March 27, 2006 (Vol. 3, No. 5)

Lehman Mourns Loss of Health Sciences Professor

Lehman College mourns the recent death of Health Sciences Professor Matthew Kerner. An expert in exercise physiology and childhood obesity, he was recruited from Long Island University to organize an exercise physiology program at Lehman. Since arriving in April 2002, Professor Kerner established the human performance laboratory in the APEX and designed a new degree program in exercise science, which is in the process of being approved.

Those who worked with Professor Kerner remember him as a dedicated, enthusiastic teacher who was devoted to his profession as both a researcher and educator. "Matthew loved his job," says Professor Andrea Boyar, chair of the Health Sciences Department. "He was an enthusiastic, passionate and dedicated teacher, and students really appreciated him."

"Above all, Matthew's passion was his students and his love of exercise science," says Dean William Tramontano. "He involved his students in every facet of the discipline, often taking them to professional meetings where they delivered papers and made poster presentations."

Professor Kerner was a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and was recently elected president of the organization's Mid-Atlantic Regional Chapter. He taught exercise physiology, behavioral aspects of physical activity, exercise testing and prescription, and biostatistics.

Born in Brooklyn, Professor Kerner received his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Long Island University (LIU) and earned a Ph.D. in Health Sciences from New York University. He was the first in his family to earn a college degree, and helped to pay for his college tuition by driving a cab part-time. It was at LIU's Brooklyn campus that his passion for teaching and health education was fostered. He eventually went on to teach sport science in the University's Health Professions Department.

His recently published works include the following articles: "Leisure-time Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Physical Fitness Among Adolescents" in The Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (2005) and "Development of Measures from the Theory of Planned Behavior Applied to Leisure-time Physical Activity" in Perceptual and Motor Skills (2005).

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