B.S. Health Promotion Montana State University 2010
M.S. Exercise Science California University of Pennsylvania 2016
Ph.D Health Behavior Indiana University 2022

• Project Management Professional (PMP) - Project Management Institute
• Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) - National Strength & Conditioning Association
• Certified Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-EP) - American College of Sports Medicine
• Certified Health & Wellness Coach (CHWC) - Wellcoaches School of Coaching
• Research Coordinator (2021-2022), IU School of Public Health, (PI: Kawata, K., NIH-NINDS R01NS113950-01A1, 5 year $2,856,478). A longitudinal study of subconcussive head impacts and progressive neuronal dysfunction in adolescent athletes.
• Competitive Edge Program Coordinator/Supervisor (2015-2019), The Summit Medical Fitness Center, Kalispell Regional Healthcare. Adult strength training program; youth training academy; health and human performance laboratory; high school athletic training services.

Scholarly Interest

Dr. Kercher's work focuses on changing the world by bridging the gap between public health, youth sport management, and exercise science. He has three primary concentrations:

• Multi-level physical activity-based interventions utilizing sport-based youth development in under-resourced middle school children.
• Behavioral science.
• Campus-community partnerships.

Selected Popular Press

• 2024 Project Play Champions. Aspen Institute Press Release. Hoosier Sport awarded as a 2024 Project Play Champion by the Sports and Society Program of the Aspen Institute. [LINK]
• Nike (re: physical activity expertise)
• CNN.com:(re: Kercher et al., 2022)
• American Academy of Pediatrics Blog:(re: Kercher et al., 2022)
• Physician's Weekly:(re: Kercher et al., 2022)
• The Hill:(re: Kercher et al., 2022 ? U.S. adult willingness to allow tackle football)
• NBCNews.com:(re: health & fitness expertise)

Awarded Projects

• American Heart Association. Refining and Testing an Innovative Physical Activity Implementation Strategy in Under-Resourced Children. Career Development Award (24CDA1038890; $231,000). Jul 2024- Jun 2027.
• Indiana Department of Health. Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity. Hoosier Sport: Developing and Implementing a Sustainable Campus-Community Partnership in Rural Indiana. May 2023 − Sep 2024.
• 2023 CITL Summer Instructional Development Fellowship. Introduction to Sport-based Youth Development.
• Office of Vice Provost for Research (OVPR) Award for Research Methods Collaboration. Hoosier Sport Research Team and IU Center for Survey Research collaboration.

Kwaiser, M.M., Medellin, A.M., Watkins, J.M., Goss, J.M., Hobson, J.M., Martinez Kercher, V.M., & Kercher, K.A. (2024). Evaluation of a Pilot College Student-Based Physical Activity Implementation Strategy in a Rural Middle School. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121645.

Major, M.G., Watkins, J.M., Goss, J.M., Craig, D.W., Waggoner, Z., Martinez Kercher, V.M., & Kercher, K.A. (2024). Intervention Mapping for Refining a Sport-Based Public Health Intervention in Rural Schools. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2024, 21(12), 1557. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21121557.

Watkins, J.M., Goss, J.M., Major, M.G., Kwaiser, M.M., Medellin, A.M., Hobson, J.M., Martinez Kercher, V.M., & Kercher, K.A. (2024). Refined Feasibility Testing of an 8-Week Sport and Physical Activity Intervention in a Rural Middle School. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2024, 21(7), 913. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070913.

Kercher (Martinez), V.M., Watkins, J.M., Goss, J.M., Phillips, L., Blades, K., Dobson, D., Roy, B., & Kercher, K.A. (2024). Psychological Needs, Self-Efficacy, Motivation, and Resistance Training Outcomes in a 16-week Barbell Training Program for Adults. Frontiers in Psychology, 15:1439431. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1439431

Watkins, J.M., Goss, J.M., Kwaiser, M.M., Major, M.G., Coble, C.J., Hobson, J.M., Martinez Kercher, V.M., & Kercher, K.A. (2024). 8-week Pilot Testing of a Sport-Based Youth Development Intervention in Rural Middle Schoolers. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2024, 21, 913. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph21070913.

Watkins, J.M., Brunnemer, J.E., Heeter, K.N., Medellin, A.M., Churchill W.C.., Goss, J.M., Hobson, J.M., Werner, N.E., Weaver, R.G., Martinez Kercher, V.M., & Kercher, K.A. (2024). Evaluating the Feasibility and Acceptability of a Co-Designed Physical Activity Intervention for Rural Middle Schoolers: A Pilot Study. BMC Public Health, 2024; 24, 1830. DOI 10.1186/s12889-024-19356-2.

Fernández Solá, P.A., Watkins, J.W., Greeven, S.J., Kercher (Martinez), V.M., Coble, C.J., Evanovich, J.M., Whitley, M.A., & Kercher, K.A. (2024). Contribution of Youth Sport Participation to Physical Activity Levels and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in 5-year-old to 14-year-old Children: A Study Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. BMJ Open, 2024;14:e081524. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-081524.

