,” Schmidt said. “Each of us were there for different reasons and we had yet to organically bump into each other at the Open. We all paused and acknowledged the greatness of the moment and even took a selfie.”
Their long history together also shapes how they work.
“Having been friends since 2012, our professional partnership at the USTA is built on a decade-plus of mutual trust,” Abajian said. “This shared history allows us to solve problems with total confidence and zero hesitation. We are each other’s most reliable sounding board and always the first phone call when it’s time to get to work.”
Honesty is part of that dynamic as well.
“We aren’t afraid to tell each other the hard things,” Stromberg added. “That’s really where growth comes from.”
Looking back, each of them has advice for the younger versions of themselves who were navigating graduate school in Champaign-Urbana.
“Work hard, but work does not define you,” Abajian said. “Chill out on the perfectionism; mistakes are just proof that you’re actually out there trying things. Your worth doesn’t go up or down based on your productivity, so don’t forget to clock out and find some sun.”
Schmidt emphasized patience.
“Take a breath,” she said. “Don’t feel like you have to have your whole life figured out by 25.”
And while their professional futures may take them in different directions, one thing is certain: their friendship will remain constant.
“Our friendship comes first in our circle,” Abajian said. “We are fortunate to have each other to lean on for work and personal advice. We hope to keep growing and learning together in this organization.”
As Stromberg summed up, the next step might be uncertain, but the foundation they share is not.
“We don’t know where the professional path will take each of us,” she said. “But we know where our friendship will.”
Pilates promises transformations, but science reveals quieter, longer-lasting health benefits.
Health and Kinesiology Assistant Professor Soyoung Choi, left, handles various Pilates-related books and research materials with her doctoral students, Hyun Seo Ko and Diego Soto at Freer Hall. (Photo by Ethan Simmons)
In the age of algorithm-driven fitness trends and curated wellness aesthetics, reformer Pilates has become a cultural phenomenon, celebrated as much for its sleek studios and celebrity endorsements as for its exercise benefits. But beneath the social media sheen, Soyoung Choi, an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Kinesiology at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, is asking a more grounded question: what does the science actually say?
Choi’s research challenges some of the most popular assumptions surrounding Pilates, especially the idea that it is a reliable path to weight loss. According to her recent meta-analysis, the evidence does not support strong claims that Pilates significantly reduces body weight.
“Pilates primarily focuses on strengthening the core musculature,” she said, noting that it typically does not generate enough caloric expenditure for meaningful weight reduction.
That conclusion might surprise practitioners who associate reformer classes with lean physiques and body transformations. But Choi said the disconnect lies not in the effectiveness of Pilates itself, but in how it is framed. Rather than positioning the workout as a fat-burning solution, she believes it should be understood as part of broader physical activity recommendations that support long-term health.
Evidence from her research suggests that Pilates delivers measurable improvements in areas that are often less visible but deeply meaningful for overall well-being: core strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, balance, posture and functional movement. These benefits can translate to reduced injury risk, improved daily mobility and better quality of life.
“Pilates has a strong mind-body component,” Choi said, pointing to its emphasis on breathing, concentration and controlled movement. These elements may help with stress management and encourage sustained exercise participation—factors that public health experts increasingly view as critical for lasting health behavior change.
Still, Choi is careful to distinguish what research can confidently support from what remains uncertain. Studies show clear gains in flexibility, especially in the hamstrings and lower back, as well as improvements in functional stamina measured through walking-based endurance tests. Some evidence even points to reductions in systolic blood pressure.
But when data from multiple studies are combined, several popular claims about Pilates lose strength. The research has not consistently demonstrated significant effects on body mass index, body fat percentage, cholesterol levels, bone mineral density or agility. Choi said inconsistent program designs, varied exercise intensity and uneven reporting standards make it difficult to draw stronger conclusions. In other words, Pilates is not ineffective; it is simply more nuanced than is often suggested.
“Too often, the fitness industry is designed around a ‘standard’ population.”
Soyoung Choi
HK assistant professor
That nuance becomes even more complicated when filtered through modern fitness culture. Choi’s work in health behavior and literacy has led her to examine how cultural narratives about body ideals shape exercise motivation. When Pilates is framed primarily as a path to thinness or a certain aesthetic, she said, participants may focus on appearance rather than health.
“That kind of motivation can be short-lived,” she said, especially when visible changes fail to appear quickly. The emphasis on external results can overshadow less obvious but meaningful outcomes like improved mobility, reduced pain or increased body awareness.
