Dr. Tammen grew up in rural Illinois and is a life long Chicago Cubs, Chicago Bears, and Fighting Illini fan. He is currently the Chair of Exercise and Sport Sciences at Concordia University and teaches motor learning, sport psychology and historical and socio-cultural foundations of sport and physical education for all undergraduate Exercise and Sport Science majors. He received his Bachelor of Science in Physical Education from the University of Illinois-Urbana, his Master of Science in Physical Education and Health from Kansas State University, and his Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology from the University of Illinois-Urbana.

His area of specialty is the social psychology of sport and physical activity. He has two main areas of research 1) motivation of coaches and athletes, 2) wellness across the life span. He has written 3 book chapters, 6 refereed journal publications, over 30 refereed publications in conference proceeding, over 30 original service publications, has conducted over 65 refereed scholarly presentations, conducted over 40 sport psychology service presentations, and has done thousands of hours of sport psychology service to athletes, coaches, & organizations.

Vance was instrumental in founding the Concordia University Masters Degree Program in Coaching and Athletic Administration, where he wrote most of the early curriculum and course content, as well as the University proposals. He currently teaches MCAA 530, Psychology of Coaching and MCAA 595, the Culminating Project where he has served as a graduate advisor for many students who have completed their Research or Portfolios and earned their Masters Degrees.

Prior to God's call to Concordia University, Vance was an Assistant Professor at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana, and prior to that he was a lecturer of sport psychology at Victoria University in Melbourne, Australia. He also taught at the University of Illinios-Urbana and at Kansas State University. He did his sport psychology internship at the United States Olympic Training Center at Colorado Springs.

Vance played football into his early 30s, but he now enjoys all forms of sport and physical activity, including but not limited to; tending his rose bushes and garden, hacking at golf balls, watching football, baseball, and college basketball, playing his guitar, fishing with his daughter, playing at the beach, attending his daughter's dance recitals and competitions, and of course working out.