The Why Behind the Grind: Inside the UB ENS Trenches ft. Jenna Kersten & Rion Dugan

The Invisible Stressor: What Construction Workers, Kidneys, and a 2:30 AM Roof Job Are Teaching Us About Heat ft. Dr. Fabiano Amorim

Heat kills more Americans than any other weather event — and most of those deaths never get recorded as heat at all. This week on Bulls Rise, Coach P welcomes Dr. Fabiano Amorim, an exercise and thermal physiologist, associate professor, and department chair at the University of New Mexico. Fabiano studies heat where it actually does its damage: on construction sites at 2:30 in the morning, in the sugarcane fields of Brazil, across 18-hour workdays on five hours of sleep. His question is deceptively simple — what is heat actually doing to the human body when nobody is looking? The answers are alarming. Heat is the deadliest weather event in the country, its true toll hidden behind cardiovascular miscoding. In the fields, workers sweat up to ten percent of their body weight a day, driving a silent kidney disease epidemic. But Fabiano also flips the script: used correctly, heat is one of the most underrated tools in exercise science — a hormetic stressor that supports recovery and even helps maintain muscle. Because physiology only makes sense in context. Heat is a killer and a medicine. He also models real scientific humility, openly sharing the idea he once dismissed that became his life's work, and offers some of the best advice a student will hear all year: there's a horse passing, and it's not coming back. Get out of your comfort zone and enjoy the ride. When asked what it means to rise, Fabiano kept it grounded: think about the journey, reevaluate, refocus on what matters, and spend less time on what doesn't. 🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS. #BullsRise #HeatStress #ThermalPhysiology #OccupationalHealth #ExerciseScience #SaunaTherapy #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo

The Future of Dietetics and Why Small Changes Beat Perfect Diets Every Single Time ft. Tiffany Rutecki

She's been asked to write a meal plan thousands of times. Here's why she almost always says no. This week on Bulls Rise, Coach P sits down with Tiffany Rutecki — registered dietitian, certified nutritionist, and clinical director of UB's Clinical Nutrition Master's Program. With more than a decade as a clinical dietitian and years of training future RDs, Tiffany brings one of the most grounded, no-nonsense perspectives on nutrition the show has ever featured. Her central message: it doesn't have to be that hard. Tiffany dismantles the meal plan myth, explains why small changes beat perfect diets every single time, calls out the over-processed health food industry, and walks through the high-protein advice that could actually be dangerous for certain people. She also makes the case that motivational interviewing, finding your why, and the add-not-restrict philosophy are just as essential as any clinical credential. And she talks about the Italian family table, stuffed shells from her grandfather, and why food is love before it's ever just fuel. When asked what it means to rise, Tiffany kept it simple: it's temporary, it's going to get better, and she's grateful for the challenges that keep her going. 🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS. #BullsRise #Nutrition #RegisteredDietitian #ClinicalNutrition #ExerciseScience #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo

Training an Athlete, Not a Player: The Next Generation of Female Coaches ft. Cassandra Vaccaro

Before Title IX, 90% of girls' sports teams were coached by women. Today it's 45%. The law that expanded girls' sports somehow cut the number of women coaching them in half. This week on Bulls Rise, our student edition, Coach P sits down with Cassandra Vaccaro, a USA Hockey Level 4 coach with bronze-level goaltending certification, a Zamboni driver for the Buffalo Sabres, and a full-time UB exercise science student heading into the graduate program. She started coaching at 19, she's frequently the only woman behind the bench, and she's on a mission to change that. Cass shares the staggering Title IX statistic, what it's like to be the first female coach most of her players have ever had, and why simply being visible changes what young girls believe is possible. She explains why early specialization may be the biggest detriment to youth athletes, shares the kid-friendly coaching cue that instantly fixed a young goalie, and walks through the serendipitous Canadian rink moment that combined her loves of coaching and research. She also offers honest, encouraging advice for any student feeling lost on their path. When asked what it means to rise, Cass said it best: be confident, forget the preconceived notions, know what you know, and don't be afraid to be wrong, because now you learn for next time. 🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS. #BullsRise #WomenInSports #Hockey #TitleIX #ExerciseScience #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo

The Coaching Skills that Translate to Every Career: A World Rugby Master Trainer on the Art of Coaching ft. Mike Hodgins

Picture two coaches. One yells instructions all practice. The other asks questions and lets his athletes figure it out. One builds better players under pressure — and it's not the one you'd expect. This week on Bulls Rise, Coach P sits down with Mike Hodgins — a World Rugby Master Trainer who works at the national governing body level for both USA Rugby and World Rugby, and who teaches the coaching minor at UB. With more than 25 years in the game, Mike brings one of the most refined and counterintuitive coaching philosophies the show has featured. Mike challenges nearly everything people assume about coaching. He explains why over-coaching is the number one mistake, why it's never really about the X's and O's, and why the best coaching happens when the coach doesn't have to coach. He breaks down the four pillars of coach development, why games beat drills, the aggregate of marginal gains, and the mentor who believed in him before he believed in himself. And he makes the case — repeatedly — that these coaching skills apply to every profession, not just sports. When asked what it means to rise, Mike kept it simple: just keep going. Every single time he's taken a shot, he's gotten back up. 🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS. #BullsRise #Coaching #Rugby #CoachingPhilosophy #ExerciseScience #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo

The Real Curriculum: How Fitness, Behavior Change, and College Are All Teaching You the Same Lesson ft. Heather Bieber

You already know what you should do. So why is it so hard to actually do it? This week on Bulls Rise, Coach P sits down with Heather Bieber, Director of UB's undergraduate Exercise Science program and a behavior change expert whose career has revolved around one question: why do people struggle so much to change, even when they know what to do? Heather's path was never a straight line. from an aerobics class at 13, to personal training at a high-end Boston gym, to public health at Emory, to wellness coaching at Universal Studios, to running a program at UB. In this episode, she dismantles the myth that behavior change is about willpower, exposes the truth behind perfect-eating social media content, and explains why there's no one right way to exercise. She shares the rheumatoid arthritis client who taught her more than any textbook, breaks down why small steps beat total overhauls, and reveals why coaching is mostly psychology and barely about the program. When asked what it means to rise, Heather kept it simple: stay humble, be okay being vulnerable, dust yourself off, and get back on the horse. 🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS. #BullsRise #BehaviorChange #HealthCoaching #ExerciseScience #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo