School of Public Health professor to join President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition Science Board

John Spengler, JD, PhD, professor at the Texas A&M School of Public Health, has been appointed to the Science Board of the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition beginning January 2020.

The Science Board, first established during the George W. Bush administration, is comprised of scholars who have made significant contributions to the research and science of physical activity, sports and nutrition. The role of the Science Board is to provide subject matter expertise to the President’s Council, a federal advisory committee of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion that works to increase sports participation among youth of all backgrounds and abilities and to promote healthy and active lifestyles for all Americans. Council members are appointed by the president and serve in an advisory capacity through the secretary of health and human services.

For the upcoming term, the Science Board will focus its efforts on the implementation and dissemination of the National Youth Sports Strategy and youth sports-related topics.

Spengler’s research focuses on policies and environments relevant to youth sport and physical activity, and safety and injury prevention in sport and recreational activities. He has written four books and numerous publications along his line of research, founded and led a research collaborative that informed the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, and informed the work of the American Heart Association on policies relevant to the sharing of sport and recreational facilities within communities.

Spengler is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine and Research Fellow of SHAPE America and the Sport and Recreation Law Association and a volunteer of the American Heart Association. He is the recipient of the Florida Sports Hall of Fame, Fame for Fitness Award recognizing his work on childhood obesity prevention, is a distinguished alumna of Indiana University School of Public Health and has received the University of Florida Research Foundation Award.

Spengler has been a member of the Texas A&M faculty since 2015, having also served in administrative roles as department head and associate dean. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Wake Forest University in exercise science, a master’s degree from Clemson University in sport and recreation management, a law degree from the University of Toledo, and a doctoral degree from Indiana University School of Public Health.