Barry Braun, the new head of the Department of Health and Exercise Science at Colorado State University, has been inducted as a fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology.

Braun was inducted at the academy’s 84th annual meeting, which was held Sept. 11-13 in Austin, Texas. The fellowship is an honorary award, restricted to 165 active members, that serves to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to the fields of kinesiology and physical education. The academy’s statement of purpose declares that it strives to “encourage and promote the study and educational application of the art and science of human movement and kinesiology.”

Before joining the faculty of CSU’s Department of Health and Exercise Science, Braun served as director of the Energy Metabolism Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where he was recognized with the “Spotlight Scholar” award in 2011. Braun’s area of study focuses on optimizing the use of exercise to oppose insulin resistance to prevent and treat Type 2 diabetes, as well as the effects of inactivity on metabolic health and activity/inactivity of hormonal regulation of appetite. He received his Ph.D. in nutritional sciences from the University of California, Berkeley in 1993 and did a post-doctoral fellowship at Stanford University Medical School.

Braun became head of the department in August.