MSU’s Twietmeyer receives National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education Distinguished Scholar Award

Contact: Bethany Shipp

STARKVILLE, Miss.—Mississippi State’s Gregg Twietmeyer is the recipient of the 2026 Distinguished Scholar Award from the National Association of Kinesiology in Higher Education.

An associate professor of kinesiology, Twietmeyer was selected for this prestigious honor for his significant contributions to the field through scholarly pursuits in the philosophy of sport, sport ethics, and sport and religion. The organization will formally recognize him during the January 2026 national conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

Clayton Whalen, assistant professor of sport management at Washburn University and former doctoral student of Twietmeyer, nominated him for the award.

“Dr. Twietmeyer’s contributions to the field of kinesiology have been substantial,” Whalen said. “His consistent call for the discipline to closely examine its philosophical commitments is something that every kinesiologist should take seriously. I can’t think of any scholar more deserving of this award.”

Among his many accomplishments, Twietmeyer authored “Fundamentals of Sports Ethics,” a widely used textbook now in its third edition. He has written 22 journal articles, contributed seven book chapters to edited collections and served as an editorial board member of Quest, NAKHE’s flagship journal, since 2017. Twietmeyer has given 31 conference presentations, including 10 at NAKHE conferences, and generated more than $150,000 in grant funding for the MSU Adapted Swim Camps that teach swimming and water safety to children with special needs. He also has created 12 classes during his MSU tenure to increase activity levels and access to physical activity on campus, as well as deepen students’ understanding of the centrality of play and physical activity to human culture, history and well-being.

“Dr. Twietmeyer is an accomplished scholar who has had a great impact on kinesiology internationally through his vigorous research, effective teaching and service efforts,” said MSU Professor of Kinesiology Stamatis Agiovlasitis in his letter of support. “His scholarship has been very impactful and has established him as a foremost international leader in the field of sport philosophy. In the classroom, he promotes rigorous investigations of critical issues in kinesiology and has seized opportunities to make positive contributions to curricula aimed at student learning and academic excellence.”

Twietmeyer joined NAKHE in 2009. He holds a doctorate in kinesiology from Pennsylvania State University, a master’s degree in kinesiology from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s degree in art from Concordia University-Ann Arbor. Twietmeyer was a student-athlete while at Concordia, where he was a four-year letter winner on the men’s soccer team.

NAKHE is one of the oldest continuous kinesiology organizations in the nation, tracing its history back to the formation of the National College Physical Education Association for Men in 1897 and the Association of Directors of Physical Education for Women in Colleges and Universities in 1923. The two associations joined in 1978 and evolved into NAKHE in 2012. The Distinguished Scholar Award has been given to a leading scholar in the discipline since 1991.

MSU’s College of Education, home of the Department of Kinesiology, also includes four additional academic departments, a division of education, one research unit and numerous service units. Learn more at www.educ.msstate.edu.

Mississippi State University is taking care of what matters. Learn more at www.msstate.edu.