Dr. Andrea Corcoran joined Castleton’s Department of Natural Sciences as an Exercise Science professor in the Fall of 2020. She now shares her time between this department and the Department of Health and Exercise Sciences. She has a broad background in the neural control of breathing and in physiology, having used several different techniques and approaches to understand the mechanisms underlying respiratory control, particularly as it relates to homeostatic regulation. Prior to joining the faculty at Castleton, she was an assistant professor of biology at Southern Vermont College.

As an undergraduate, Dr. Corcoran studied both the role of development and species on physiological responses to temperature. Her graduate work (both Masters and PhD) focused on central control, particularly as it relates to chemoreception (detecting levels of blood oxygen, carbon dioxide, and pH). As a postdoctoral fellow at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine, studying the underlying pathophysiology of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in rodent models, Dr. Corcoran performed whole-animal metabolic measurements looking at the role of serotonin and GABA in cardiovascular and respiratory responses to hypoxia, hypocapnia, hypercapnia, and temperature. Using modern and novel genetic technology, she was able to acutely and reversibly silence sets of rhombomere-specific derived serotonin neurons and investigate their role in various environmental challenges. She, along with her colleagues, discovered a crucial neurophysiological role for serotonin and serotonin receptors in autonomic regulation, the dysfunction of which may be an underlying factor giving rise to SIDS.

Dr. Corcoran’s current work investigates the role of Cannabidiol (CBD) on breathing and autonomic responses in humans, and how these might be altered by varying levels of exercise. This project provides excellent opportunities for undergraduate student involvement. She currently has been awarded a project grant from Vermont’s Biomedical Research Network. Dr. Corcoran is also interested in body composition and welcomes undergraduate research project ideas using her research lab’s Bod Pod.

Education
Ph.D., University of Alaska Fairbanks
M.S., University of British Columbia
B.S., University of British Columbia

I am in my 14th year at Vermont State University Castleton Campus. I was initially hired by the athletic department working as an athletic trainer for a multitude of athletic teams. I slowly transitioned into teaching within the athletic training program. I am now in my 8th year of full time teaching and couldn’t be happier with my career path. In addition to being an Associate Professor, I serve as Coordinator of Clinical Education for the Master of Athletic Training Program and Department Chair for the Department of Health & Exercise Sciences.

Originally from Valparaiso, IN, I attended the University of New Hampshire on a gymnastics scholarship where I graduated with a BS Kinesiology: Athletic Training degree. I then moved out west to Eugene, OR and attained a MS Human Physiology: Advanced Athletic Training degree from the University of Oregon. While attending graduate school, I held an athletic training graduate teaching fellow position working with the University of Oregon Football and Volleyball teams.

I grew up in Valparaiso, IN (northwest corner of IN, tip of Lake Michigan). Gymnastics was my sport growing up. I met my husband of now 15 years while attending UNH; he played football there. We have two boys ages 11 and 8. They are very active, love sports and keep us busy! “

Professor Boucher is the Director of the Master of Athletic Training Program at Vermont State University, Castleton campus. Her teaching emphasis is evaluating orthopedic injuries and urgent and emergent care of athletic injuries. Other areas of professional interest include postural restoration and myofascial release therapy. She has previously worked as an athletic trainer at the collegiate, high school, and sports medicine clinic levels and in the corporate health and fitness arena. Her teaching philosophy is to create a positive learning environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and have fun while challenging and learning together. She has been awarded the 2023 Castleton University Alumni Association’s Outstanding Faculty, 2019-2020 Vermont State College Faculty Fellow, and 2011 Vermont Athletic Trainers Association Excellence in Athletic Training awards.

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Dr. Beltz is a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC) with clinical experience in the collegiate and high school settings. Additionally, she holds certifications in strength and conditioning (NSCA CSCS), corrective exercise (NASM CES), and health and wellness coaching (NBC-HWC).

Dr. Beltz began her career as a bench scientist, conducting research related to the cell cycle and renal physiology, but as a former collegiate athlete, she missed the world of athletics and exercise and subsequently shifted her focus to sports medicine and exercise science. She loves helping students explore the relationship physical activity and health, using her diverse experiences to provide context for challenging course content, making it more approachable and relatable for students. Dr. Beltz is passionate about approaching health and physical activity from a public health perspective, with many classes examining health and physical activity from individual, community, and societal lenses.

