Mike Toczko

Assistant Professor of Exercise Science

Education

• Ph.D.(c) in Education with a concentration in Kinesiology, George Mason University
• M.S. in Exercise Science with a concentration in Clinical Exercise Physiology, Appalachian State University
• B.S. in Exercise Science, Castleton State University

Research Interests

• Investigating how environmental, physical and mental stressors influence first responders' performance, injury risk, and overall occupational health.

Courses Taught

• EXSC 333: Exercise Nutrition
• EXSC 424: Physical Activity Considerations for Chronic Disease and Special Populations

Selected Publications

• Martin, J.R., Toczko, M., Miller, A., & Caswell, S. (2025). "Firefighter Years: Mediating Effects of Years of Service on Physical Fitness." Research in Health and Medicine, 5(1).
• Toczko, M., Boolani, A., & Martin, J.R. (2024). "Applicability of Ratings of Perceived Exertion as A Measure of Subjective Fatigue in First Responders: An Exploratory Study." Health Directs in Health Sciences. 4(1):3.
• Martin, J., Toczko, M., Sax van der Weyden, M., & Lockie, R. (2024). "Effects of implementing a mandatory and consequential annual fitness assessment in a fire department over the initial 4-year period." Work (Reading, Mass.), 79(1), 155–165.
• Toczko, M., Fyock-Martin, M., McCrory, S., & Martin, J. (2023). "Effects of fitness on self-reported physical and mental quality of life in professional firefighters: An exploratory study." Work (Reading, Mass.), 76(4), 1589–1596.6.
• Toczko, M., Merrigan, J., Boolani, A., Guempel, B., Milani, I., & Martin, J. (2022). "Influence of grit and healthy lifestyle behaviors on anxiety and depression in US adults at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic: Cross-sectional study." Health promotion perspectives, 12(1), 77–84.
• Frost, C., Toczko, M., Merrigan, J.M., & Martin, J.R. (2021). "Firefighter Sleep Quality, Fitness, and Injury: A Systematic Review and Call to Action." Journal of Sleep Epidemiology 1:100014.