Axtell '71 Leaving His Mark at Southern Connecticut State
After speaking with Dr. Bob Axtell BA ’71 for only a few minutes, it’s easy to see why he’s been so successful in a lifetime of educating at the collegiate level. Currently serving as a professor of Exercise Science and graduate coordinator at Southern Connecticut State University, when Bob shares the work he has done, he always references “what ‘we’ have done at SCSU.” As Bob walks around the lab he has helped to build, what matters most is the passion he has for his work, and not merely the list of his professional accomplishments. And, while he is certainly proud of the facility at SCSU, Dr. Axtell recognizes student outcomes as the highlights of his career.
A member of the Bridgton Academy Class of 2022 Hall of Fame, Dr. Axtell’s life work has reached far beyond the classrooms and labs of SCSU. One of his student success stories is Dr. William Lunn, Professor and Program Coordinator in the SCSU Exercise Science program–and one of the lead researchers in the work around chocolate milk as a recovery drink. “Bob is one of the best human beings I’ve ever met in my life,” shares Dr. Lunn, a former student turned colleague, who considers Bob his mentor and one of his closest friends. Lunn highlights the trips they have taken and some of the memories they have made as their friendship has grown. Even greater is the respect and appreciation Lunn has for Axtell as he shares the work they’ve done together. “There is a great deal of chaos in academia. Bob is an even-keeled, steadying presence. He’s one of a kind.”
This steadying presence has been necessary in completing some of the cutting edge exercise science work Bob and his research teams have completed. “We worked with men’s soccer on bone density and muscle mass. The scan we used can give you both bone density and muscle mass,” he noted. “We said, ‘Let’s focus on muscle mass and how is that changing based on what you are doing?’” Asking the right questions bore results significant enough to lead to changes in training focus and individual training goals for all athletes in the men’s soccer program at SCSU, specifically adding an emphasis on core development and weight training.
When the Yale Men’s and Women’s Lacrosse teams were dealing with an increase in Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) knee injuries, their team doctor, strength and conditioning coaches, and trainers partnered with Dr. Axtell’s research team to find some answers. “ACL injuries are about hamstring and quad strength,” noted Axtell. “We started with the question, ‘Where are we doing our hamstring work?’” Significant amounts of data were gathered in observations of practice and training sessions, as well as lab tests on devices like the Isokinetic Dynamometer. “The results revealed a lack of training in the necessary areas,” shared Axtell. “The Yale staff corrected their ratios and the men went on to win their first national championship in 2018–with no ACL injuries.”
Through all of the work completing countless abstracts, papers, and contributions to books in the fields of physical education, exercise science, exercise physiology, and exercise and aging, Axtell minimizes his numerous awards, recognitions, and commendations. With a twinkle in his eye and an adjustment to his posture, Bob comes right back to student outcomes. “I am so proud of what my students do after they leave SCSU, how they succeed in the field,” Axtell says with a big smile. “I love how they pick creative ideas and get solid results.”
This intentional deflection of accolades and focus on the success of others and the task at hand has been with Bob since his days at Bridgton Academy. “That required study hall from 7:30 to 9:30 was a difference maker,” he admits. “I learned how to study and that you always have to put the time in.” Bob proudly acknowledges that he earned his PhD from Ohio State University despite being “over my head” because he took a page from his Bridgton playbook and put the time in. “Five days a week in the medical school library from 6:00-11:45 pm. Three years in the same spot got it done.” Bob continues that self-discipline to this day, creating time every day to plan for his upcoming classes. Axtell’s path to success is a model for all of us: have passion for what you do, it’s about “we not me,” and our greatest accomplishments can be found in how we’ve impacted others. We are fortunate to call Dr. Bob Axtell a member of the Bridgton family, and to recognize his continued work in his chosen field.
