EXNS Faculty & Staff

Dr. Ryan holds undergraduate (Georgia Southwestern State University) and master’s (Indiana University of Pennsylvania) degrees in Exercise and Sports Science. He earned his Doctorate in Human Performance from the University of Alabama, where his dissertation focused on thermoregulation of soft body armor worn by law enforcement officers. Additionally, Dr. Ryan also has several certifications, including the Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist with Distinction, and Tactical Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA). Dr. Ryan has over a decade of experience in the field of strength and conditioning, working with collegiate, professional, and tactical athletes in a variety of capacities. Dr. Ryan has over 30 peer-reviewed articles and 200 state, regional, and national presentations in various aspects of Exercise Science.

Dr. Bishop serves as Professor for Exercise and Nutrition Science.  His specific research interests are thermoregulation in sports, specificity of training in combat sports and non-traditional exercise modalities, high-intensity interval training for aerobic and anaerobic applications, and research and adjustment of kinesiology curriculum in higher education and standardization of personal training certifications.

Dr. DeVane-Hart is an Assistant Professor of Exercise and Nutrition Science.  She instructs students in Introduction to Food Science, Introduction to Nutrition, Sports Nutrition, Life Cycle and Community Nutrition and Foodservice Management.  She also has experience with school-based health promotion programs and pediatric nutrition.

Robert L. Herron is an Assistant Professor in the Exercise and Nutrition Science Program at the University of Montevallo. Dr. Herron is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist® with distinction from the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA-CSCS*D®) and a Clinical Exercise Physiologist through the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM-CEP®). Robert’s areas of research interest include acute interventions that improve sport performance, recovery, or occupational safety, exploring cardiovascular responses to stressors, and measurement and evaluation challenges in research within sport-, health-, and/or high-performance settings.

Dr. Mitchell is a Professor of Exercise and Nutrition Science. Dr. Mitchell earned his doctorate from the University of Alabama, with an emphasis in Human Performance and Exercise Science. Additionally, he holds two master’s degrees. The first is in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University and the second in Exercise Science from Georgia State University. His bachelor’s degrees are also in Exercise Science and Psychology, which he completed at Grand Canyon University. Dr. Mitchell is certified as a Strength and Conditioning Specialist through the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA-CSCS). His research interests include various dynamics associated with recovery and sport specific training on the performance of off-road cycling. He is also actively involved in research implementing exercise training to improve functional mobility among special populations. His prior research experience includes serving as a research associate in the medical physiology lab at the University of South Alabama’s medical school, where animal models were used to examine endothelial cell function in response to oxidative stress. He also worked as a laboratory research assistant in the neuroscience laboratories of Drs. Barbara Knowlton and Michael Fanslow at the University of California-Los Angeles with studies using both human and animal subjects.

Ms. Petitt is a Clinical Instructor for Exercise and Nutrition Science.  She also serves as the Director of the Coordinated Program in Dietetics.  She has experience in the area of clinical nutrition with a specific interest in childhood obesity.  In addition, her graduate work is in the area of nutrition science and health education.