Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko

Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko is a Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign holding appointments in Kinesiology and Community Health, the Lemann Center for Brazilian Studies, and the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. He currently serves as Dean of the Graduate College, leading policies and standards for over 100 graduate programs across Arts, Sciences, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Engineering.

His educational background includes a bachelor's degree in Education from the University of London and a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Purdue University.

Chodzko-Zajko's research centers on aging and health with emphases on physical activity, public health policy, and healthy living for older adults. He has shaped international guidelines including the WHO Guidelines for Physical Activity among Older Persons and authored the National Blueprint for increasing physical activity among adults aged 50+ in the USA. His work bridges public policy with community-based interventions to promote healthy aging globally.

His recent publications reveal strong interdisciplinary trends spanning gerontology, cognitive health, and global health initiatives in Latin America, alongside critical analyses of graduate education transformation and STEM diversity.

As Principal Investigator for the Sloan University Center of Exemplary Mentoring (UCEM), he secured $3.9 million from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation to broaden participation of underrepresented students in advanced STEM careers. This initiative increased enrolled PhD students from 54 (AY17-18) to 123 (AY22-23).

He has held leadership roles including Past-President of the American Kinesiology Association and AAU Association of Graduate Schools, founding Editor of the Journal of Aging and Physical Activity (1992-2002), and Chairman of the American Council on Exercise Board.