FULL TIME FACULTY
DR. GREG COMFORT – Division Chair
Greg came to Missouri Baptist University with several years of secondary school teaching/coaching experience and fifteen years of teaching experience in higher education. From 1988 to 1999, Greg co-developed and taught in the undergraduate sport management program at Liberty University and served as a consultant for a number of organizations and institutions including the Professional Golfers Association (PGA), the YMCA (sport psychology), and the California University of Pennsylvania (SMPRC program approval).
Greg accepted the position of undergraduate coordinator for sport administration at Wichita State University in 1999 where he continued to hone his abilities as a teacher of online classes, serve his profession at the local, state, regional, and national level, publish and co-publish numerous articles, and present professionally at the local, state, regional, and national level.
Greg was commissioned by the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM) in the fall of 2000 to create an organizational website. As web manager and member of the NASSM Executive Council, Greg received, revised, and posted pertinent materials on the NASSM website, supervised the annual online voting by NASSM membership, and attended Executive Council meetings.
Greg served as a Folio Reviewer for the Sport Management Review Council (SMPRC) from 2001 to 2003 and vacated that post for a position on the SMPRC in 2003. As a voting member of the SMPRC, Greg assists in the ongoing improvement of the sport management program approval standards and processes and meets bi-annually with six other Council members to determine which undergraduate and graduate sport management programs meet those same stringent standards.
Greg enjoys speaking to groups about sportsmanship and youth sport opportunities. He has been asked by numerous sport organizations including the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO), the YMCA, and several city recreation leagues throughout Kansas to address topics such as motivation, anger management, sportsmanship, and parent-coach relationships. Speaking to groups such as these allows Greg to share his faith in God and pursue his scholarly interests in sport psychology and sport sociology.
As Chair of the Health and Sport Sciences Division Greg feels strongly that the St. Louis area has a lot to offer students interested in pursuing careers in health, physical education, sports medicine and sport management. Program accreditation and building bridges between the academic and the business communities continue to be Greg’s passion for the HSS Division as he and the other HSS faculty work towards properly preparing students for careers in their individual fields of study.
MR. DAVID PIERCE – Undergraduate Sport Management Coordinator
Dave began teaching at MBU in 2004 as an Adjunct Professor in sport management and accepted a full time position of undergraduate sport management coordinator in 2006. Dave retired from Maryville University as Director of Intercollegiate Athletics on December 13, 2002. He was a member of the Maryville University family for over 26 plus years. Pierce holds a BS Degree in Education and a MS Degree in Sport Management.
Before Dave came to Maryville University he spent five years in the public high school system teaching History, Physical education, Health and one year of Elementary Education. He holds life time certificates in Elementary Education, Health, history and Physical Education. He also coached Basketball and baseball. He began his career at Maryville in 1976 as the head basketball coach and assistant director of admissions. He was appointed director of athletics in 1983. He was the head basketball coach for 15 years and head golf coach for 8 years. His basketball teams won four conference championships, holds the school record for most wins 22 and he was named conference coach of the year once. His golf teams won three conference championships, hosted the 2001 NCAA Division III National Championships of which his team was a participant and was named conference coach of the year three times.
Dave has been a pioneer in athletics helping and being a part of building the athletics and facilities programs from the ground up beginning in 1976. He is most noted helping with the following:
- Researching and giving input for joining the NCAA Division III in 1978
- Founded the Maryville Sports Hall of Fame
- Founded the Student Athletic Advisory Committee
- Founded the Citizens Committee on Athletics
- Revamping the sports celebrity dinner and hosting 24 of them
- Initiated team travel Internationally and Hawaii
- Founded and established the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 1991 serving as president for four years (Inducted into the SLIAC Hall of Fame 2002)
- Initiating and overseeing the St. Louis Rams Football training camp at Maryville
LOWELL PITZER – Health and Kinesiology Coordinator
Lowell Pitzer is a native of West Virginia, where he attended both high
school and college. While in college, Alderson-Broaddus, he played basketball
and majored in Biological Sciences and Physical Education. Lowell earned
his Masters of Education degree from West Virginia University.
After twenty years coaching in both public and prep schools in West Virginia and Virginia, teaching and working in administration in a Baptist affiliated prep school in Virginia, and serving as a basketball coach in a small college in Mississippi, Lowell joined the staff of Missouri Baptist College in 1990.
