Dr. Bradley J. Cardinal, the President of the National Academy of Kinesiology, is a Full Professor in the Kinesiology Program at Oregon State University where he has served since 1997 and where, in 2009, he was recognized as the university’s Elizabeth P. Ritchie Distinguished Professor, and, in 2017, as the Oregon State University Alumni Association Distinguished Professor. At Oregon State Professor Cardinal directs the graduate program in Sport and Exercise Psychology, which was ranked #9 in the nation in 2016, and he holds an Affiliate appointment in the School of Psychological Science. His international experience includes serving as a Faculty Scholar In-Residence at Hong Kong Baptist University and a Visiting Professor In-Residence at Kasetsart University (Thailand). Prior to his appointment at Oregon State, Professor Cardinal served on the faculties of Wayne State University (Detroit, MI) and Eastern Washington University (Cheney, WA). A conscientious servant-leader, he has been elected or appointed to many different roles including, among others, President of AAHPERD’s Research Consortium; Chair of the Editorial Board of the Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport; Co-Chair of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance; and Associate Editor-in-Chief of the American Journal of Health Promotion. His scholarly work focuses on physical activity education across the lifespan — i.e., changing people in changing contexts — in an attempt to understand why people do or do not engage in physical activity and other positive health-related behaviors. This has been accomplished by studying individual through societal level factors, as well as research aimed at narrowing the gap between research, practice, and policy. The guiding principles motivating his work are: (1) physical activity is a basic need of the human organism; (2) participation in physical activity is a fundamental human right; and (3) effective, positive, and safe physical activity opportunities must be available for all people, regardless of life stage or social circumstance. During his career, he has been entrusted and privileged to work with diverse audiences, including cross-cultural, international, and collaborative studies with scholars from China, Finland, France, Hong Kong, Iran, South Korea, Taiwan, and Thailand. His work has been cited in many research and government reports, including the landmark 1996 Surgeon General’s Report on Physical Activity and Health and the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Scientific Report (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), as well as widely featured in the popular media. Professor Cardinal is also keenly interested in serving as a steward of the discipline, particularly inspiring and mentoring future generations of leaders, professionals, and scholars in the field. Toward that end, he has been honored to host and sponsor visiting scholars, and to mentor students at the baccalaureate, masters, and doctoral degree levels. His commitment to living an active, healthy lifestyle has been featured in national (e.g., SHAPE America’s Momentum; WebMD) and regional outlets (e.g.,
The Oregonian), as well as through his participation in events such as “Bike for Mom” (Thailand) – a Guinness World Records setting event.