Mary Kreis, PhD, MS, CSC

Dr. Kreis was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army's Medical Service Corps after completing her bachelor's degree. She completed her master's degree while serving on active duty in the Army and was promoted to the rank of Major.

After having ridden a bicycle cross-country while pregnant, Dr. Kreis was diagnosed with metastatic melanoma in her first week at PennWest California. After having two surgeries while pregnant to remove the cancer, her daughter, Viva (for "live long"), was born healthy in January 2005. Because of her connection with cancer, Dr. Kreis was one of 12 cancer survivors selected to ride in the 2005 Tour of Hope - a cross-country bike ride with Lance Armstrong designed to raise awareness of the need for clinical trials in cancer research.

Dr. Kreis continues to compete in marathons and ultra-marathons, in which she competes for cancer charities and in honor of military veterans.  Dr. Kreis has run over 80 marathons in 33 states with a best time of 3:11 at the Boston Marathon.  She has also completed three ironman distance triathlons (140.2 miles) and 10 adventure races while representing The American Legion - National Headquarters, the world’s largest veterans service organization.

Education

Research Interests

Dr. Kreis' research interests are in the areas of adventure and extreme sports, as well as fitness and wellness programs.  As a self-proclaimed “sport management geek”, Dr. Kreis is passionate about and curious to learn about the eccentric subcultures that exist amongst athletes in specific sports around the world.  She recently earned her certification in Sports Counseling in order to better understand, assist, and advocate for athletes at all levels of competition.

Dr. Kreis served in the U.S. Army and earned the Army’s Airborne Parachutist and Air Assault badges. She also graduated from the Master Fitness Trainer School which sparked her interest in the fields of exercise science and sport management.  For two years, she competed on the U.S. Armed Forces Military Pentathlon Team that represented the United States in NATO competitions in France and The Netherlands.  Her last assignment was as a Medical Service Corps training officer in a Combat Support Hospital based in Coraopolis, PA.

Dr. Kreis was the captain of an adventure racing team that competed in honor of military veterans. This team, Team American Legion, consisted of military veterans who represented The American Legion, the world's largest veterans organization, in competitions and through inspirational speaking engagements about the honorable nature of military service to high schools and civic groups. The team competed in several multi-day expedition-length events, including the Canadian Eco-Challenge, the Armed Forces Eco-Challenge and the U.S. Adventure Racing National Championships, where the team placed fifth for two years.

Professional Affiliations

Dr. Kreis is active in several national organizations in the field of sport management, including the Sport Marketing Association (SMA), the North American Society for Sport Management (NASSM), the National Intramural-Recreational Sports Association (NIRSA), and the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE). She has made presentations and led workshops at conferences such as NASPE, NIRSA, SMA and NASSM.

While working on her master's degree and Ph.D., Dr. Kreis worked part time for several professional sports and entertainment organizations in game operations and event management. You may have seen her on the San Antonio Spurs' court, the Florida Marlins' field, the Florida Panthers' ice rink, the track at Daytona or the red carpet at a grand opening of Planet Hollywood.

Service Learning Projects

Dr. Kreis is an advocate for cancer causes. She has been selected on several occasions to represent the One Voice Against Cancer and the Lance Armstrong Foundation in lobbying efforts on Capitol Hill. She attended both of the LiveSTRONG Summits, designed to educate and inspire those involved in grassroots advocacy and fundraising. Dr. Kreis continues to speak to groups that support the cancer cause, such as Relay for life, the American Cancer Society, and One Voice Against Cancer.  Coach Mary has served as a volunteer track and cross country for 6 years for Belle Vernon Area Schools.  She is most passionate about giving back to our military veterans and has personally raised over $15,000 and collected endless truckloads of food and household items for the Veterans Leadership Program of Western PA where she was honored in 2019 as a Tribute Honoree.

Courses Taught