Kara Whitaker, assistant professor in the Department of Health and Human Physiology and director of the Physical Activity and Women’s Health Lab, was named a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the American Heart Association (AHA).

Both fellowships are presented to individuals who have provided significant service to the respective organizations and have shown a commitment to excellence in their college.

Whitaker joined the University of Iowa faculty in 2018 and has an adjunct appointment in the Department of Epidemiology. She received a PhD and Master of Public Health in exercise science from the University of South Carolina and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention at the University of Minnesota. Her research studies the role of physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep on cardiometabolic health, while emphasizing working with women during pregnancy.