Dr. Beltz’s current research interests result from her work as a Certified Athletic Trainer, focusing on identifying improved methods for the prevention and management of sport-related injury. She loves collaborating with collegiate, high school, and community sports programs for her research, working directly with coaches, athletic trainers, and athletes to implement evidence-based methods to prevent and manage sport-related injury.

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Professor Lennox-Levins began her career in higher education and sport as the Assistant Women’s Soccer Coach and the Assistant to Athletic Fiscal Systems at her alma mater, Binghamton University (SUNY) in 1994. After four years of coaching, which ended with an appointment as Interim Head Women’s Soccer coach from 1997-1998, Professor Lennox-Levins moved completely into the athletic administration ranks. During her 11 years professionally at Binghamton she moved steadily up the administrative ladder, assisting in the university’s transition from an NCAA Division III program to Division I. From 1998-2003 she served as an Assistant Athletic Director and from 2003-2005 she worked as Associate Athletics Director at Binghamton before moving to Washington D.C. where she served as Director of Athletics at Trinity University. While living in the Washington, D.C. area Professor Lennox-Levins also spent almost three years working for the Human Rights Campaign, including a brief placement in Albuquerque, NM. Most recently, Professor Lennox-Levins served as the Director of Athletics at Green Mountain College (2009-2012), and was a part-time professor at Castleton University during the 2010-2011 academic year.

Professor Lennox-Levins began her career as a full-time faculty member at Castleton in the Fall of 2012. She was the lead developer on the M.S. in Athletic Leadership program from 2013-2015 and serves as the Program Director for that program as well as for the B.S. in Sport Management. She also teaches in both programs. She has presented at numerous conferences on topics such as: Team Building: Alternatives to Hazing in the World of Athletics, Event Management, Risk Management in Sport, and Building Strong Organizational Culture, among others.

Professor Lennox-Levins’s outside interests include trail running, hiking, golf, coaching youth soccer, boating, and spending time with her family. She has completed five marathons, one Half Ironman Event (70.3), and participated in numerous half marathons and other road and trail races. Lennox-Levins resides in Rutland, VT with her wife Kim and their daughter Lucy.

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Lisa A. Pleban, Ed.D. is a professor of Physical Education at VTSU Castleton where she also has served as the Coordinator of the Physical Education Teacher Education since 2004. Throughout her teaching career, Dr. Pleban has focused her efforts on the development of effective health and physical educators. Students in her department are subject to high standards for professional dispositions and display a strong commitment to civic engagement.

Dr. Pleban is the recipient of the 2011 Castleton State College Alumni Association Outstanding Faculty of the Year award which recognizes the outstanding contributions and achievements of Castleton faculty whose “excellence in teaching influences students well beyond graduation.” In 2010 she was recognized as the Vermont Association of Health Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Higher Educator of the Year. Dr. Pleban was the 2018 recipient of the SHAPE America Eastern District Tilia J. Fantasia Service Award.

Dr. Pleban serves as the Executive Director of the Society of Health and Physical Educators – Vermont. She plays an active part in maintaining connections between the Vermont Department of Health, SHAPE VT, and the Vermont Agency of Education. These relationships have not only identified sources of funding to assist teachers and schools, but have helped to improve the quality health and physical education programming throughout Vermont.

Prior to her teaching at Castleton University, Dr. Pleban served as a college- and high school-level athletics coach, and, as a research associate at Yale University’s Department of Neurology.

Dr. Pleban consistently serves as a healthy role model to her students. She is an avid runner, golfer, and cyclist. She has completed seven marathons including the 2021 Boston Marathon.

Dr. Tarleton is a registered dietitian who has spent the majority of her career teaching, conducting, and facilitating high quality and innovative translational research. 

Emily has designed and implemented nutrition research in various healthcare settings, including cardiovascular research at the Henry M. Jackson Foundation and community-based obesity prevention programs funded by the CDC. For over 10 years, she worked as the Bionutrition Manager at the University of Vermont Clinical Research Center. At the Clinical Research Center she worked closely with investigators to implement nutrition methodologies for inpatient and outpatient clinical research trials. 

Emily brings a breadth of experience as a clinician and researcher to the classroom, providing context and real-world applications to the curriculum. Emily’s background in health care and science allow students to explore health from a wide variety of angles based on their interests. Emily’s active research program provides opportunities for undergraduate students to apply what is learned in the classroom.

Emily’s main research interests include the role of nutrition in mental health and the role of nutrition in maintaining independence as we age. 

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