Morrison Bruce Center celebrates 20 years of health and fitness outreach

The Morrison Bruce Center (MBC), an outreach organization housed in the Kinesiology department, celebrates 20 years of serving both JMU students and the local community this November.

MBC was founded by Judith A. Flohr, professor emerita of Kinesiology, to honor the legacies of Lee Morrison and Pat Bruce, who both promoted enriching physical activity and athletics for women during their tenure at Madison College.

“The gap in physical activity rates persists between males and females, so women participate in physical activity at substantially lower rates than males,” said Liz Edwards, Kinesiology professor and out-going director for the MBC.

To address these rates, Flohr envisioned the center to serve both as a means to deliver outreach programs and conduct research that would enhance girls and women’s knowledge of physical activity, as well as advance the understanding of the impact of exercise on women’s health.

“JMU’s vision is to be the national model for the engaged university, and the work of the MBC brings this engagement to life with a focus on physical and health literacy,” said Cathy McKay, current executive director of the MBC and Kinesiology professor. “The MBC combines engaged learning for undergraduate and graduate students with community engagement that connects learning to practice and improves quality of life.”

Today, the MBC offers unique programs for women and children in the Harrisonburg community, including EmpowHER, a woman-focused weight-training class for faculty, staff and students at JMU; Healthy Kids, a nutrition and motor development program for 3- and 4-year-olds; Older Women’s Wellness for Life (OWWL), a weekend for women 55 and older that features health assessments and nutrition workshops, and other weekly programs and one-day events.

Along with promoting health and wellness through exercise and nutrition for women and children, the MBC offers unique practicum opportunities for Kinesiology students. Undergraduate students often run the MBC’s programs with support from Kinesiology faculty and graduate assistants.

“The MBC’s student staff have a multitude of opportunities for growth, learning and development during their time with the MBC,” said McKay.

“Students benefit, first and foremost, from working with actual people,” said Edwards, who noted that the MBC gives students the opportunity to implement programs with individuals ranging in age from preschoolers to senior adults. They also develop communication skills in how they present their knowledge of health science, exercise science, and exercise physiology for each unique population.

Edwards, who served as the executive director of the MBC from 2012-2024, reflected on some of the most impactful experiences she observed throughout her time there.

“My favorite moments are when students bring something new to the table, take ownership and create new things [for the MBC],” said Edwards.

“One of the times that I saw that happen most was during the pandemic,” said Edwards. “All of a sudden, for a program that is so centered on being together, we couldn’t be together at all.”

Despite working through hardships related to COVID-19, Edwards noted that students faced the challenges it presented to develop innovative curriculum for the MBC’s outreach populations. Collaborating together, students created a training plan and race day for a virtual Family 5K event, transitioned their Healthy Kids curriculum into materials parents could use at home along with a series of YouTube videos for the kids to watch, and other innovations.

“We set aside every preconceived notion of what our programs are, and the students got to come up with completely original ideas,” said Edwards.

Looking ahead, Edwards has stepped away from leadership with the MBC as she has transitioned in to the Academic Unit Head role in the Department of Kinesiology, while McKay, along with Health Sciences professor Jill Lassiter, have stepped into the executive director and associate director roles, respectively.

“I am so excited about the energy and leadership that Cathy and Jill are bringing to the Center,” said Edwards, “all while also being very proud of the work Sarah Carson Sackett (previous associate director) and I did over the past 12 years.”

“The MBC has a strong foundation of excellence,” said McKay. “As we look to the next twenty years, Dr. Lassiter and I are excited to build on this strong foundation, thinking strategically about how the MBC can expand into the R2 institution space, especially related to community-driven and interdisciplinary scholarship and service endeavors.”

“As we continue to try to increase our engagement as a university, it’s often these kinds of centers that are doing just that—getting our students to connect with people in the community,” said Edwards.

“I think continuing to grow and strengthen that interdisciplinary nature will only benefit the center and the students who work in it,” said Edwards. “I am excited to see them [McKay and Lassiter] approach the MBC mission in new and visionary ways.”

The Morrison Bruce Center will honor their 20 years of health and fitness outreach at a celebration on November 2.