The history of Cardinal Wellness
Since the fall of 2017, our program has served over 400 people in and around Muncie, with guided exercises, nutrition classes, and health and wellness assessments. We seek to continue the program with the hope that it will serve as an exemplary model of a long-term campus-community partnership.
Our goal is to continue our exercise and nutrition program for Muncie’s Whitely neighborhood and beyond. The program has been a staple in the community for two years with many community members relying on our program to meet their health and wellness goals. Our research demonstrates that we are reducing obesity and successfully educating the public about better nutritional choices. The absence of our program in the community would be felt by those who rely on it to meet their needs, as there are few similar resources for low-income audiences.
Meet our Staff
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Dr. Shannon Powers
Cardinal Wellness Co-Founder and Co-Director and Associate Teaching Professor in the School of Kinesiology at Ball State University
Dr. Powers is an Associate Teaching Professor at Ball State University and co-director of Cardinal Wellness. She has taught in the core curriculum mainly in physical fitness and wellness. Her research focuses on higher education health pedagogy and community engagement outcomes, handgrip strength, its place in the K12 PE curriculum, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Fitness. As a Southern California transplant, she is focused on creating a culture of wellness in Muncie. She also serves as Vice President of the Muncie Parks and Recreation Board and the Delaware County Purdue Extension Advisory Board. -
Clare
Graduate Student
Hi Everyone! My name is Clare and I am very excited to be joining the team at Cardinal Wellness! I am a first year grad student at BSU and am working towards my masters degree in dietetics. I am originally from Michigan, where I graduated in May from Michigan State University (see picture!), and I already love the area around Muncie. I'm sure you will see me around, especially in the kitchen, making some tasty food samples for you! -
Karan
Graduate Student
My name is Karan and I am a second year graduate student pursuing my masters degree in Sport and Exercise Psychology along with Clinical and Mental Health Counseling. I’m originally from Dubai, U.A.E. and went to Purdue to get my undergraduate degree. I’m excited to join the Cardinal Wellness team and will be working with the research aspects of the program. -
Jean-Charles Lebeau, Ph.D., CMPC
Assistant Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology in the School of Kinesiology at Ball State University
Jean-Charles Lebeau is originally from France where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Sport and a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology. After working as a certified psychologist and teaching psychology to coaches and athletes, he decided to move to the USA to complete his PhD in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Florida State University. His dissertation was investigating the effects of acute exercise on driving and executive functions in older adults. His research interests revolve around the relationship between exercise and cognitive functioning, and more generally exercise motivation. He has also a general interest in perceptual-cognitive skills and expertise in sport. He enjoys teaching and consulting, and has worked with athletes at the youth, high school, and collegiate levels. -
Christina Jones, PhD
Cardinal Wellness Co-Founder and Co-Director, Assistant Professor of Health Education and Promotion at Ball State University
Dr. Jones’ expertise and accompanying research program in health disparities and health advocacy spans across chronic disease prevention, social justice and health, and health behavior theory, using both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, where she has published 16 academic manuscripts and received over $150,000 in local, state, and federal grant funding. At this intersection, most of her work investigates the relationships between food insecurity and health, specifically analyzing communication strategies and structural changes that encourage healthy decision-making in food pantry environments.
