Rate My Professor Kate Heelan

Dr. Kate Heelan serves as Assistant Department Chair and Professor of Exercise Science in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Sciences at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She earned her Ph.D. in Exercise Science from the University of Kansas in 2002, Master of Arts in Education focusing on Exercise Science from the University of Nebraska at Kearney in 1995, and Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and Biology from Drury College in 1993. Heelan joined the UNK faculty in 2001 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Leisure Studies, advancing to Associate Professor in 2006 and Professor in 2011. In addition to her academic roles, she directs the Physical Activity and Wellness Lab, a 9,000 square foot facility dedicated to combating the obesity epidemic through community-based programs that promote physical activity and healthy eating behaviors across the lifespan. She coordinates the exercise science program and mentors undergraduate and graduate students in research processes.

Heelan's research centers on childhood obesity prevention and treatment, physical activity interventions, energy balance, and implementing evidence-based weight management programs in rural and micropolitan communities. As principal or co-investigator, she has obtained grants exceeding $4 million, including a $2.5 million Centers for Disease Control and Prevention award from 2019 to 2024 to adapt the Building Healthy Families pediatric weight management intervention for rural areas. Her publications include over 40 peer-reviewed articles, such as 'Packaging of a Pediatric Weight Management Intervention and Implementation Blueprint for Rural and Micropolitan Communities – The Nebraska CORD 3.0 Project' (Childhood Obesity, 2021, with Abbey B.M. et al.), 'Perceptions of Participants and Staff of Implementing a Physical Activity Program in Rural Primary Care' (Evaluation and Program Planning, 2020, with Reed J. et al.), and 'Qualitative Comparative Analysis of Program and Participant Factors that Explain Success in a Micropolitan Pediatric Weight Management Intervention' (Childhood Obesity, 2022, with Golden C.A. et al.). Heelan has earned the Leland Holdt/Security Mutual Life Distinguished Faculty Award in 2020, Fellowship in the American College of Sports Medicine in 2010, SHAPE Nebraska Health Education Professional of the Year in 2015, and multiple College of Education awards for scholarship, service, and mentoring at UNK. She organizes the annual Nebraska Kids Fitness and Nutrition Day, evaluates school grants, and serves on statewide health committees, significantly impacting public health initiatives in Nebraska.