School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences FY25-26 Report

College of Health and Human Services

School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences Fiscal Year 2025-2026

Message from Leadership

Dear Donor, Thank you for your continued support of the School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences. Your generosity creates transformative opportunities for our students, faculty, and community.

This past year, hundreds of students worked directly with faculty on research projects outside the classroom, gaining experiences that prepare them to become future leaders in health and wellness. More than 500 students also gained experiential learning opportunities through our Adaptive Fitness Clinic, working with community members with disabilities to promote quality of life.

Our students and programs continue to earn national recognition. The M.S. in Athletic Training remains one of the most decorated programs in the country for student scholarships awarded by professional associations.

We are also excited to launch a new Master of Science in Kinesiology in Fall 2027 with concentrations in Biomechanics and Motor Control and Physical Activity.

This year, students received more than $33,000 in ENS-related scholarships, directly expanding access to hands-on learning, research, and professional development opportunities.

Matthew T. Mahar, Ed.D., FACSM, FNAK Professor and Director, School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences

Philanthropy

Propelling the SDSU Community Forward Dr. Michael Buono Endowed Scholarship The School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences received generous support for the Dr. Michael Buono Endowed Scholarship, which provides scholarship support to first-generation students with financial need.

The fund expands access to higher education and helps students pursue academic and professional opportunities in exercise science, nutrition, health promotion, and related health fields.

ENS Students in the Biomechanics Lab.

Student Spotlight

Thriving in the Aztec Experience Paige Krenecki, Class of 2026 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Health and Human Services Major: Kinesiology - Pre PT I graduated summa cum laude from San Diego State University in May with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology, Emphasis in Pre-Physical Therapy, with distinction, and a minor in American Indian Studies.

I was honored to be selected as the Outstanding Graduate for the College of Health and Human Services in recognition of my academics, leadership, and service.

My interest in American Indian history inspired me to pursue a minor that deepened my understanding of Indigenous perspectives, cultural awareness, and their importance in healthcare.

I also gained experience through observation hours in inpatient and outpatient physical therapy settings and a semester with the SDSU Athletic Training Department, where I supported student-athletes and learned about injury prevention and rehabilitation.

As a member services representative at the Aztec Recreation Center, I strengthened my communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills while serving the campus community.

These experiences confirmed my commitment to healthcare and inspired me to pursue advanced professional studies and a career focused on promoting health, serving others, and positively impacting my community.

“

I was honored to be selected as the Outstanding Graduate for the College of Health and Human Services in recognition of my academics, leadership, and service.

”

Student Spotlight

Michaela Renfro, Class of 2029 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: College of Health and Human Services Major: Foods and Nutrition and Kinesiology Fitness Specialist As a student in the College of Health and Human Services, I was able to supplement my education outside of the classroom through research opportunities with faculty, attending and presenting research at the American Society for Nutrition (ASN) and SDSU Student Symposium (S3), and assisting with DEI efforts within the school to promote academic equity for all.

Financial assistance through the ENS Student Research Grant and the ENS Student Travel Grant allowed me to pursue original research with faculty on creatine supplementation in concussion recovery and to travel to Chicago for ASN, greatly reducing my financial burden.

This school has inspired me through extraordinary faculty and research opportunities and has played a pivotal role in shaping who I am, not only as a student but as a future healthcare worker.

I will be continuing my education at SDSU through the concurrent M.S. in Nutritional Sciences and Exercise Physiology.

“

This school has inspired me through extraordinary faculty and research opportunities and has played a pivotal role in shaping who I am, not only as a student but as a future healthcare worker.

”

Points of Pride

Celebrating Shared Success Statistics of Interest Academic Year 2025-26: Undergraduates who received a B.S. degree School of ENS: 597 B.S. in Foods & Nutrition: 68 B.S. in Kinesiology: 529 Exercise Science Generalist Emphasis: 95 Fitness Specialist Emphasis: 78 Pre-Physical Therapy Emphasis: 356 Academic Year 2025-26: Students who received an M.S. degree School of ENS: 50 M.S. in Athletic Training: 12 M.S. in Exercise Physiology: 5 M.S. in Food Science: 1 M.S. in Nutritional Sciences: 24 M.S. in Nutritional Sciences and M.S. in Exercise Physiology: 8 Recent Highlights The new M.S. in Kinesiology, with concentrations in (1) Biomechanics and Motor Control and (2) Physical Activity, will start in Fall 2027.

Degrees Awarded

ENS awarded 597 bachelor’s and 50 master’s degrees, led by kinesiology and nutritional sciences graduates.

New Program

The M.S. in Kinesiology launches Fall 2027 with tracks in biomechanics and motor control, and physical activity.

Faculty and Staff Achievements

Mark Kern, Ph.D., RD, CSSD Title: Professor College: College of Health and Human Services Achievement: Dr. Mark Kern was selected as the College of Health and Human Services recipient of the 2026 Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Faculty Contributions to the University, formerly known as “The Montys.” His nomination was supported by 12 Aztecs, including alumni, current students, and faculty.

