Trustee Candidate: Basic & Applied Science
Melicia Whitt-Glover, Ph.D., FACSM
Chief Executive Officer
Gramercy Research Group
Winston-Salem, NC
1. Please list your previous service to ACSM
I have been a proud member of ACSM since 1994, when I joined as a student. Since 1994, I have attended and presented or chaired a scientific session at 17 of 18 Annual Meetings. As a student I was a member of the Student Affairs Committee (1997-1999) and the Minority Mentoring Committee (1998-2000). I was the Student Representative and a member of the Executive Board (1996-1999) and the Strategic Planning Committee (1998-1999) for the Southeast Regional Chapter. I became a professional member in 2002 and a Fellow in 2006. Since becoming a professional member, I have served on the American Fitness IndexTM Diversity Workgroup (2008-present) and the Exercise is Medicine Committee® on Underserved Populations (2010-present). I have also served on the Research Awards Committee and the Strategic Health Initiative (SHI) on Behavioral Strategies. In 2010, I served as a delegate for the People to People Citizen Ambassador Program, Sports Medicine Delegation. I was the Presidential Appointee to the Board of Trustees (2010-2012). In 2011, I was on the planning committee and participated in the ACSM Think Tank on Developing a National Roadmap to Reduce Disparities Through Lifestyle Behavior Change (National Roadmap). Subsequently, I was appointed as the Chair of the SHI on Health Equity (2012-present). I am a member of the Minority Health and Research Special Interest Group and have previously served as a mentor for the ACSM Leadership and Diversity Training Program. I have also served as a reviewer for Medicine &Science & Sports & Exercise.
2. What is ACSM’s greatest strength and how would you make that aspect of the organization even stronger?
ACSM’s greatest strength is our position as the world’s largest and leading organization focused on sports medicine and exercise science, which allows ACSM to shape and influence the world in many areas. We were the first to provide certifications for health fitness professionals, and ACSM certifications are recognized worldwide. We have been involved with creating numerous positions stands, guidelines, and national plans that shape the way the world thinks about physical activity, exercise science, and sports medicine. We have shaped the world’s thinking through special initiatives such as the Exercise is Medicine® initiative, the ACSM American Fitness IndexTM, and the National Roadmap. Through meetings, roundtables, and specialty conferences, we are able to be involved with and influence research and policies that help advice science and practice.
As a member of the Board of Trustees, I will work to further ACSM’s role as a worldwide leader. My goal will be to help connect ACSM with organizations to advance science and knowledge of exercise science, sports medicine, and physical activity through continued strategic partnerships, focused specialty conferences, joint position stands, and outreach efforts. As we continue to understand the critical link between health-related behaviors and health outcomes and work to address such issues, ACSM can lead the way to a healthier world.
3. ACSM works closely with many other organizations, including associations, companies, philanthropies, and governmental agencies. Indicate those organizations/companies agencies for which you plan an advisory, consulting, or leadership role.
Aside from ACSM, I am a member of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Society for Behavioral Medicine, and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). I serve as the Health Chair for the Winston-Salem Branch of the NAACP and, as such, am connected to Health Programs at the national NAACP. I am a Member and Co-Convener of the African American Collaborative Obesity Research Network (AACORN). I chaired the 2006 and 2012 annual AACORN meetings. I regularly attend the Active Living Research meeting. In 2012, I chaired the annual meeting and am currently serving as co-editor for the special issue supplement to Annals of Behavioral Medicine that will publish selected presentations from the Active Living Research meeting. I serve as a consultant for the National Black Church Initiative and The Center for Closing the Health Gap in Greater Cincinnati. I also hold adjunct faculty appointments at Wake Forest School of Medicine, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Gillings School of Global Public Health, and the University of Kansas.