In 1992, Lowell was voted American Midwest Conference Men’s Coach-of-the-Year and led the Missouri Baptist Men’s basketball team to the NAIA men’s national championship tournament in 1993-94 after compiling a 25-9 record. As Athletic Director at Missouri Baptist University for six years, Pitzer was chosen as Administrator-of-the-Year for District Sixteen in 1992 and Region V Administrator-of- the-Year in 1997. While coaching the Lady Spartans at Missouri Baptist University for a period of five years, Lowell was selected Women’s Coach-of-the-Year in 2000.
Lowell was a member of the NAIA Council for Affiliated Conferences and Independents in 1996-97 and has served as the Commissioner/President of the AMC conference since 1993. As the Coordinator of the Health and Kinesiology programs within the Health and Sport Sciences his experience as a coach and an administrator in the field give him valuable insights into the concepts discussed in his classes. Lowell envisions the Health and Kinesiology programs achieving national recognition in the next few years as they continue to fall in line with state and national certification standards and move towards approval from the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).
MR. MARK KIMZEY – HSS Activity Coordinator
Mark Kimzey is a 1990 alumni of MBU earning a Bachelors of Arts in Religion. Mark also earned a Masters of Divinity from Covenant Theological Seminary in 1994 and a Masters of Science in Education, majoring in Exercise Physiology with an emphasis in Adaptive Physical Exercise, at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville in 2006.
Beginning work at MBU in 1992, Mark held positions of director of public safety and director of housekeeping, and has taught as an adjunct instructor in the Health and Sports Science department since 1996. Mark moved to full-time teaching Fall 2006 in the Health and Sports Sciences department.
Mark graduated with honors from North Greenville College and Missouri Baptist University; was honored with Who’s Who Among Students of America’s Junior Colleges and Who’s Who Among College Teachers in America; and holds the office of president in The American Tang Shou Tao Association in which he has taught for 30 years.
Teaching and preaching in churches the past 20 years, teaching 10 years at the college level and 30 years of teaching kung fu gives Mark the skills to make the classroom experience enjoyable and meaningful.
Adjunct Faculty
IRIS DIXON
Iris Dixon graduated from Natchitoches Central High School in Natchitoches,
Louisiana. She was a member of the women's basketball team that captured
the district champion title for four consecutive years, posted an undefeated
season, and won two back-to-back Louisiana Class 4A State Championships.
Iris was a High School All-American Honorable Mention and a member of the
Louisiana All-State team for the 1986-87 season. Iris received an athletic
scholarship to attend Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, LA.
Iris earned SLC Player of the Week on several occasions and finished her
career with SLC honors. Iris graduated with a B.S. degree in Business Administration.
Iris completed her Master's degree in Kinesiology (Sport Management) in the summer of 2003 at Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville. Her experience in the field gives her great insight into the concepts discussed in the sport management classes that she teaches.
TOM SMITH - Instructor of Health and Sport Sciences, Instructor of Education, MBU Athletic Director
MBU
Athletic Director and former Director of Admissions and Wrestling Coach
Tom Smith joined the Health and Sport Sciences Division faculty in 2004.
Tom brings a wealth of teaching experience as he has taught courses in
the Education Division at MBU since 1995. He has been involved in Missouri
wrestling for over 28 years, coaching at Kennedy, Desoto, Lindbergh,
Parkway South, and Parkway West high schools. In addition, Tom also spent
several years coaching little league wrestling.
Tom is a Business Management graduate and holds a Secondary Education Teaching Certificate from MBU. Tom earned his Master of Science in Education from Southwest Baptist University, and attended Covenant Theological Seminary. Tom currently teaches Health and Wellness classes, supervises sport management practicum students, and teaches an Introduction to Sport Management class at Missouri Baptist University while continuing to fulfill his obligations as the MBU Athletic Director.
MEREDITH RUCK
Meredith Ruck graduated in 2000 from Wheaton College with an undergraduate degree in Biology. She obtained an additional undergraduate degree in Exercise Science with a focus in Athletic training at Southern Connecticut State University in 2003. Meredith completed her Master of Science in Athletic Training at Ohio University in June of 2005 and currently teaches the Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries class and serves as Assistant Athletic Trainer for the MBU Athletic Department.