Watkins, J.M., Greeven, S.J., Brunnemer, J.E., Heeter, K.N., Otile, J., Fernández Solá, P.A., Dutta, S., Hobson, J.M., Evanovich, J.M., Coble, C.J., Werner, N.E., Martinez Kercher, V.M., Kercher, K.A. (2024). Human-Centered Participatory Co-Design with Children and Adults for a Prototype Lifestyle Intervention and Implementation Strategy in a Rural Middle School. BMC Public Health, 24, 845. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-024-18351-x.

Zuidema, T.R., Hou, J., Kercher, K.A., Recht, G.O., Sweeney, S.H., Chenchaiah, N., Cheng, H., Steinfeldt, J.A., Kawata, K. (2024). Cerebral Cortical Surface Morphology and Neural Activation Pattern among Adolescent Football Players. JAMA Network Open, 7(2):e2354235. DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.54235.

Zavala, D., Kercher, K.A., & Kercher Martinez, V.M. (2024). Back to the Basics: A Movement Approach Through Active Play. ACSM’s Health and Fitness Journal. 2024; 28,2.

Greeven, S.J., Medellin, A.M., Watkins, J.M., Coble, C.J., Brunnemer, J.E., Fernández Solá, P.A., Dutta, S., Hobson, J.M., Evanovich, J.M., Kercher Martinez, V.M., & Kercher, K.A. (2023). Multilevel Needs Assessment of Physical Activity, Sport, Psychological Needs, and Nutrition in Rural Children and Adults. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1290567.

Greeven, S.J., Fernández Solá, P.A., Kercher (Martinez), V.M., Coble, C.J., Pope, K.J., Erinosho, T.O., Grube, A., Evanovich, J.M., Werner, N.E., & Kercher, K.A. (2023). Hoosier Sport: A Research Protocol for a Multilevel Physical Activity-Based Intervention in Rural Indiana. Frontiers in Public Health, 11. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2023.1243560. 

Zuidema, T.R., Bazarian, J.J., Kercher, K.A., Mannix, R., Kraft, R.H., Newman, S.D., Ejima, K., Rettke, D.J., Macy, J.T., Steinfeldt, J.A., & Kawata, K. (2023). Longitudinal Association of Clinical and Biochemical Biomarkers with Head Impact Exposure in Adolescent Football. JAMA Network Open, 6(5):e2316601. DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.16601. 

Ford, C, Kercher (Martinez), VM, Kercher, KA (2023). The 3 E's: Keys to empowering women in the weightroom. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal. 27(3):p 14-19, 5/6 2023. DOI: 10.1249/FIT.0000000000000862. **Selected as Feature Article.

Zuidema, TR, Bazarian, JJ, Kercher, KA, Mannix, R, Kraft, RH, Newman, SD, Ejima, K, Rettke, DJ, Macy, JT, Steinfeldt, JA, Kawata, K (2023). Longitudinal association of clinical and biochemical biomarkers with head impact exposure in adolescent football. JAMA Network Open. 6(5):e2316601. DOI:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.16601.

Kercher, KA, Steinfeldt, JA, Rettke, DJ, Zuidema, TR, Walker, MJ, Kercher, VM, Silveyra, P, Seo, DC, Macy, JT, Hulvershorn, LA, & Kawata, K (2023). Association between head impact exposure, psychological need satisfaction, and indicators of mental health among U.S. high school tackle football players. Journal of Adolescent Health. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.11.247

Kercher (Martinez) VM, Kercher, KA, Bennion T, Levy P, Alexander C, Amaral PC, & Romero-Cabellero A (2022). Fitness trends from around the globe. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 26(1), 21-37. doi:10.1249/FIT.0000000000000737.

Kercher (Martinez) VM, Burton D, Pickering MA, & Kercher, KA (2022). Profiling physical activity motivation based on reasons for exercise: A cluster analysis approach. Psychological Reports. Aug 13:332941221119413. doi:10.1177/00332941221119413.

Kercher, KA, Macy JT, & Washington M (2022). An institutional examination of U.S. adults' willingness to allow teenage boys to play tackle football. Journal of Physical Education and Sport. doi:10.7752/jpes.2022.10311.

Kercher, KA, Macy JT, Seo DC, & Steinfeldt JA. (2022). Factors associated with U.S. adults' willingness to allow teenagers to play tackle football. PLoS One. Sep 7;17(9):e0273229. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0273229.

Kercher, KA, Macy JT, Steinfeldt JA, Seo DC, & Kawata K (2022). Drill intensity and head impact exposure in adolescent football. Pediatrics. Nov 1;150(5):e2022057725. doi:10.1542/peds.2022-057725.

Kercher (Martinez) VM, Kercher, KA, Bennion T, Yates BA, Feito Y, Alexander C, & Miguel A (2021). Fitness trends from around the globe. ACSM's Health & Fitness Journal, 25(1), 20-31. doi:10.1249/FIT.0000000000000639.

Macy JT, Kercher, KA, Steinfeldt JA, & Kawata K (2021). Fewer US adolescents playing football and public health: A review of measures to improve safety and an analysis of gaps in the literature. Public Health Reports. Sep-Oct;136(5):562-574. doi:10.1177/0033354920976553.

Kercher, KA, Steinfeldt JA, Macy JT, Ejima K, & Kawata K (2020). Subconcussive head impact exposure differences between drill intensities in U.S. high school football. PLoS ONE, 15(8), e0237800. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0237800.