Professor
University of Wisconsin-La Crosse
Peg Maher is completing her 28th year as a faculty member of the Biology Department at University of Wisconsin – La Crosse (UW-L). Peg earned her BS in Psychology from Texas A&M University and her PhD in Life Sciences – Physiology Concentration at the University of Tennessee (UTK). At UTK she studied insulin regulation of calcium in vascular smooth muscle and related blood pressure effects in genetic and diet-induced obesity and diabetes rodent models. She has held administrative positions as an elected Associate Chair of Biology and appointed Interim Director of The Office of Research and Sponsored Programs. She initiated and oversaw development and implementation of the Nutrition Minor at UW-L, which has served thousands of students since 2007. Peg has been heavily involved in advising premed and nutrition students, implementing the first UW-L Premedicine Committee and co-founding the Premedicine Club and the Student Nutrition Association at UW-L. She has taught thousands of undergrads and hundreds of graduate students in accredited health professions graduate programs (nurse anesthesia, PT, OT, and PA). Peg has mentored hundreds more graduate and undergraduate student researchers through the UW-L McNair Scholars, Eagle Apprentice, WiscAMP and Biology Department MS programs and professional outreach. These efforts have resulted from and led to coauthored grants, presentations, and publications. Peg has regularly engaged with La Crosse, WI area K-12 students through science fairs, Young Scholars, and Girls in Science programs. After promotion through the faculty ranks, Peg completed 48 credits of nutrition courses at Viterbo University, dietetics supervised practice experiences at Gundersen and Mayo Health Systems and at the La Crosse County Public Health Department, and the certification exam to become a registered dietitian. Peg has married her interests in psychology, physiology, and nutrition, along with her clinical RDN practice to enrich her teaching and research, as well as to provide evidence-based nutrition counseling services to UW-L and Western university students.