Rate My Professor Karie Orendorff

Dr. Karie Orendorff serves as Associate Professor and Health Enhancement Undergraduate Program Lead in Health and Physical Education within the Department of Food Systems, Nutrition, and Kinesiology at Montana State University, part of the College of Education, Health and Human Development. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy from the University of South Carolina in 2019, with her dissertation titled 'United States Principals' Involvement in Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programs: A Social-Ecological Perspective.' Her career trajectory includes prior association with the University of South Carolina's Department of Physical Education during her doctoral studies, leading to her appointment at Montana State University following PhD completion around 2020. Orendorff leads the Health Enhancement K-12 undergraduate program, which prepares students for licensure to teach health and physical education in grades K-12 through a blend of classroom instruction and hands-on experiences in activities such as cooperative games, sports, and lifetime pursuits, emphasizing physically active lifestyles in rural contexts.

Orendorff's research specializations encompass physical activity promotion in schools, comprehensive school physical activity programs (CSPAP), movement integration in classrooms, physical education teacher education (PETE), and administrative involvement in school health initiatives. She has authored or co-authored numerous peer-reviewed publications, including 'Movement, my favourite thing: children’s perceptions of movement integration in school' (Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, 2024, with Cate Egan et al.), '“We can do this”: Physical educators’ role breadth self-efficacy to be involved with CSPAPs from an occupational socialization perspective' (2024), 'A Grassroots Initiative to Engage Classroom Teachers in Increasing Physical Activity' (2024), 'Principals' involvement in comprehensive school physical activity programs: A social-ecological perspective' (European Physical Education Review, 2021), and 'Recommendations for Administrators' Involvement in Comprehensive School Physical Activity Programming' (International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020). Her scholarship has accumulated 251 citations on ResearchGate. Orendorff utilized an EHHD Internal Manuscript Completion mini-grant to support submissions of four papers on optimal physical activity approaches in schools and classrooms. She contributes to university governance as a member of the University Teacher Education Committee representing K-12 Health Enhancement and participates in Faculty Senate. Orendorff has presented at the EHHD Showcase on 'Hands-on Health Enhancement: Nothing Typical About What We Do' (2024) and facilitates student involvement in community outreach such as Little Bobcat Track, Bozeman Pond Literacy Walk, and conferences like HAHPERD.