Dr. Beam was born and raised in Orrville, Ohio. While in high school, he competed in football, wrestling and golf and played trumpet in the jazz band that toured the U.S. and Europe. He received his B.S. in biology from the College of Wooster, a small liberal arts college in Ohio. During his undergraduate study, he spent one summer in Vienna, Austria studying art history and German. He completed his graduate work and obtained his Ph.D. in exercise physiology from The Ohio State University. While a graduate assistant at Ohio State, he was responsible for performance testing of all the athletes including football, basketball, baseball, swimming, ice hockey and more. It was a wonderful experience working with so many talented collegiate, Olympic and future professional athletes. Dr. Beam joined the faculty at Cal State Fullerton in 1983 and the following year began directing the Exercise Physiology Lab and the Physical Performance Program. Under Dr. Beam's guidance, over fifty graduate students have completed their master's degrees and most are now active in the community working and teaching within the fitness/wellness profession. He also previously served as President of the Southwest regional chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine (SWACSM), and as the regional chapter representative to the ACSM Regional Chapters Committee. Bill currently lives in Placentia, California with his wife Terri, who teaches Chemistry at Mt. San Antonio College, and their two children Danny and Sara. Bill has commuted primarily by bicycle during his time at CSUF and enjoys cycling, jogging, swimming and playing sports with the family.