Meet the Authors

Dr. Keller has written several journal articles that have appeared in such publications as Air Force Medical Digest and Orthopedic Physical Therapy Practice. Dr. Keller is a member of the American Physical Therapy Association where he has been active since 1965, as well as the Arkansas state chapter of the APTA. He is also a member of the American Physical Therapy Orthopedic Section, the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Physical Therapists, the National Association of Disability Evaluation Professionals and the Military Officers Association of America. He also has demonstrated his proficiency at running a therapy practice, serving on the u.s. Small Business Administration's Small Business Advisory Council and receiving the Ronald Reagan Gold Award in 2004 and 2006.

Dr. Keller's wealth of knowledge makes him an experienced and skilled seminar instructor.

Professor Mike Klecan

Professor Klecan has been teaching at Ocean County College for 14 years and he has been the Head Athletic Trainer for 16 years. He teaches many different courses each semester including Contemporary Health and Applied Modern Health.

Professor Klecan also authored the curriculum for and teaches HEHP 239, Strength and Conditioning, HEHP 238, Management and Rehabilitation, HEHP 240, Exercise Physiology, HEHP 228 Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries, and HEHP 266 Exercise Prescription.

Professor Klecan helped develop the Exercise Science Certificate as well as the Liberal Arts Concentrations for Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. The course work in these programs will prepare students to enter the work force or transfer to a four year institution.

Professor Klecan has established a national alliance with the National Council on Strength and Fitness (NCSF). Students that complete the required pre-requisite course work and HEHP 266 Exercise Prescription, are eligible to take the NCSF National Exam. Upon successfully completing the exam the student would be a nationally certified personal trainer.

Professor Klecan's most recent affiliations include: NATA Certified Athletic Trainer, NJ licensed Athletic Trainer, NCSF Faculty, BLS&Aed certified, 2003 and 2004 Who's Who Among Americas Teachers.

Dr. Karl Knopf

Dr. Karl Knopf has been involved with the health and fitness industry for over 30 years in numerous capacities. Dr. Karl as his students like to call him has been involved in almost every aspect of the fitness world, he started out 30 years ago as a fitness instructor then with further education and training moved on to be a college professor/administrator of Adaptive P.E. and Older Adult Education. In addition to his full time job, as a college professor, Dr. Karl is the President of Fitness Educators of Older Adults Assoc., Director of Fitness Therapy and Adaptive Fitness for ISSA, as well as an advisor to Sit and Be Fit. Dr. Karl has written 6 textbooks and numerous articles, been a consultant to Time Life Medical, the State of California, Stanford University and the University of California. He has also served as an expert witness to assist fitness instructors in law suits. Dr. Karl still works daily with disabled and older adult students so that he fully understands the needs of the "real world" of the fitness educator. Dr. Karl prides himself on being able to make the complex "theory" of fitness practical, whether while he is doing this on talk radio, in the classrm or at a conference. Some of Dr. Karl's graduates say he is a "teacher's" teacher!

Dr. Karl has recently published five books which might be of interest to the fitness educator: Principles of Fitness Therapy and Fitness Over 50 both published by Hunter textbooks and Stretching for 50 Plus, weights for 50 Plus and sports conditioning for 50 plus published by Ulysses Press.

Rita Spak

Rita Spak, MS, CTRS, ACC, CDP is owner of SPAK CONSULTING SERVICES. She has over thirty years of experience in the adult and long-term care field. She is a nationally certified recreational therapist, activity consultant, and trainer for the dementia practitioner certification program. Rita has conducted presentations on recreational therapy, activity programming and dementia seminars at international, national and state conferences.

Her unique intervention-based programs have been so well received that the center for medicare and medicaid services (CMS) quoted her work in their website on the new regulations. She serves as an item writer for NCTRC (National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification) national certification exam.

Rita has managed recreation and activity services along the continuum of care - independent living, assisted living, rehabilitation, boarding home, skilled nursing, psychiatric and long-term care.

Stephen Seiler

Stephen Seiler is 43 years old and professor of Sport Science at the University of Agder in Kristiansand, Norway. He is the father of two children, Siren Amelia and Markus. Dr. Seiler is an American trained in exercise physiology at the University of Arkansas and University of Texas (PhD), but has lived and worked in Norway since 1996. Besides teaching, he has authored or co-authored research in different journals including, the American Journal of Physiology, the Journal of Applied Physiology, Free Radical Research, Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports, Aging: Clinical and Experimental Research, the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and others.

Dr. Seiler has also given more than 50 presentations and invited lectures at national or international meetings, including the American Heart Association, The American College of Sports Medicine, the European College of Sport Science, the International Rowing Federation, the International Congress of Science in Skiing, the Federation of Associations for Experimental Biology, and United States Rowing, United States Speed Skating, The Swiss Olympic Federation, The German Olympic Federation, the Swedish Skiing Federation and the Dutch Federation of Sports Medicine.