A Life of Movement: Remembering Professor Emeritus Edmund Bernauer
The University of California flag was flown at half-staff at the Memorial Union, Mark Hall and the UC Davis Airport recently to honor the memory of Professor Emeritus of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior Edmund Bernauer. Born on Sept. 27, 1926, Bernauer passed away on Aug. 12, 2021, at the age of 94.
Bernauer was a pioneering figure in academia, policy and industry. He developed the Human Performance Lab at UC Davis, created curricula for physical education and exercise science programs on campus, designed physical standards for fitness, and conducted research on the effects of microgravity on the human body for NASA, among many other accomplishments. A fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, he studied everything from exercise metabolism and cardiac function to the effects of environmental conditions like high altitude on the human body during exercise.
“He was so proud to be affiliated with the University of California,” said Bernauer’s wife Jeanne Bernauer. “I was grateful the campus recognized him because his heart was there all the time.”