Sep. 16, 2025
Congratulations to Stephen Ball, a professor with the Mizzou Department of Physical Therapy, on being named a Curators’ Distinguished Professor by the University of Missouri Board of Curators. The honor is the highest academic distinction awarded by the UM System.
Ball is the first Curators’ Distinguished Professor in the history of the College of Health Sciences. He was recognized as a leader in extension education for developing evidence-based programs like Stay Strong, Stay Healthy for older adults, Jump Into Action for youth and the internationally recognized MyActivity Pyramid for kids. Together, these programs have reached hundreds of thousands of participants and improved health outcomes across Missouri and beyond.
Since it started in 2005, Stay Strong, Stay Healthy alone has helped more than 20,000 older adults across five states. Studies have shown that participants maintain the skills they learn through the program and gain additional improvement as they graduate to higher levels.
“I want to make a difference by helping older adults stay independent as they age and send the message that you don’t need an expensive gym membership with a personal trainer to stay active,” Ball said.
His contributions have been recognized with multiple honors, including the William T. Kemper Fellowship for Teaching Excellence and the Board on Human Sciences’ National Outstanding Engagement Award. Nationally, Ball has served on the United States Department of Agriculture’s Nutrition and Health Committee.
In the classroom, Ball has taught Introduction to Exercise and Fitness to more than 12,000 students over 15 years. He also founded the accredited Fitness Programming and Management program, the only dual-modality strength and conditioning program in the country.
