Rate My Professor Chad Spangler

Chad Spangler is a Professor of Integrated Health Sciences at Montana State University-Northern in the College of Health Sciences and Human Services. He holds a B.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies (Biology) from Montana State University-Northern, an M.S. in Health and Human Performance from the University of Montana, and a Ph.D. in Public Health with an emphasis in Epidemiology from Walden University. Certified as an Exercise Physiologist by the American College of Sports Medicine, Spangler's academic interests span clinical exercise, sport/exercise psychology using the transtheoretical model, infectious disease epidemiology, and immune function in athletes. Prior to joining MSU-Northern in 2014 as Health Promotions faculty, he taught epidemiology at Carroll College and worked at St. Peter's Hospital in Helena. He served as co-investigator on a large NIH grant establishing a regional Biosafety Level 4 Laboratory referral facility at Rocky Mountain Labs and conducted an ecological study on Clostridium difficile-associated disease in 54 U.S. hospitals.

Spangler's current research examines the relationships among vitamin D levels, respiratory illness, exercise, and stress in student-athletes, merging his expertise in infectious disease and sport science. He led an INBRE-funded project (2022-2023) titled 'New Use of Mixed Methods to Study Vitamin D and Respiratory Illness in a Pilot Cohort' and continues student-involved studies, including metabolic effects of high-intensity interval training on the Northern Lights basketball team. As head coach of the men's and women's cross-country teams since founding the program in 2015, he applies exercise physiology principles to training and psychological skills development. Spangler advises the Health Promotions department, promotes community health through fun runs and service events, and presented on athlete conditioning (2023) and AI in teaching (2025) in the university's Brown Bag Lecture Series. He received the Spring 2020 Pure Gold Award for exemplary service as coach and adviser and was appointed by Governor Greg Gianforte in 2026 as the public member of the Montana Board of Allied Healthcare Professionals.