Kenneth M. Baldwin

Thank you very much for selecting me for the 2016 Distinguished Alumnus Award. I am well aware that, throughout Springfield College’s existence, only about 110 alumni have been selected for this prestigious honor. For me, this award is truly the highlight of my academic career which spans over 45 years.

When I was in high school, I played football, basketball, and baseball. Sports were the catalyst for my dream to become a physical education teacher and basketball coach. I did my homework and selected Springfield College because it had the best PE curriculum for a Bachelor’s Degree in the country.

In my junior year, Exercise Physiology was a mandatory course for graduation which was being taught by Dr. Charles Tipton. His knowledge and passion for Exercise Physiology made a great impression on me. Long story short, I aced his course and completed my junior year as his assistant in the lab.

When I arrived for my senior year, I learned that Dr. Tipton had been recruited to the University of Iowa to establish a Ph.D. program in the exercise sciences. I contacted him and learned that in order to get into the Iowa program one needed to complete prerequisites on the same level as an incoming medical student.

In 1967, I joined the Iowa program and three years later I received my Ph.D. At that time, I knew I wanted to become a scientist like Dr. Tipton. I was fortunate to be selected into the post-doctoral program at Washington University in St. Louis under the genius of Dr. John Holloszy, who at that time was the leading researcher in the field of Biochemistry of Acute and Chronic Exercise. In my three years with Dr. Holloszy, I was fortunate to contribute 17 manuscripts in the exercise field.

In 1973, I joined the faculty in the School of Medicine in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at the University of California, Irvine. My present position as Emeritus Professor Above Scale spans more than forty years at UC Irvine. During my career I was fortunate to recruit a cadre of 20 Ph. D.s and Post Docs, who contributed to over 230 peer-reviewed Manuscripts.

Also, I have been honored with many accolades from the following Agencies; American Physiological Society, American College of Sports Medicine, NASA Life Sciences, National Institute of Health, and the National Academy of Sciences.

Most important, I am blessed with a wonderful family, especially my wife, Sharon, my daughters, Leslie and Suzanne, and grandchildren, Aiden and Ellyson. Yes, I am a lucky man!