Social media intensifies this tension. Online, reformer Pilates is frequently showcased through images of toned bodies and minimalist studio spaces, visuals that can create unrealistic expectations. Choi said that the scientific evidence supports flexibility, functional fitness and core strength more consistently than dramatic body reshaping. When expectations collide with reality, participants might feel discouraged even though they are making genuine health gains.
Bridging this gap between research and public perception, she said, is essential for promoting informed decision-making around wellness.
Choi’s broader academic work also widens the conversation beyond aesthetics and trends. Much of her research focuses on accessibility in physical activity, particularly for disability populations. From that vantage point, mainstream Pilates reveals another challenge: inclusivity.
Most classes rely heavily on visual demonstrations, assuming participants can watch and replicate precise movements. For individuals with visual impairments, this creates an immediate barrier. Likewise, routines that assume full mobility can exclude people who use wheelchairs or have limited range of motion.
“Too often, the fitness industry is designed around a ‘standard’ population,” Choi said. When accessibility is overlooked, entire groups miss opportunities for health promotion, contributing to broader disparities over time.
In response, her lab is developing an audio-guided Pilates program specifically for menopausal women with visual impairments. Instead of relying on demonstration, the program uses structured verbal cues to guide movement. The goal is not only inclusion but reimagining how exercise instruction can adapt to diverse needs.
Her work in health literacy also informs how she views influencer-driven wellness culture. Health literacy, she said, involves more than understanding information—it means evaluating whether claims are evidence-based or shaped by marketing. In digital spaces dominated by appearance-focused content, distinguishing science from promotion can be difficult.
When fitness messaging centers narrowly on weight or shape, people might adopt definitions of health that ignore functional ability or mental well-being. Choi believes strengthening critical thinking around health information is increasingly necessary in a landscape flooded with simplified advice.
Looking ahead, Choi hopes research on Pilates and similar trends will evolve beyond short-term outcomes and aesthetic narratives. Longitudinal studies that track mobility, injury prevention, cardiovascular health and healthy aging could provide a clearer picture of Pilates’ role across a lifespan. Mental health outcomes, such as stress, anxiety, confidence and body awareness, also need more rigorous investigation, she said.
Equity is another priority. Many existing studies involve relatively homogeneous groups who already have access to expensive studios or wellness resources. That limits how widely findings apply. Choi suggests that researchers should design studies from the outset with accessibility and diversity in mind, rather than treating inclusion as an afterthought.
Ultimately, her perspective reframes Pilates not as a quick fix, but as a tool whose value depends on how society chooses to define health. The question, she suggests, is not whether Pilates lives up to social media hype, but whether fitness culture is ready to embrace a broader understanding of wellness.
As trends come and go, Choi’s research serves as a reminder that the most meaningful benefits of exercise may be the ones that don’t always show up in a mirror.
At the spring college meeting for the College of Applied Health Sciences, our faculty and staff gathered to celebrate this year’s college award winners, and give send-offs to two faculty leaders who are entering retirement: Speech and Hearing Science Professor and former Department Head Pamela Hadley and AHS Professor and Associate Dean for Research Jeff Woods.
(Two of our award winners, Christy Bazan and Mary Flaherty, won equivalent awards from campus as well.)
Here are our AHS college award winners for 2025-26. A recording of the meeting is available on Media Space:
AHS Staff Excellence Award
Chez Veterans Center Outreach Coordinator and Veteran Recruiter, Garrett Anderson
College of AHS Assistant to the Dean, Robbin King
AHS Excellence in Undergraduate Advising Award
Health and Kinesiology Academic Advisor, Patty Hudek
AHS Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award – Faculty
Speech and Hearing Science Associate Professor, Mary Flaherty
AHS Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award – Teaching Assistant
Health and Kinesiology Graduate Teaching Assistant, Ashley Morgan
AHS Access, Belonging and Community Awards
SHS student Zhitong Zhu
RST graduate research assistant Jenna Fesemyer-Ayers
RST Assistant Professor Yannick Kluch
Chez Veterans Center Research Assistant Professor Michael Lotspeich-Yadao
AHS Excellence in Guiding Undergraduate Research Award
Recreation, Sport and Tourism Assistant Professor, Joelle Soulard
AHS Excellence in Graduate and Professional Teaching Award
SHS Associate Professor, Dan Fogerty
AHS Excellence in Graduate Student Mentoring Award
HK Associate Professor, Laura Rice
AHS Excellence in Online Teaching Award
HK Instructor, Christy Bazan
Phyllis J. Hill Faculty Award for Exemplary Mentoring
