Dr. Mark Baldis’ deep connections to Fresno State began in 1971 when he was just a precocious 13-year-old. Long before many of the infrastructure changes at the University, Baldis was already building roots on campus as the son of a dedicated professor. Today, Baldis is a longtime lecturer in the Department of Kinesiology's exercise science program, a role he began in 2000. In addition to the Department of Kinesiology, Baldis has also lent his expertise to the Departments of Physical Therapy, Biology, Public Health and Food Sciences and Nutrition.

Baldis’ dedicated service to the Fresno State campus recently earned him the Spring 2022 Provost’s Award for Outstanding Lecturer, as announced by Dr. Xuanning Fu, Fresno State’s provost and vice president for Academic Affairs. It is an award that runs in the Baldis family. His mother, Bette Baldis, received a similar award while she was teaching deaf education at Fresno State when Baldis was just in high school.

“I can remember how honored she was and how proud I was of her,” Baldis said. “I never thought that I would follow in her footsteps as a faculty member at Fresno State, let alone be nominated for the same type of award. I can’t imagine how proud she would be of me today.”

Her teaching legacy was so profound that it left Baldis inspired to also teach at the same University.

Visit Fresno State News to read more.