Michael E. Feltner

Dean of Academic Initiatives

Michael Feltner became the University’s inaugural dean of academic initiatives in 2023. In this role, Feltner heads a leadership team in the exploration of the academic and experiential components of a potential new health sciences school at Pepperdine. Since 2015, Feltner had served as the dean of Seaver College. During his tenure, he created the Seaver College Student Success Center, launched the Navigate student success platform, and increased placement rates at the Career Center through the Success After Seaver program. He also led the college's Natural Science Division from 2006 to 2011. A professor of sports medicine, he has taught at Pepperdine since 1988 in the areas of biomechanics, kinesiology, and human anatomy.

Feltner has published frequently in the area of human biomechanics and served as an associate editor of Medicine and Science in Sports Exercise and as an editorial board member of the Journal of Applied Biomechanics. Prior to academia, Feltner worked in health-related settings as a certified athletic trainer for a professional baseball team and in a sports medicine clinic as an athletic trainer and therapist. 

Feltner graduated from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, with a BS in biological science education and received both his master's degree and PhD in human performance and biomechanics from Indiana University.

Phone: 310.506.4280
Email: michael.feltner@pepperdine.edu