The Southwest Regional Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine presented the 2020 Southwest ACSM Recognition Award to Kinesiology Professor Ben B. Yaspelkis III.
Yaspelkis has been recognized for his contributions to the profession, service and commitment to the mission of ACSM, and leadership and service to the chapter.
Yaspelkis has been the Director of the Exercise Physiology and Biochemistry Laboratories at CSUN since 1998. A native of Ventura California, he earned his undergraduate degree in Sports Medicine from Pepperdine University (B.S. 1988), and his master’s (M.A., 1990) and Ph.D. (1995) in Exercise Physiology from the University of Texas at Austin while working with Dr. John Ivy. He was awarded a Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) post-doctoral fellowship to work with Dr. Morrie Birnbaum at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in Philadelphia, PA.
Yaspelkis accepted a faculty position in the Department of Kinesiology at California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in 1996. Throughout his career, his research interests have been focused on aspects of glucose utilization and insulin signaling in skeletal muscle. He has served on multiple NIH study sections, is an Ad Hoc reviewer for numerous scientific journals, and has been an invited international reviewer for research councils and dissertation committees.
With over 50 peer-reviewed publications, Yaspelkis was the recipient of 14 consecutive years of NIH funding, and has received over $3 million dollars in grants to fund the research activities of his laboratory.
As with several previous Recognition Award recipients, Yaspelkis' service to ACSM and the Southwest chapter was a significant factor in his selection for this award. He is a Fellow of ACSM, and has been a member of ACSM for over 30 years, having joined as a student in 1987. He was a member of Southwest ACSM while at Pepperdine, a Texas ACSM Chapter member while at the University of Texas, and re-joined the Southwest Chapter on his arrival at CSUN. As a professional member of Southwest ACSM, Yaspelkis has attended every annual meeting since 1996. He has served as presenter, abstract reviewer, session moderator, student competition judge and faculty mentor of several SWACSM student research award winners. He served a term as member-at-large for abstracts and was President of the Chapter in 2006-2007. He has served as Associate Executive Director of the Southwest Chapter for the past 13 years.
Outside of his professional activities, Yaspelkis volunteered as a coach for both his son's and daughter’s baseball teams from the time that they were in tee ball until they reached high school.
About SWACSM
From the website: As a regional chapter, our primary purpose is to work with the national organization, The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) "....to promote and integrate scientific research, education, and practical applications of sports medicine and exercise science to maintain and enhance physical performance, fitness, health and quality of life." The Southwest Regional Chapter of The American College of Sports Medicine includes six states in its permanent charter granted in 1985. The states include: Arizona, California, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah. Learn more about the Chapter.
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CSUN HHD News/ Ben Yaspelkis III