UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Melissa Bopp, professor and associate head of kinesiology at Penn State, was recently named a 2026 fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK).
Bopp was one of 15 scholars inducted into the academy’s 2026 class of new fellows during its 95th annual meeting and induction ceremony held earlier this month in Portland, Oregon. Her induction brings the department’s total number of faculty NAK fellows to 13.
“Being accepted into a group of amazing scholars from all over the world and across various areas in kinesiology is a tremendous honor,” Bopp said. “It is humbling to be named alongside peers who have made tremendous contributions to the field, and it feels like a culmination of the work I’ve accomplished throughout my career.”
Advancing physical activity and public health
Bopp, who is also the principal investigator of the Physical Activity and Public Health Laboratory, examines how community environments, policies and social factors influence physical activity participation. Her research includes investigating how communities can promote active transportation through infrastructure and policies that support safe walking and cycling, as well as exploring approaches to encourage physical activity among different populations.
Her team is currently investigating the use of bike buses, in which schools or communities organize groups of children to travel to school together by bicycle, as an alternative form of transportation. She also studies how policies that support safe cycling and infrastructure, such as sidewalks in new residential developments, can help communities create environments that encourage physical activity.
Through her lab, Bopp and her research team’s goal is to develop evidence-based recommendations that can inform decisions made by practitioners, policymakers and other stakeholders.
“When we develop our recommendations, we try to think about them with the practitioner in mind,” Bopp said. “We consider the practical elements that can be helpful in logistics, programmatic decisions and policymaking for any stakeholders who are interested in improving physical activity in their communities or on a larger scale.”
Her work also emphasizes the importance of studying physical activity among college students, a population navigating a formative period of life. Understanding the factors that influence students’ activity levels can help researchers and universities develop programs that support healthy behaviors during college and beyond.
Bopp noted that college students often experience greater autonomy and flexibility in their schedules for the first time, creating an important opportunity to establish habits that can continue throughout their life after they graduate.
In addition to her research, Bopp has also helped to develop "Physical Activity in Diverse Populations: Evidence and Practice," a college-level textbook that brings together contributions from experts worldwide to discuss how social determinants of health affect physical activity. The book explores factors including race, ethnicity, income, geographic location, gender identity, sexual orientation and ability level.
“I am particularly proud of the work that went into the making of this book because it helps students understand the many factors that can influence opportunities for physical activity and provides perspectives from notable experts in the field who work across different populations and settings,” Bopp said. “It allows them to view physical activity from different lenses that they may not be familiar with and the difficulties different populations may face in participating in physical activity.”
Collaboration and leadership
Bopp’s experience in research and leadership roles has reinforced the value of collaboration across disciplines in the field. She said she finds that working with researchers who bring different areas of expertise can help teams develop a more complete understanding of research questions, from study design and methodology to the practical implications of their findings.
As associate head of the Department of Kinesiology, Bopp works with faculty members across the department’s many subdisciplines, helping her better understand their research and teaching priorities and offer the support and resources they need to succeed in their roles. These relationships have also helped her build connections with colleagues in other departments and foster an interdisciplinary environment in the department.
Her work with undergraduate students has further shaped Bopp’s approach to leadership. Understanding students’ changing experiences, needs and career goals is an important part of helping them prepare for their next steps, whether they plan to pursue professional programs or enter the workforce.
“Just as the job force is changing at an accelerated rate with the development of new technologies, the students’ experience and their goals are changing with each new incoming class to meet it,” Bopp said. “Working with our students teaches us just as much as we teach them, about how we can support them to succeed while they’re here as our students and after they graduate,” Bopp said.
Bopp also credited the mentorship and expertise of her colleagues in the department and the broader NAK community as important sources of support throughout her career.
"I appreciate that the NAK recognizes both excellence in scholarship and impact as a national leader, qualities that Dr. Bopp has achieved both at the highest levels," said John Bartholomew, professor of kinesiology and head of the department. "Her research has clear public policy implications and, through her work on the National Physical Activity Plan, she has helped to drive policy change to support physical activity. I am so pleased that the academy recognizes Dr. Bopp's contributions in both areas."
Exploring the relationship between nature and health
Looking ahead, Bopp said she is interested in investigating how access to nature and green spaces influences physical activity and health, particularly among young adults.
According to Bopp, emerging research suggests that physical activity in outdoor and green spaces may offer mental health benefits beyond those associated with exercise in indoor or less green environments. Bopp said she hopes to better understand how access to nature affects mental health and how these experiences may influence long-term physical activity habits.
In addition to branching into nature, Bopp is also working on a grant funded by the National Intramural and Recreation Sport Administration (NIRSA) with Penn State Campus Recreation to examine the effects of outdoor recreation trips, and with the Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management’s Aurora program to understand participants’ mental health, sense of connection and future behaviors after the program’s conclusion.
These projects incorporate surveys conducted before and after participation, interviews with peer leaders and focus groups with students who have taken part in the program. By examining these experiences from multiple perspectives, Bopp and her team aim to better understand how physically active outdoor recreation experiences can influence students’ well-being and encourage lasting healthy habits.
Demonstrating excellence in kinesiology
The National Academy of Kinesiology is a professional society whose members represent leading scholars in kinesiology, human movement, physical activity and related fields. Fellows are elected by academy members in recognition of their scholarly contributions and leadership in the field.
Bopp’s induction adds to the Department of Kinesiology’s longstanding representation in the academy and recognizes her contributions to physical activity and public health research, interdisciplinary collaboration and student education.
For more information about the National Academy of Kinesiology and its fellowship program, visit the academy’s website.