Colorado University Athletics
Staff Directory
Theresa Hernandez
- Title:
- Director/Crawford Family WHOLE Student-Athlete
- Email:
Theresa D. Hernández is the first director of the University of Colorado Boulder Athletics’ Crawford Family WHOLE Student-Athlete Program, beginning her position on Aug. 1, 2022.
The WHOLE program, an acronym for Wellness Health Optimal Life Experience, has quickly become a nationally recognized initiative that prepares student-athletes for life success by comprehensively focusing on their physical, psychological, academic and career health.
The WHOLE Student-Athlete Program focuses on a person’s overall wellness amidst the pressures of the college athletics experience by incorporating their physical, psychological, academic and career goals, giving them the tools to succeed both while they are at CU Boulder and well after they leave. The landmark program is a cornerstone for CU Boulder, which continues to be a leader in mental as well as physical resources for student-athletes.
Hernández comes to the athletic department from just across campus, as she has served as the associate dean for research for the College of Arts and Sciences since 2016. Prior to that she served as Chair of the Psychology and Neuroscience Department, a Department she joined as a new Assistant Professor in 1990. A career researcher in the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI), Hernández has implemented basic and clinical neuroscience methods aimed at optimizing recovery from TBI in veterans, civilians and athletes, by reducing the negative effects of stress and promoting psychological health. She has collaborated with the WHOLE Student-Athlete Program since its inception and recently completed research for the Pac-12 Conference that assesses student-athlete health and well-being from recruitment through graduation and beyond.
Hernández will maintain an appointment in the college to oversee the Southern Colorado Partnerships to promote their sustainability and enhance their reach. These partnerships include the Southern Ute Tribe Department of Education and the CU@Fort Lewis College postdoctoral teaching fellowship program, which she co-created with former Dean James W.C. White.
A native of El Paso, Texas, Hernández received her Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin in 1988. Her hobbies include reading about, watching and learning from animal behavior.
The WHOLE program, an acronym for Wellness Health Optimal Life Experience, has quickly become a nationally recognized initiative that prepares student-athletes for life success by comprehensively focusing on their physical, psychological, academic and career health.
The WHOLE Student-Athlete Program focuses on a person’s overall wellness amidst the pressures of the college athletics experience by incorporating their physical, psychological, academic and career goals, giving them the tools to succeed both while they are at CU Boulder and well after they leave. The landmark program is a cornerstone for CU Boulder, which continues to be a leader in mental as well as physical resources for student-athletes.
Hernández comes to the athletic department from just across campus, as she has served as the associate dean for research for the College of Arts and Sciences since 2016. Prior to that she served as Chair of the Psychology and Neuroscience Department, a Department she joined as a new Assistant Professor in 1990. A career researcher in the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI), Hernández has implemented basic and clinical neuroscience methods aimed at optimizing recovery from TBI in veterans, civilians and athletes, by reducing the negative effects of stress and promoting psychological health. She has collaborated with the WHOLE Student-Athlete Program since its inception and recently completed research for the Pac-12 Conference that assesses student-athlete health and well-being from recruitment through graduation and beyond.
Hernández will maintain an appointment in the college to oversee the Southern Colorado Partnerships to promote their sustainability and enhance their reach. These partnerships include the Southern Ute Tribe Department of Education and the CU@Fort Lewis College postdoctoral teaching fellowship program, which she co-created with former Dean James W.C. White.
A native of El Paso, Texas, Hernández received her Ph.D. from The University of Texas at Austin in 1988. Her hobbies include reading about, watching and learning from animal behavior.
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