Meet our Instructors
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Christy B Fitness, CPT
Group Fitness/Zumba Instructor/Nutrition Coach
Christy has been teaching group fitness classes like Zumba for almost a full decade now. She enjoys seeing people do things they thought they couldn’t do and helping them become healthier versions of themselves. One of the things she specializes in is quickly adapting any move so that ANYONE can do it. Her three rules for any class are always 1. Keep Moving 2. Smile 3. Have Fun; that way every class is successful no matter what!! -
Jessica Kerkhoff, CPT
Group Fitness/Zumba Instructor
Jessica discovered her passion for teaching Zumba in 2012, and she’s been teaching various group fitness formats ever since. Encouraged by her best friend to do and be more, she became both a certified Group Fitness Instructor and Certified Personal Trainer in 2018 with the American Council on Exercise (ACE). Jessica’s passion lies in seeing the joy on participant’s faces as they start to get comfortable with the dance moves and really let loose. Her favorite format to teach is Aqua Zumba, followed closely by Zumba and Zumba Gold. She always says there are three rules in her class: 1.) Change any moves you don’t like or that don’t feel good, 2.) Smile and have fun, and 3.) Well, #3 must not be that important because she can never remember it! Jessica is married to an elementary school teacher and has a toddler—who is the light of her life—and two cats. In her spare time, she volunteers with animal rescue organizations in the Muncie area.
We love our Funders
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BY5
BY5 advocates the vital importance of investment in early childhood development to achieve long-term economic success in Muncie and Delaware County. -
Ball State University Office of Community Engagement
OCE (formerly Building Better Communities) is Ball State’s front door for community partnerships, connecting the university with challenges and priorities beyond campus with an emphasis on Muncie, Delaware County, and East Central Indiana. -
Ball State University Immersive Learning
Immersive Learning pulls together interdisciplinary student teams guided by faculty mentors to create unique, high-impact learning experiences that result in real-world solutions. -
Campus Community Coalition
The CCC includes representation from Ball State University, local landlords, and business and city leaders to maintain positive relationships between the university and local neighborhoods and businesses. -
City of Muncie
The City of Muncie includes the Mayor’s Office, Parks and Recreation, Public Works, the Building Commissioner, and Community Development. -
Collective Coalition of Concerned Clergy
The CCCC is a Christian organization of local pastors working publicly and privately to bring positive change and a powerful voice to the Muncie community. -
Muncie Action Plan
MAP is a community-developed strategic plan that promotes, supports, encourages, and assists in the development and enhancement of the quality of life in Muncie, Indiana. -
Muncie Land Bank
Muncie Land Bank’s mission is to acquire, preserve, and provide abandoned and blighted Muncie properties for strategic public redevelopment. -
Muncie Meth Taskforce
This is a focus group whose work is funded by a NeighborWorks grant to PathStone (in partnership with the City of Muncie-Community Development). The grant was acquired to complete an assessment of the impact of meth usage in our community, and its issues relevant to housing. -
Muncie Redevelopment Commission
The MRC is authorized by the City of Muncie to acquire, rehabilitate, and/or repurpose abandoned Muncie properties through home ownership, community organizations, urban gardens, pocket parks, and live-work spaces. -
Sustainable Muncie Corporation
Sustainable Muncie provides services to revitalize low/moderate income communities; provide small business training, promotion, business incubator spaces; lending of small or micro-business loans; and develop, own, and manage retail and commercial properties or industrial parks. -
Shafer Leadership Academy
Shafer Leadership Academy provides contemporary leadership training to people of all ages, backgrounds and interests to meet the needs of communities, businesses, nonprofit organizations, and private individuals. -
Vectren Foundation
The Vectren Foundation provides support for the many nonprofit organizations within the communities served by Vectren’s utility operations. -
Building Better Neighborhoods Initiative
The Building Better Neighborhoods initiative connects Ball State resources to local initiatives. Ball State faculty, students, community partners, and residents work together to transform Muncie neighborhoods. The initiative works with 48 neighborhoods to promote self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and a sense of community among residents. -
IU Health Foundation
Learning how focusing on People, Progress and Partnerships means better patient care and healthier communities. -
Indiana Minority Health Coalition
The Racial Ethnic Minority Epidemiology (REME) Center is the research branch of the Indiana Minority Health Coalition (IMHC). The REME Center serves as the hub for the collection, integration, and distribution of details to inform, inspire and focus our work to enhance the health of racial and ethnic minorities in Indiana. We partner with communities and academics to conduct community-engaged and participatory research.