Michael Esco

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS / ACTIVITIES

• Program Director: National Strength and Conditioning Association Educational Recognized Program (ERP): 8/2019 – Present
• MADE Health & Fitness, LLC, a company that delivers a smartphone application that accurately measures body composition from a single picture (mymadeapp.com).
  • Co-Founder and Co-Owner: 2/2019 – Present
  • Co-Inventor: Body composition assessment using two-dimensional digital image analysis. United States Provisional Patent 16/841,944. Filed April 8, 2020.
• Founding Director: WarhawkFit, a service-oriented program that provides health and fitness screenings and services to the Montgomery community, 8/2010 – 8/2014

BIOGRAPHY

I am a professor in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, AL. My research seeks to validate field tests that predict various parameters of physical fitness, such as body composition. In addition, I am interested in determining accurate and non-invasive methods (such as heart rate variability) that objectively monitor physiological responses to acute exercise and physical training. My work has resulted in over 140 full-length publications in peer-reviewed scientific sources, such as Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Sports Medicine, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, European Journal of Applied Physiology, European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, and other related journals. In addition, I have presented numerous topics related to applied exercise physiology at international, national, regional, and local events. Through the American College of Sports Medicine, I have reached Fellowship status and am both a Certified Exercise Physiologist (EP-C) and Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (CEP). I am also a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) through the National Strength and Conditioning Association. In private practice, I have provided exercise training-related services to a range of healthy, athletic, and at-risk individuals over the past 24 years.

Teaching philosophy

I believe that finding purpose and discovering a passion-filled career should be at the foundation of a complete college experience. I also believe that each student is fully capable of utilizing their unlimited potential and reaching a high level of success. They might just need a little help. Therefore, my primary objective is to utilize the knowledge I have obtained during my “discovery of purpose” to help students unleash their inner power so they create a life where they are fulfilled, inspired, and empowered. As a university professor, I believe that teaching is my primary responsibility and students are the focal point of my career. I make this known to all of my students throughout each semester; they are indeed my top priority. Whether it is in the classroom, with research, or service; students are involved in every aspect of my work as an academician.

An important component of my teaching philosophy is for students to understand the significant link between bodily movement and overall health. When this occurs, I believe that an appreciation for the value of the students’ chosen professional field develops. This understanding promotes a self-driven effort to study, and is pivotal to the development of future leaders of exercise physiology and human performance.

In the classroom, I strive to create an enthusiastic and interactive environment. I ask open-ended thought-provoking questions during lectures to foster group discussion. Course material is presented in a straightforward manner through a variety of communication mediums. Most lectures involve visual aids, which are helpful when describing difficult content or systems, such as various metabolic pathways or the complexities of physiological control. I post all of my PowerPoint lectures, review guides for exams, ancillary material, and links to supportive websites on Blackboard. This provides access to material that can be used to supplement lecture notes and textbooks. I am always accessible to students and I strive to be an approachable professor. I make certain that every student understands that I am available for them. I encourage them to e-mail me if they have questions and I respond to their concerns as quickly as possible. 

I enable students to be actively involved in current science. One method I use to achieve this is implementation of projects within each course in which students are required to do written summaries and oral presentations of peer-reviewed scientific articles. This improves students’ writing and public speaking abilities. Also, it fosters discovery and the ability to discern the difference between scientific facts and the fallacies of mainstream anecdotal claims. Students often accompany me on trips to professional conferences. Attending professional conferences allows students to experience the diversity within education by hearing presentations on topics from other professionals and even fellow students from different institutions. I am a strong advocate for student participation in research.
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My passion for exercise and fitness was developed over 20 years ago and has led me through the “spectrum” of what can be done with a degree in exercise science. I began as a personal fitness trainer, and then my curiosity and passion to learn led to other fields which included cardiopulmonary rehabilitation physiologist, strength and conditioning specialist for elite athletes, and eventually to a college professor at an R1 institution. Indeed, the many wonderful roles I have served as an Exercise Physiologist have led to an ability to help students answer the important question of “What can you do with a degree in exercise science?” My teaching philosophy and methods will continue to evolve, but will do so with a foundation that has been solidified by my passion for the field of Exercise Science and the strong belief I have in students’ unlimited potential for success.