Sports have always played an integral part in Mark Stutz’s life. The passionate Denver Broncos football fan recently settled in at Nebraska Wesleyan University and has now added the Prairie Wolves to his list of favorite teams.

Stutz, Assistant Professor of Health and Human Performance, was born and raised in Denver, Colo. As a child, his family held season tickets to the Denver Broncos football games, which played a big role in his passion for the sport. This passion strengthened as Stutz grew older. In junior high, he worked with his school’s football team where he first gained an interest in athletic training. This interest blossomed in high school when Stutz had the opportunity to work with the team doctor and learn valuable lessons about athletic training.

Stutz graduated from Lock Haven University in Pennsylvania in 1991 with a degree in science and health science with an emphasis in athletic training. After college, Stutz became certified in athletic training and worked in a rehabilitation clinic for a private company in Milwaukee, Wis. He then moved to Kansas where he worked at a community college as the head athletic trainer. Stutz decided to further his education in athletic training, so while in Kansas he attended Kansas University and earned a master’s degree in biomechanics and sports psychology. He also served as an athletic trainer for the football team.

Stutz moved onto Fort Hays State University where he served as the director of the athletic training program from 1999 to 2007. While working at Fort Hays State, Stutz earned his Ph.D in curriculum and instruction from Kansas State University. He most recently was the chair of the Health and Human Performance Department and an assistant professor of health and human performance at Baker University in Baldwin City, Kan..

Stutz was thrilled when he saw a job opening at Nebraska Wesleyan University. It would be an opportunity to get back into athletic training education and to simply be closer to family in Nebraska.

“I’m really looking forward to building upon the foundation of the really good program that we have here,” said Stutz. “I hope that while I’m here I can see the number of students involved in this program increase, and have the chance to share my passion and knowledge of athletic training with the students.”

Stutz and his wife, Jill, have a daughter, Abby, and two cocker spaniels.