The Mike and Terry Metzler Distinguished Lecture is an annual event hosted every fall semester by the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Georgia State University. The purpose of the Mike and Terry Metzler Distinguished Lecture, founded by Georgia State University retired faculty members Mike and Terry Metzler, is to feature talks from nationally and internationally renowned speakers on scholarship, research, policy, and programs that promote physical activity for healthy living.
Metzler Lecture 2024
Thursday, Oct. 24, 2024
10 a.m.
In Person: Georgia State University’s Centennial Hall Auditorium (100 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta)
Virtual: WebEx Presentation
Presenter: Brad Wilkins
Assistant Professor, Director of the Oregon Performance Research Laboratory Human Physiology, University of Oregon
Presentation Title: Exploring Human Physiological Limits
About Brad Wilkins
Brad Wilkins received his Ph.D. from the University of Oregon and trained as a post-doctoral fellow at both the University of Oregon and the Mayo Clinic. An accomplished scientist at Nike over a 10-year period, he held several scientific and leadership positions, including directing Next Generation Research teams and leading the scientific team for Nike’s attempt at a sub-two-hour marathon. He joined the faculty at Gonzaga University in 2020, reestablishing his dedication to instilling the importance of scientific exploration, curiosity, critical thinking and creative problem solving to young scientists, medical professionals, business leaders and citizens of the world. Wilkins joined the faculty at the University of Oregon in 2023 with the goal of continuing with this purpose, along with elevating the reach of his research.
Wilkins is a leading expert in exercise and sport physiology, with a passion for dissecting the physiological limits of human performance. His current research explores the impact of factors such as gut microbes, sex hormones, environment (altitude and heat), dehydration, mechanics and blood flow regulation on human performance outcomes. He has a broad understanding of human physiology, with specific work in human cardiovascular control, muscle bioenergetics and their interaction, which ultimately dictates oxygen supply and demand balance or imbalance. Fundamentally, Wilkins utilizes an integrative approach to understanding how different physiological determinants may interact to limit performance when humans are under extreme environmental and exercise stress.
Parking and Transportation
The Metzler Lecture will take place in Georgia State University’s Centennial Hall (100 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta). You can see this building on the university’s interactive campus map here and on Google Maps here.
Public Transportation
Take the Gold/Red MARTA rail line to the Peachtree Center transit station, and exit the station on the Peachtree Center Transit Station side. Proceed south on Peachtree Street (towards Forsyth Street) and turn left onto John Wesley Dobbs Avenue. Then, turn right onto Courtland Street. Centennial Hall is on the left-hand side of the street.
Parking Options
There are several parking decks and metered street parking options for graduates and guests.
Georgia State University Parking Decks
- Georgia State has several parking deck options, all of which can be viewed on the university’s interactive campus map here. Parking costs $10 in all decks.
- The closest university parking deck to Centennial Hall is T Deck (43 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30303). If you park here, proceed on Auburn Avenue (toward Peachtree Center Avenue) and Centennial Hall will be on the left-hand side of the street at the intersection of Auburn Avenue and Courtland Street.
- Georgia State’s M Deck (33 Auditorium Place SE, Atlanta, GA 30303) is also close to Centennial Hall. If you park here, proceed on Auditorium Place (toward Courtland Street) and take a right on Courtland Street. Centennial Hall will be on the right-hand side of the street at the intersection of Courtland Street and Auburn Avenue.
Georgia-Pacific Parking Garage (60 John Wesley Dobbs Ave. NE, Atlanta, GA 30303)
- Parking Rates: $2 for 0-20 minutes; $2 for each additional 20 minutes; $16 max daily rate
- Directions: Proceed on John Wesley Dobbs Avenue and take a right onto Courtland Street. Centennial Hall will be at the end of the block on the left-hand side of the street.
Metered Street Parking
Street parking is also available on streets near Centennial Hall for $2 per hour. Please review the signage in that area for information on how to pay for parking.
Previous Speakers
Dr. I-Min Lee, Professor of Medicine and Epidemiology at Harvard University, was the featured speaker for the Mike and Terry Metzler Distinguished Lecture, which was held Oct. 28th, 2022, at Georgia State University’s Centennial Hall Auditorium* (100 Auburn Ave. NE, Atlanta).
She gave a presentation entitled, ” “Physical Activity and Chronic Disease Prevention: What Should I Be Doing?”
Chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and cancer, are the leading causes of death worldwide. In her lecture, Lee looked at evidence showing that physical activity can reduce the risk of developing these diseases. She also reviewed encouraging findings from recent studies showing that very modest levels of physical activity can bring about significant health benefits.
To watch a recording of the 2022 lecture, click here.
Tom Farrey, executive director of the Aspen Institute’s Project Play, was the featured speaker for the 3rd Annual Mike and Terry Metzler Distinguished Lecture, which was held Oct. 15, 2021, in a virtual format.
He gave a presentation entitled, “How to Put the Youth Back in Youth Sports.”
Farrey, a former ESPN journalist and author of “Game On: The All-American Race to Make Champions of Our Children,” focuses his work on improving the U.S. youth sports system – in particular, increasing participation and expanding opportunities for recreational youth sport. Farrey serves as executive director of Project Play, an initiative that helps stakeholders build healthy communities. The initiative’s reports and data have shaped the national conversation about the value of sports for children and the gaps facing vulnerable populations, and hundreds of organizations have used Project Play’s framework to introduce new programs, partnerships and grant funding to their communities.
To watch a recording of the 2021 lecture, click here.
Howell Wechsler, director of U.S. programs for FHI 360, was the featured speaker at the 2nd Annual Mike and Terry Metzler Distinguished Lecture, which was held on Oct. 22, 2019, in Georgia State University’s Speaker’s Auditorium.
He gave a presentation entitled, “With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility: Strategies for Increasing the Power of Physical Education to Fulfill Its Responsibility.”
Wechsler is director of U.S. programs for FHI 360, a nonprofit international development organization that implements projects to promote public health, education, workforce development, early childcare and education, and disabilities services. His previous positions include CEO of the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, one of the nation’s leading nonprofit organizations helping schools improve physical education and nutrition services; and director of the Division of Adolescent and School Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he led efforts to collect data on youth physical activity and school physical education policies and practices; identify evidence-based best practices for schools in promoting physical activity; and help schools implement those best practices.
To watch a recording of the 2019 lecture, click here.
James F. Sallis, Distinguished Professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, was the featured speaker at the inaugural Mike and Terry Metzler Distinguished Lecture, which was held on April 10, 2018, in Georgia State University’s Student Center East.
He gave a presentation entitled, “A Vision for Active Cities: Fueled by Interdisciplinary Research.”
Sallis is the former director of Active Living Research, a program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. His primary research interests are promoting physical activity and understanding policy and environmental influences on physical activity, nutrition and obesity. He is the author of more than 500 scientific publications, serves on the editorial boards of several journals and is one of the world’s most cited authors in the social sciences. He received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and Time Magazine identified him as an “obesity warrior.”
To watch a recording of the 2018 lecture, click here.