Paul Estabrooks, PhD, Associate Dean for Community Engagement, has received one of the highest honors in the profession of kinesiology: he’s been inducted as a fellow into the National Academy of Kinesiology. He accepted the award on Oct. 1, as part of the academy’s annual meeting in Providence, RI.
New fellows must be nominated by their peer fellows, evaluated by a membership committee according to criteria, and voted in by members of the Academy. Former College of Health Dean David H. Perrin served as one of Estabrooks’ four nominators. Although Estabrooks has spent much of his career outside of departments of kinesiology, his body of work on translating evidence-based physical activity interventions into community and clinical practice has significantly impacted the field.
“It was definitely nice to get that honor, it was humbling, and it felt like coming home a little bit,” he said. “I realized that even though I hadn’t been in kinesiology departments all through the years, the work I was doing was valued by the field and academy.”
Estabrooks is a community-engaged research scientist who focuses on blending the missions of higher education—research, teaching, and service—as they relate to health promotion. He studies how to best move research into sustained community or clinical practice. His work within community partnerships has helped more than 300,000 people be more active, eat better, and lose weight. In 2003, he received the inaugural Research to Practice Translation Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine for a statewide physical activity promotion intervention.
A prolific scholar with more than 280 publications, Estabrooks’ research has been recognized and supported by a broad range of federal agencies, including the National Institute on Aging, National Cancer Institute, and National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. He’s accrued more than $15 million from these agencies in support of his studies
“We are proud of Paul and congratulate him on this well-deserved honor,” said Scott Ward, PhD, interim dean of the College. “His unrivaled enthusiasm for community engagement and public health inspires us all.”
Estabrooks holds a Ph.D. in kinesiology from the University of Western Ontario and a MSc in kinesiology from the University of Calgary. He joined the College of Health in January 2022 after previously serving as the Harold M. Maurer Distinguished Chair and professor in Health Promotion at the University of Nebraska Medical Center.
By Sarah Shebek