David Marquez named UIC Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition head
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After a national search for head of the UIC Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition, AHS dean Carlos Crespo recommended David Marquez, KN professor, director of the Exercise Psychology Laboratory and interim KN department head since 2023. The appointment is effective Sept. 19.
“Dr. Marquez was the top candidate because of his national reputation, research accomplishments, academic excellence and, above all, an unwavering commitment to advance the interest of the department,” said Crespo. “He is highly committed to taking KN to the next level, and he understands the important role the department plays at UIC.”
“One of my goals as department head is to ensure that the university, city and nation know about the phenomenal research, teaching, service and clinical practice that come from our department,” said Marquez. “We have the top ranked PhD program in the state, and the BS and MS in nutrition programs boast a 100% graduation rate. People should know about this excellence.”
Marquez began with AHS in 2007 as an assistant professor in KN, moving up to associate and then to professor by 2019. He is also a visiting associate professor at Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center. He was named AHS Professor of the Year in 2022 and AHS Humanitarian of the Year in 2019.
Marquez’s research examines disparities in physical activity and disease/disability among communities with different levels of social advantage. His studies focus particularly on older Latinx people, who experience unique obstacles to healthy forms of physical activity — cultural biases, stresses of immigration, poverty, intergenerational caregiving, racism, neighborhood violence or chronic health conditions. For his dedication to improving health outcomes for this community, the Chancellor’s Committee on the Status of Latinos selected Marquez as the faculty recognition award recipient for the 2023-2024 term. Marquez also received an honorable mention in the 2024 UIC Faculty Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Awards.
“The KN department and UIC as a whole are urban and minority-serving,” said Marquez, “with many first-generation college students and commuters. This complexity also brings much diversity, which is a strength we can lean on.”
Marquez has received numerous honors and awards for his work, including fellow status within the Gerontological Society of America, Society of Behavioral Medicine and American College of Sports Medicine. He is a standing member of the National Institutes of Health’s Biobehavioral Medicine and Health Outcomes Study Section and the CDC’s Healthy Brain Initiative Road Map Leadership Committee. He also served on the national committee that advised the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ recent update to the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.
“I am extremely privileged to now have the opportunity to lead the Department of Kinesiology and Nutrition,” said Marquez. “The students, staff and faculty are unmatched.”