Derek Marks

Professional Overview

Derek Marks is an associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology. He holds a doctoral degree in exercise physiology from the University of New Mexico.  Professor Marks has a passion for teaching and has taught at C.S.U. Stanislaus, Sacramento, and East Bay as well as the Australian College of Physical Education in Sydney.  For the Kinesiology Department at Saint Mary’s he teaches; Nutrition for Physical Activity and Sport, Exercise Physiology, and Exercise Prescription and Fitness Assessment.  He has a wide range of research interests with most of his projects focused on the impact of nutritional ergogenic aids on performance.  He is currently the Saint Mary’s College Department of Athletics Performance Nutritionist and in that role provides nutrition education and support for the college’s athletes.  He has extensive experience conducting performance and physiological assessments on athletes, non-athletes and clinical populations and is always looking to get more students involved in the department’s Human Performance Laboratory, for which he is the Director.  He enjoys traveling with his family and recently spent two years living in Australia.  He regularly teaches a January Term course in Australia where students learn about and participate with wildlife conservation programs and Aboriginal culture.