Pierce, department executive officer and professor in Health, Sport, and Human Physiology, was among 15 scholars recognized for their contributions to kinesiology.
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Gary Pierce, professor and department executive officer in the Department of Health, Sport, and Human Physiology, has been inducted as a fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK).

Founded in 1926, NAK promotes the study and educational applications of human movement and physical activity. Through election to fellowship, the academy recognizes scholars whose research, teaching, and leadership have advanced the field.

Image: Jason Carter (NAK), Monica A.F. Lounsbery (NAK), Gary Pierce, and Dr. Bo Fernhall (NAK). Photo courtesy of the National Academy of Kinesiology.
Jason Carter (NAK), Monica A.F. Lounsbery (NAK), Gary Pierce, and Bo Fernhall (NAK). Photo courtesy of the National Academy of Kinesiology.

Election to the academy is considered one of the highest honors in kinesiology, recognizing individuals who have made significant contributions to the study and application of human movement and physical activity. Pierce was among 15 distinguished scholars inducted into the academy's Class of 2026 during its 95th annual meeting on Oct. 3 in Portland, Oregon.

“It is a great honor to be nominated and recognized by my colleagues in the field of kinesiology, and I owe much of my success to my former trainees and mentors, as well as my family. And to be included in the long list of esteemed NAK fellows from this department, going back to 1930, is really incredible,” Pierce said.

Pierce holds the Russell B. Day and Florence D. Day Chair in Liberal Arts and Sciences in Iowa's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (CLAS). His research focuses broadly on cardiovascular physiology, particularly how aging and exercise affect the health and function of blood vessels.

His areas of expertise include the mechanisms that contribute to accelerated vascular aging, characterized by arterial (blood vessel) stiffness, in people with a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and cognitive decline. He also studies the efficacy of pharmacological and/or exercise interventions in slowing or reversing vascular aging in these individuals.

In addition to his role in CLAS, Pierce holds a secondary appointment as a professor of internal medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the Carver College of Medicine. He is also affiliated with the François Abboud Cardiovascular Research Center, the Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, and the Fraternal Order of Eagles Diabetes Research Center.

Pierce joined the University of Iowa’s faculty in 2011. He earned his doctorate in applied physiology and kinesiology from the University of Florida and completed postdoctoral training in vascular aging and human physiology at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He is also a fellow of the American Heart Association and the American Physiological Society.

Pierce was inducted as NAK Fellow No. 677, joining a distinguished community of scholars recognized for their contributions to kinesiology. Previous faculty from the department who were inducted into NAK as fellows include Kathleen F. Janz (No. 506, 2011), Carl V. Gisolfi (No. 316, 1987), James G. Hay (No. 249, 1977), Charles M. Tipton (No. 215, 1971), Louis E. Alley (No. 185, 1967), Margaret G. Fox (No. 145, 1960), M. Gladys Scott (No. 84, 1950), Elizabeth Halsey (No. 83, 1950), Charles H. McCloy (No. 27, 1930).