Overview

Dr. Morris has more than 25 years of combined experience in health and wellness, teaching at the undergraduate and graduate levels, research in health and wellness, community service and outreach, professional practice, and leadership in state and national professional organizations.

Professional Narrative

Dr. Duston Morris is certified Health Education Specialist and Health Coach and serves as MUIH’s Chair in Health and Wellness Coaching. Dr. Morris has been practicing and teaching in community health, public health, health and wellness, fitness and recreation for more than 25 years. Dr. Morris has been recognized for outstanding community service, teaching and student involvement, and has received local and national recognition for his work for various health initiatives. Dr. Morris worked with Missouri Special Olympics where he helped develop one of the first Unified Sports program in the Midwest, helping athletes with intellectual and developmental disabilities integrate into community health and recreation programs. Dr. Morris founded 3 Sport Fitness, a fitness and coaching company designed to help triathletes and runners reach goals like the Boston Marathon, Age Group Nationals, and Team USA. He also helped develop a rural fitness and wellness center in Southeast Kansas. Dr. Morris's research agenda which explores the relationship between exercise, physical activity and other healthy lifestyle characteristics, the benefits of active infrastructure, and interprofessional education for healthcare students. He maintains national certifications through the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing and USA Triathlon. Dr. Morris has been featured in both the National and local spotlight addressing the benefits of an active lifestyle and healthy living.

Selected Publications & Presentations

Wilson, J.*, North, M. A., Morris, D. D., McClellan, R. L. (2020). Rethinking Implicit Leadership Theories: Tomorrow’s Leaders are Collective, Generative, and Adaptive. Journal of Leadership Studies, 14(3), 9. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jls.21707

Lane, E. G., Morris, D. D., McClellan, R. L., Brantley, S., Argue, S., Boles, J. (2020). Public Health Leadership in a Disadvantaged Landscape. MedCrave Online Journal of Public Health, 9(2), 44-51. https://medcraveonline.com/MOJPH/volume_issues?issueId=3057&volumeId=785

Helms, K., Morris, D. D. (2020). Relationship of Athletic Identity to Selected Health Behaviors Among College Students: Implications Beyond Formal Sport Participation. Journal of Physical Activity Research, 5(1), 3-8.

Morris, D. D., Rose, S., Ray, L. K., Demers, D. M., Sego, A. L., Ray, S. (2019). Substance Use to Exercise: Are We Moving from One Addiction to Another? Drugs and Alcohol Addiction, 21. http://www.sciaeon.org/drugs-and-alcohol-addiction/home

Morris, D. D., Marshall, S. A., Demers, D. M. (2018). Exercise Predictors of Self-Reported Sexual Performance among Healthy Adults. International Journal of Health Sciences, 6(1), 41. http://ijhsnet.com/

Lairamore, C. I., Morris, D. D., Schichtl, R., George-Paschal, L. A., Martens, H. C., Maragakis, A., Garnica, M. A., Jones, B. P., Grantham, M. J. E., Bruenger, A. J. (2017) Impact of team composition on students’ perceptions of interprofessional teamwork: A six-year cohort study. Journal of Interprofessional Care (DOI: 10.1080/13561820.2017.1366895).

Morris, D. D., Marshall, S. A., Demers, D. M. (2016). Using the FITT Principle to Examine the Relationship between Exercise and Sexual Performance Indicators. To appear in International Journal of Health Sciences, 3(3). http://ijhsnet.com/

Awards

Exceptional Faculty Award, National Association of Black Men United.

Personal Narrative

Dr. Morris resides in south-central Arkansas with his wife, four kids, and their family dog, Frisco. In his free time, he is either engaged in family activities, cycling or hiking on the wonderful trails and roads of Arkansas. He has a long history of being involved in running and triathlon. Dr. Morris participated in the Boston Marathon in 2003 and 2005 and has numerous top ten finishes in both running and triathlon events. He continues to consult with USA Triathlon in their coaching certification program and still collaborates with numerous triathlon coaches across the country.

Dr. Morris identifies as an athletic, white, heterosexual male, that is primarily vegetarian. He is a strong advocate for inclusion and diversity, believing that all things are strengthened through the sharing and acceptance of differences. Dr. Morris enjoys movies, and will sometimes incorporate random movie quotes within conversational context. His overall goal is to help others thrive and flourish through intentionality and awareness. One of his favorite classroom quotes is, "You can either let life happen to you, or you can make life happen for you!" Dr. Morris is very grateful to be part of the MUIH family, where he learns and grows with others

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