Photo left to right: Christine Mermier, Ann Gibson, Vivian Heyward.

Three professors emeriti from Exercise Science Department join forces to create endowed research scholarship

By Michelle G. McRuiz

Vivian Heyward, PhD; Christine Mermier, PhD; and Ann Gibson, PhD have always been proud of the UNM Exercise Science Program within the College of Education and Human Sciences (COEHS). And they have every right to be. Each of them has played a vital role in its existence and success. This year, they decided to pool their funds to create the Exercise Science Graduate Student Research Scholarship. Their initial endowment will be funded over two years.

The scholarship represents a culmination of individual gifts each of the women has made to the program over the decades.

“All of us, especially Vivian, have been donating to the lab for years,” says Christine. “The lab has no budget, so I would donate to give the faculty some flexibility to buy or fix things, or to provide mini-grants to students finishing their research.”

Publishing scholarly articles can be expensive, Christine adds. And that’s just one of the expenses exercise science students pay out of their own pockets. Other expenses include equipment like chemical assay kits, traveling to conferences, and paying research participants a small amount of money for their time.

“We thought, what if the three of us combined our money?” Vivian says. “We could create an endowed scholarship and create a legacy that would continue after we were gone.”

The scholarship will facilitate the students’ ability to conduct research and develop their ideas, says Ann.

“We want to try to ease their path so they won’t have to scrounge like we had to,” she adds. “We want to help them become successful independent researchers with doctorate degrees if that’s what they want.”

“The COEHS is incredibly grateful for the generosity of these emerti faculty in Exercise Science,” says Kristopher M. Goodrich, Dean of the College of Education and Human Sciences. “Each was a fierce advocate for their program and discipline while they taught at UNM, so it is no surprise that the same passion and generosity of spirit would transfer once they retired. Through this generous and enduring gift, they will ensure that graduate students have the much-needed support to continue the innovative research of the Exercise Science program we have in our College that benefits health and wellness in our communities.”

Three powerful women

Vivian came to UNM as a physical education professor in 1974. She started the Exercise Science program and received approval for a Bachelor of Science degree program in 1984. During her 26 years as an exercise science professor, she taught many undergraduate and graduate students in the program, including Ann and Christine.

“We were three powerful women in that department,” Vivian recalls. “Our combined service is over 75 years. Together, we have over 250 publications.”

One of those publications is a textbook, Advanced Fitness Assessment and Exercise Prescription, that Vivian and Ann co-authored. The book is now in its ninth edition.

A focus on women in STEM

Students who graduate from the Exercise Science Program are prepared to pursue additional study in physical therapy, occupational therapy, sports administration, and athletic training, to name a few. They also can work as exercise physiologists and scientists in health and fitness facilities, cardiac rehabilitation centers, and more.

Scholarship recipients must be members of the New Mexico Network for Women in Science and Engineering (NMNWSE), an organization focused on supporting women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. Membership in NMNWSE is available to any gender.

Vivian, Christine, and Ann believe there needs to be more women in research and in STEM fields.

“I have always wanted to do something to support women’s participation in the field,” Vivian says. “There still aren’t that many women in exercise science.”

Pride and progress

UNM was one of the first universities to offer a Bachelor of Science in exercise science. And, thanks to the students’ and faculty’s productivity in their research, the graduate program has “really taken off,” according to Vivian.

“This program is one of the strongest in the country,” says Christine. “We’re scrappy. The students come out of the program strong in teaching and research, and the faculty work incredibly hard together. Everyone cares deeply about the students. We wanted to show that in some small way.”

The first scholarships will be awarded in 2026.