BUILD Mentor Spotlight for March 2019: Dr. Kellie Walters

Dr. Kellie Walters

Assistant Professor

Department: Kinesiology
College: Health and Human Services
Research Areas: Adolescent Girls' Health, Physical Activity During Pregnancy
Mentor Directory Profile

My Career Path

I started doing research as part of my honors thesis at San Diego State University which really helped me during my master’s program when I was in the biomechanics lab. While I really appreciate those experiences (I learned a lot), it wasn’t until my Ph.D. that I started to do research that I felt really passionate about. My dissertation was on adolescent girls’ and their mothers’ physical and emotional health. I continue to do research in this area today.

Why My Research Is Exciting

I love doing research in the community, with the ultimate goal of positively impacting people around me. I get excited when I know the work my students and I do help others live a healthy, happy life. I particularly like working with young girls because I feel the work we do has much bigger impacts on them and their future families than one research project can measure.

What You Should Know About My Research

Some of the research I do is evaluating a non-profit program, Smart Fit Girls, that I co-founded. Because of this, I am particularly passionate about the work I do.

How BUILD Trainees Have Contributed to My Research

I am a new faculty member and have not had the pleasure of working with a BUILD student. I have had other students involved in my research (through programs like ANDALE on campus) but would love to work with a BUILD student one day.

How BUILD Has Contributed to My Research

The BUILD program has provided a lot of great resources for faculty members including mixers, workshops, and the BUILD mentoring community. All of these experiences have helped me be a better mentor for my students.