With a PhD in Health and Kinesiology, numerous notable honors, and 70+ peer-reviewed publications and research presentations, Russ is passionate about the subject of health and wellness and possesses a vast knowledge on the importance of fitness throughout our lives to share with his audiences. 

Jon Walker is a product manager with GameTime specializing in outdoor fitness equipment and Universal Design. For more than a decade, Jon has worked with parks professionals, health club owners, and colleges and universities to design outdoor gyms based on best-practice design principles. Guided by research from Utah State University Center for Persons With Disabilities, Jon advocates for inclusive outdoor fitness and recreation projects across North America. He speaks at industry events on the benefits of Universal Design and Inclusive Recreation and is a PlayCore-certified instructor for continuing education workshops on the topics of adult outdoor fitness and inclusive recreation.

Ali Cross serves as the director of recreational sports and a member of the student affairs leadership team at Virginia Tech.  In this capacity, she provides leadership to 38 full-time and 600+ part-time employees, two indoor recreational facilities, 20+ acres of outdoor recreation space and recreational programs.    

1. B.S. in Sports Medicine with the Human Performance and Recreation (HPR) at the University of Southern Mississippi  

2. M.S. in Clinical Exercise Physiology with the Human Nutrition Foods and Exercise (HNFE) Department at Virginia Tech  

3. Certified Chi Running Instructor and Coach / Les Mills Instructor / ACE GFI / CPO / ACSM-EP / Facilitator for Discovery Learning, INC CSI

4. National Intramural and Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA) Faculty from 2015-2018 

Dr. Kirby is a Colorado native that enjoys staying active with her husband and two daughters. She received her Master's degree in Health Promotion from UCCS, and her PhD in Sport and Exercise Science with an emphasis in Social Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity from the University of Northern Colorado. As an assistant professor at UCCS, Dr. Kirby teaches the psychosocial and behavioral aspects of sport, health, and wellness to include Sport Psychology and Health Behavior Theory for undergraduate and graduate students. Dr. Kirby's research focuses on exploring the sport and physical activity experiences of individuals across the lifespan, as well as the impact of social connection and peer relationships on psychological well-being in sport and physical activity settings. Dr. Kirby currently serves as Assistant Director for the Center for Critical Sport Studies, and the faculty advisor for the UCCS Fitness Buddies program.

David is originally from Wisconsin and received a B.S. in Communication Studies with a specialization in Public Relations from the University of Wisconsin, La Crosse.  He began his career path in collegiate recreation at La Crosse as an intramural sport official and supervisor.  David then served as the graduate assistant for intramural sports at Oregon State University, where he earned his M.S. in College Student Service Administration.  He continued at OSU for 17 years serving as a Coordinator of Sport Clubs, Assistant Director of Sport Clubs and Intramural Sports, and the Associate Director of Programs.  In 2017, David transitioned to the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs to become the Associate Director and is currently the Director of Campus Recreation.   David leads a comprehensive campus recreation department that supports the health and well-being of the UCCS community. David resides in Colorado Springs with his family where they can often be seen participating in local recreational activities.

Katie Smith is a health and wellness professional with over ten years of experience in higher education and student affairs. She graduated with her Masters in Educational Leadership from Virginia Tech in 2014, where she got her start in campus recreation. For the past seven years, she served as the Wellness Promotion Manager at the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs. Her professional interests include program design and implementation, strategic planning, mental health prevention, and body activism. Katie now resides in Charlottesville, Virginia with her family. 

Lindsey Visscher is a Health Promotion graduate student at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. She enjoys staying active by hiking the beautiful Colorado trails and training in martial arts such as Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu. During her time at UCCS, Lindsey is focusing on studying the psychosocial cornerstones of wellness. She is interested in researching the cross-over between the mind and the body, especially regarding the importance of emotion regulation, social connection, and motivation in health behavior patterns. Lindsey currently serves as the UCCS Wellness Promotion graduate assistant, and works closely with the Wellness Center team to provide psychoeducation to students, faculty, and staff on campus. Lindsey also served as Dr. Kirby’s lead research assistant for the NIRSA grant-funded project “Mountain Lions on the Move”, which studied the impact of social connection and peer relationships on psychological well-being in sport and physical activity settings. After graduation, Lindsey hopes to use her Master’s degree in Health Promotion to assist in creating impactful health interventions, and optimizing the wellness of those in her community. 

Starting in mid-February, Greg began leading the Programs team for the University of Washington Recreation. He has the chance to serve the areas of Fitness, Personal Training, Mindfulness, Intramural Sports and Rec Clubs. He also leads the Staff Development program. Prior to the University of Washington, Greg worked for the University of Utah, the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Florida State University. He received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Sport Management at Florida State University, where he began working as a student in their Campus Recreation Department. He also obtained his Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership & Policy at the University of Utah. 

Greg has served in NIRSA on various committees and work groups since 2014. He also serves NIRSA through presenting at state, regional, and national conferences. He is a member of the NIRSA Health and Wellbeing Task Force 2.0 where he works with the Education and Resources sub-committee and the Promising Practices Work Group. He is also the 2022 recipient of the Horace Moody Award for Student Development for Region VI. 

Victoria Lopez-Herrera is a partner, mother, sorority woman, Xicanista, and lover of coffee. Victoria’s passion for the empowerment of women, social justice issues, and advocacy for underrepresented students has guided her work in Student Affairs for 20 years. 

Victoria currently serves as the Senior Associate Director for Campus Recreation at the University of Texas at San Antonio. In her role, she oversees the development and training for approximately 300 student staff, the management of a 185,00 square foot facility, the Aquatics Center, Members Services, and administrative staff. Victoria is a certified indoor cycling instructor and Strengths Coach. She has served in administrative capacities at Columbia University, The New School, Cornell University, and Texas State University-San Marcos where she earned her Bachelor's and Master's Degrees.

Victoria currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Association for Outdoor Recreation and Education and is a volunteer leader for Gamma Phi Beta Sorority.