The nomination letter highlighted Dr. Kern’s more than 30 years of excellence in teaching, scholarship, and service, noting his profound impact on students, academic programs, colleagues, and the university.

The letter described his contributions as instrumental to the success of both the School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences and the College of Health and Human Services.

The nomination also recognized Dr. Kern’s longstanding commitment to student research, numerous awards and honors, nearly three decades of service to the nationally recognized SDSU Student Nutrition Organization, the development of the foods, nutrition, and exercise science laboratories, and his leadership in recruiting and hiring the current foods and nutrition tenure-track and tenured faculty.

He shared the following: “Receiving the Alumni Association Award for Outstanding Faculty Contributions to the University is my most meaningful personal achievement to date. Since my career started at SDSU in 1995, students have been central to my accomplishments and collectively deserve much more recognition for my successes than I do. It is particularly meaningful to me that this award comes from the association that represents our alumni. My message to SDSU’s amazing alumni is that students across the programs within the School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences continue to accomplish great things and to ‘represent.’ The futures of the School, College, and University are in good hands!”

Faculty and Staff Achievements

Margo Greicar, Ed.D., ATC Title: Director, Master of Science in Athletic Training; Lecturer College: College of Health and Human Services Achievement: Dr. Margo Greicar is the recipient of the inaugural SDSU CTL Legacy Lecturer Teaching Excellence Award in 2026, and author of the 2025 textbook Joint Anatomy for Athletic Training.

Dr. Greicar has demonstrated exceptional leadership in athletic training education through her commitment to student success, interprofessional collaboration, and innovation in healthcare education.

As Director of the SDSU Master of Science in Athletic Training (MSAT) program, she has cultivated a culture of clinical excellence, leadership, service, and compassionate patient care.

A strong advocate for collaborative healthcare education, Dr. Greicar serves on SDSU’s Interprofessional Education (IPE) Task Force and has led the integration of interprofessional learning experiences throughout the MSAT curriculum. These efforts provide athletic training students with opportunities to learn alongside other health professions students, strengthening teamwork, communication, and collaborative decision-making skills essential for patient-centered care.

In 2024, Dr. Greicar received the inaugural College of Health and Human Services Unity Award, recognizing her contributions to student success, inclusion, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Her dedication to teaching and mentorship has also been recognized with the inaugural SDSU Center for Teaching and Learning Legacy Lecturer Teaching Excellence Award and four SDSU Exceptional Levels of Service to Students Awards.

In 2025, Dr. Greicar published Joint Anatomy for Athletic Training, a textbook that helps students connect foundational anatomy concepts to clinical practice. Through her leadership, scholarship, and service, she continues to advance athletic training education and prepare future healthcare professionals for collaborative, high-quality patient care.

Faculty and Staff Achievements

Jing Zhao, Ph.D. Title: Associate Professor, Coordinator of M.S. in Food Science program College: College of Health and Human Services Achievement: Dr. Zhao received a $1,046,500 grant award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that aims to build an open-access database for food protein functionalities, which will serve as a foundation for building machine learning and artificial intelligence models for protein functionality prediction and protein design.

Dr. Jing Zhao joined SDSU in 2022 in the School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences. Since then, she has established a productive and collaborative research program focused on food protein science and data-driven approaches to food innovation. Her scholarly accomplishments include co-editing a book, publishing 20 peer-reviewed journal articles and nine book chapters, and securing substantial external funding.

Over the past four years, she has served as Principal Investigator on eight funded projects and Co-Principal Investigator on five additional grants.

A defining feature of Dr. Zhao’s research is her collaborative approach. She has built partnerships with regional, national, and international institutions to address emerging challenges in food science. A recent award from the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Foundational and Applied Science Program supports a multiinstitutional project, DSFAS-CIN-PARTNERSHIP: Building a Comprehensive Food Protein Database (FoodProt) for Predictive Modeling of Protein Functionalities. Led by SDSU in collaboration with the University of Minnesota, the University of Georgia, the University of Kentucky, and Kansas State University, the project will create the first comprehensive database linking food protein characteristics, processing conditions, and functional properties such as solubility, foaming, emulsification, and gelation. FoodProt will serve as a repository of existing knowledge and a platform for future data contributions from researchers worldwide.

Beyond research, Dr. Zhao is an active leader in her profession. She currently serves as Chair of the Institute of Food Technologists Protein Division (2023-26) and contributes to the scientific community through service as a reviewer for leading journals and competitive grant programs.

Through her research, leadership, and service, Dr. Zhao is advancing food protein science while enhancing SDSU’s national visibility and research impact.

Thank you for your generous support.

University Relations and Development San Diego State University 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA 92182-8045 sdsu.edu | give.sdsu.edu