NovateWellness

Research, Education & Public Health Leadership

Physical activity expertise grounded in research, education, and public service.

NovateWellness is led by Dr. Alexander Vigo-Valentín, whose career spans more than 15 years across research, higher education, and public health. His work connects physical activity with the conditions that shape participation: educational programs, public policy, community environments, and access to opportunity.

A doctorate from The Ohio State University, research with adolescents in Puerto Rico, and contributions to national public-health initiatives provide the foundation for the firm’s work. NovateWellness brings this experience to organizations seeking a clearer strategy, stronger programs, and useful evidence for decisions.

Meet the Founder: Dr. Alexander Vigo-Valentín

Founder and director | PhD, The Ohio State University

Research That Informs Practice

Dr. Vigo-Valentín is the first author of studies on adolescent physical activity, dietary habits, and weight status in Puerto Rico. His coauthored research also examines health-related behavioral risks among American Indians and Alaska Natives and healthcare access across racial and ethnic populations in the United States. This work brings attention to differences that broad averages can hide and to the importance of context in interpreting evidence.

Teacher Preparation & National Accreditation

Dr. Vigo-Valentín has been responsible for pursuing national accreditation for higher-education programs.

A former Associate Professor at Towson University, Dr. Vigo-Valentín has also contributed scholarship on physical education teacher education. His publications examine Hispanic experiences in university physical education programs and the role of physical education in addressing educational inequities. This perspective connects the quality of educational programs with the preparation, support, and institutional conditions that educators need.

Public Service & National Collaboration

His professional record includes federal public service and documented contributions to national efforts in youth sports, childhood obesity research, and health-professions education. These experiences connect research questions with the organizations, standards, and implementation decisions that shape practice.

Published Research & Academic Contributions

Research on youth physical activity, teacher education, and population health. Explore the selected journal articles and academic chapters below.

2011
Vigo-Valentín, A., Hodge, S. R., & Kozub, F. M. (2011). Adolescents’ dietary habits, physical activity patterns, and weight status in Puerto Rico. Childhood Obesity, 7(6), 488–494.
Read publication
2012
Hodge, S. R., Cervantes, C. M., Vigo-Valentín, A. N., Canabal-Torres, M. Y., & Ortiz-Castillo, E. M. (2012). The Hispanic experience in physical education programs and departments. Journal of Hispanic Higher Education, 11(4), 366–387.
Read publication
2014
Vigo-Valentín, A., Bush, K. A., & Hodge, S. R. (2014). Daily physical activity behavior patterns of Hispanic adolescents in Puerto Rico. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 11(6), 1212–1218.
Read publication
2018
Columna, L., Hodge, S. R., Samalot-Rivera, A., Vigo-Valentín, A. N., & Cervantes, C. M. (2018). The Hispanic experience in physical education teacher education programs: A qualitative study. Quest, 70(2), 256–274. Published online December 8, 2017.
Read publication
2019
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2019). National Youth Sports Strategy.
Contributed through the Data and Metrics work group supporting development of the National Youth Sports Strategy.
Read the official strategy and acknowledgments See the national contribution
2021
Hodge, S. R., James-Hassan, M., & Vigo-Valentín, A. (2021). HQPE: Exploring the role of physical education in facing America’s educational debt. In R. O. Guillaume, N. Witherspoon Arnold, & A. F. Osanloo (Eds.), Handbook of Urban Educational Leadership (2nd ed., pp. 216–245). Rowman & Littlefield.
Read publication
2021
Hodge, S. R., & Vigo-Valentín, A. (2021). Health, nutrition, and physical activity. In H. R. Milner IV & K. Lomotey (Eds.), Handbook of Urban Education (2nd ed., pp. 64–83). Routledge.
Read publication
2022
Zhao, G., Hsia, J., Vigo-Valentín, A., Garvin, W. S., & Town, M. (2022). Health-Related Behavioral Risk Factors and Obesity Among American Indians and Alaska Natives of the United States: Assessing Variations by Indian Health Service Region. Preventing Chronic Disease, 19, 210298.
Read publication
2023
Freelander, L., Rickless, D. S., Anderson, C., Curriero, F., Rockhill, S., Mirsajedin, A., Colón, C. J., Lusane, J., Vigo-Valentín, A., & Wong, D. (2023). The impact of COVID-19 on healthcare coverage and access in racial and ethnic minority populations in the United States. Geospatial Health, 18(2), 1222.
Read publication

Contributions to National Initiatives

White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics

He served as a member of the federal workgroup supporting the White House Initiative on Advancing Educational Equity, Excellence, and Economic Opportunity for Hispanics.

National Youth Sports Strategy 2019

Contributed through the Data and Metrics work group supporting development of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services strategy. The official acknowledgments credit Alex Vigo, PhD, Office of Minority Health.

Read the official strategy and acknowledgments

National Collaborative on Childhood Obesity Research 2021

Listed as an NCCOR member through the HHS Office of Minority Health in the collaborative’s 2021 annual report. NCCOR connects research on nutrition, physical activity, and the environments that influence children’s health.

View the NCCOR member record

National Medical Spanish Summit 2018

Served as an expert panel speaker in the national consensus process on Medical Spanish education. His role is documented in the supplement to the consensus statement published in Academic Medicine in 2020, with online publication in 2019.

Read the consensus statement View the expert panel record

Expertise Applied to Your Priorities

NovateWellness helps governments, educational institutions, and organizations connect physical activity priorities with practical work: assess the evidence, define a strategy, strengthen program design, plan evaluation, and develop learning resources that support implementation.

The approach is collaborative and specific to the setting. We focus on decisions your team needs to make, deliverables it can use, and evidence that helps it understand progress.

Professional roles, publications, and contributions describe Dr. Vigo-Valentín’s career experience. They do not imply endorsement of NovateWellness by any government agency, university, professional organization, or publisher.

Put Evidence to Work

What physical activity or education challenge is your organization working to address?

Discuss your project