Gina Besenyi, Ph.D.

Director of the Physical Activity Research in Community Settings Lab

Gina Besenyi, Ph.D., is a tenured associate professor of exercise behavioral science in the School of Health Sciences at Kansas State University, where she directs the Physical Activity Research in Community Settings (PARCS) Laboratory.

Her research program focuses on the design, implementation and evaluation of interventions that promote nature contact and nature-based physical activity, (often framed as "NatureRx," "ParkRx" or "Exercise is Medicine Outdoors") to improve physical and mental health. She has authored more than 40 peer-reviewed publications and delivered more than100 presentations nationally and internationally, advancing the evidence base for integrating nature-based physical activity into healthcare systems, community organizations and public health practice.

Besenyi's work spans diverse populations, including individuals with serious mental illness, rural cancer survivors and military families, while also addressing environmental justice and park access. Her research has been supported by over $1.5 million in funding from organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, REI Cooperative Action Fund and the Johnson Cancer Research Center.

Through her translational and systems approach, Besenyi advances scalable, sustainable strategies that honor the One Health ethos by promoting health through harmonious interactions across humans, nature and communities.