When undergraduate Cameron McCrea started at the IU School of Public Health-Bloomington (SPH-B) in August 2024, he was sure his calling was pre-medicine. Now nine months into his involvement with the FIT 360 Exercise Psychology and Behavioral Science Lab, McCrea has realized his true passion is research.
The brainchild of Assistant Professor Vanessa Martinez Kercher in the Department of Applied Health Science, FIT 360 is a research lab that focuses on developing a better understanding of what helps people thrive and create lasting healthy change. McCrea joined the lab in January of this year through the Hutton Honors College Early Research Opportunities (HERO) program and loved it so much he was able to obtain a scholarship through the IU Office of Undergraduate Research to continue his work through the fall.
“I discovered, as Dr. Martinez Kercher would say, ‘research is my jam,’” says McCrea, who is currently pursuing a major in community health. “Through my work with FIT 360, I have developed my skills in data management and interpretation, abstract and grant proposal writing, and have been giving the opportunity to present research outcomes at several conferences.”
McCrea has been primarily responsible for data cleaning and analysis of Dream BIG! IU, an employee health and wellness program that is supported by project partner Healthy IU. Through the support of Martinez Kercher, McCrea has had several opportunities to present program results, as well as participating in a grant writing group for both FIT 360 and the Hoosier Sport research labs.
“We want to recruit students who aren’t quite sure what they want their career direction to be—who are still figuring out what excites them in public health,” says Martinez Kercher. “FIT 360 introduces them to the world of behavioral science, including exercise psychology and health behavior, and how we apply that science through areas like health and wellness coaching to help people thrive and create lasting positive change.”
Martinez Kercher says FIT 360 is “student-powered by design”, allowing undergraduates like McCrea to take ownership of their work by collaborating with program partners on campus, working with data, presenting their research, and contributing to publications.
“Dr. Martinez Kercher is always encouraging students to dig deeper into tasks at hand,” shares McCrea. “Her passion and commitment to her students and her research is very motivating and makes working with the FIT 360 lab a truly rewarding experience.”
The lab has also been influential in developing Healthy IU’s “Ready to Move” program, training both undergraduate and graduate students in physical activity and health coaching, which they can then use in their future careers.
“Everything we do is powered by students,” says Martinez Kercher. “They aren’t just learning about the science—they are part of it; exploring this whole field focused on understanding people; what motivates us, how we think and behave, how we change, and what helps us thrive.”
Manager for Healthy IU Samantha Schaefer states that Martinez Kercher has been a “visionary leader and collaborator” in the creation of the FIT 360 Lab, directly impacting the well-being of students, faculty and staff.
“FIT 360 is an amazing space for students to receive real-world learning experiences, while also serving the campus and the community with expert-level resources.” says Schaefer.
For more trailblazing stories about our students, faculty, and staff, visit go.iu.edu/48bx.