Dr. Jeffrey I. Messer serves as an assistant professor in health science for the Health Sciences Department at Eastern Connecticut State University, Willimantic, Connecticut.

Dr. Messer holds a doctoral degree (Ph.D.) in exercise physiology from Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona. His doctoral research program emphasized exercise biochemistry with a specific research focus in skeletal muscle mitochondrial bioenergetics. In addition, he has earned a Master of Science (M.S.) degree in exercise science from Arizona State University, a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) degree from Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, and a Bachelor of Arts

(B.A.) degree in economics from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Connecticut.

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Dr. Messer teaches a variety of courses including Anatomy & Physiology Laboratory, Exercise Physiology, Exercise Physiology Laboratory, Biology for the Health Sciences, Biology for the Health Sciences Laboratory, and Issues in Health Sciences Seminar.

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During a prior, two-decade tenure at Mesa Community College (MCC), Mesa, Arizona, Dr. Messer instructed Introduction to Evidence-Based Inquiry, Introduction to Research Methods in Health and Exercise Science, Sport Nutrition for Fitness Professionals, Strength & Conditioning, and Methods of Enhancing Physical Performance. His MCC teaching pursuits were complemented by the September

2010 opening of the Mesa Community College Human Performance Laboratory; Dr. Messer served as

the inaugural director of the laboratory.

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Dr. Messer has published research in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (MSSE), The American Journal of Physiology (AJP), and The Journal of Applied Physiology (JAP). Most recently, Dr. Messer and co-authors published a 2016 MSSE paper entitled “A Simple Hydraulic Analog Model of Oxidative Phosphorylation.”

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He has offered research presentations at the Annual Meeting of the Southwest Region of the American College of Sports Medicine (SWACSM), the Annual Meeting of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), and the Annual Meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB).

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Corresponding professional memberships include The American Physiological Society (APS), The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA), USA Track & Field (USATF), the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS), and the United States Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

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Dr. Messer applies his passion for teaching and scholarly inquiry through his involvement in coaching both interscholastic endurance athletes and, periodically, pre-secondary and post-collegiate endurance athletes.

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From 2006 – 2012, Dr. Messer served as co-head coach for cross-country and assistant coach (distance) for track & field at Xavier College Preparatory, Phoenix, Arizona. The Xavier College Preparatory cross-country program earned six consecutive (2007 – 2012) Arizona high school girls’ state cross-country championships. During the three-year period from 2010 – 2012, the Xavier College Preparatory cross-country program concluded the associated cross-country seasons ranked 22nd, 8th, and 21st in the United States. During the 2012 Arizona high school track & field season, Xavier College Preparatory had twelve (12) student-athletes average 5:13 for the 1,600-meter distance.

In February 2013, Dr. Messer began to serve as head coach for girls’ cross-country and assistant coach (girls’ distance) for track-&-field at Desert Vista High School, Phoenix, Arizona. The Desert Vista High School girls’ cross-country program earned the 2013, 2014, and 2016 Arizona high school girls’ state cross-country championship. In late-May 2014, the Desert Vista High School girls’ distance program was ranked by MileSplit US as one of only two girls’ high school track & field programs in the United States with “top ten” groups in each of the 800-m, 1,600-m, and 3,200-m events.

In December 2014, the Desert Vista High School girls’ cross-country program finished fifth (5th) at the Nike National High School Cross-Country Championship and thus concluded the 2014 high school cross-country season as the fifth (5th) ranked high school cross-country team in the United States. More recently, the Desert Vista High School girls’ cross-country program finished sixth (6th) at the 2016 Nike National High

School Cross-Country Championship.

Subsequent to the 2016 high school cross-country season, Dr. Messer retired from his head coaching endeavors in order to expand his community college leadership pursuits.

Subsequent to a brief coaching retirement, Dr. Messer returned and transitioned to the Desert Vista boys’ distance program as an assistant coach for the 2017 cross-country season. The Desert Vista High School boys’ cross-country program earned its first opportunity to compete at and, ultimately, finished eighth (8 th ) at the 2017 Nike National High School Cross-Country Championship. During the 2018 and 2019 Arizona high school cross-country seasons, Dr. Messer served as an assistant coach for the Desert Vista High School girls’ and boys’ cross-country programs. The Desert Vista High School boys’ cross-country program earned the 2018 Arizona high school boys’ state cross-country championship, and the Desert Vista High School girls’ cross-country program earned the 2019 Arizona high school girls’ state cross-country championship.

Dr. Messer maintains a very strong, aforementioned interest in selectively coaching post-collegiate athletes. Previously, Dr. Messer coached three-time United States Olympic Trials Marathon participant Susan Loken. Dr. Messer coached Ms. Loken through both the 2004 and 2008 Marathon Trials. As a forty-four (44) year-old master’s participant, Ms. Loken achieved a 2:42.55 2008 Olympic Trials marathon performance.

More recently, Dr. Messer has served as the coach for professional runner Jessica (Tonn) McClain. Mrs. McClain finished as national runner-up at the October 2019 USA Track-& Field 5-K Championships. Prior to her subsequent 2020 retirement from professional running, Ms. McClain complemented the aforementioned, 2019 national runner-up accomplishment by achieving lifetime personal best performances at both the 3,000-meter (8-minutes:54-seconds) and 5,000-meter (15-minutes:12-seconds) distances.

Dr. Messer has been recognized by the United States Track & Field and Cross-Country Coaches Association as the 2016 National Girls’ High School Cross-Country Coach-of-the-Year.