Rate My Professor Dawn Tarabochia

Dawn Tarabochia is Professor and Department Head of the Department of Food Systems, Nutrition, and Kinesiology in Montana State University's College of Education, Health, and Human Development. She also serves as Director of the Aging Research Collective and Faculty Athletics Representative, appointed in April 2024 by President Waded Cruzado. Tarabochia earned her Ph.D. in Health Education and Promotion from the University of Utah in 2008 and her M.S. from the University of Idaho in 1998, where she was a student-athlete in track and field and cross country. Joining the MSU faculty over 17 years ago, initially in the Department of Health and Human Development, she has advanced through various roles, including chairing the University Athletic Committee, which addresses academic integrity, NCAA compliance, equity, and student-athlete welfare. She leads the Exercise and Nutrition Sciences program and the Sporting and Coaching Graduate Program, and teaches courses in Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.

Her research centers on the physical and psychosocial dimensions of well-being in older adults, including psychosocial factors in balance recovery, physical adaptations, and psychosocial benefits of physical activity in rural communities. Additional interests include gerontology, health and technology, and women's health issues. Select publications comprise "Self-Efficacy and the Maintenance of Exercise: A Quantitative Study Among Rural Older Adults" (2025), "Interpersonal Relationships and Physical Activity Across the Lifespan: A Qualitative Study with Older Adults" (2024), "The Acceptability of a Community-Based Perturbation-Based Balance Training to Older Adults and Healthcare Professionals" (2024), "Baseline Measures of Physical Activity and Function Do Not Predict Future Fall Incidence in Sedentary Older Adults: A Prospective Cohort Study" (2023), and "The Feasibility and Acceptability of Perturbation-Based Balance to Older Adults in Rural Communities" (2023). Her scholarship has accumulated around 200 citations. As Faculty Athletics Representative, she liaises with the Big Sky Conference and NCAA on student-athlete wellness and performance.