The article, “Diaphragm Plasticity in Aging and Disease: Therapies for Muscle Weakness go from Strength to Strength,” presents several topics involving diaphragm plasticity in aging and disease that were presented at the International Union of Physiological Sciences (IUPS) Conference in 2017. The purpose of the article is to maximize the broad and collective research impact on diaphragm muscle dysfunction in the search for transformative treatment approaches to improve the diaphragm muscle health during aging and disease.
Zachary Pope, Ph.D., recent graduate in the School of Kinesiology, has accepted a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health. The fellowship is in the Division of Epidemiology and Community Health and focuses on cardiovascular disease epidemiology and prevention. Dr. Pope will begin his fellowship in July, 2018.
“Given my exercise physiology background and my current epidemiological research emphasis, this fellowship is a great fit and will provide opportunities for me to continue growing my research acumen,” says Pope.
A recipient of the U of M’s Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship for 2017-18, Pope currently is a research assistant in the Physical Activity Epidemiology Lab (PAEL) under the leadership of his adviser, associate professor Zan Gao, Ph.D.
Zan Gao, Ph.D., School of Kinesiology associate professor and director of the Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory (PAEL), was recently appointed Editorial Board member by the Journal of Sport and Health Science (JSHS). JSHS is an international peer-reviewed journal founded by the Shanghai University of Sport, and co-published by Elsevier Publishing Group. JSHS is dedicated to the advancement of sport/exercise/health sciences including sport medicine, sport and exercise physiology, public health promotion, biomechanics, sport and exercise biochemistry and nutrition, sport and exercise psychology, motor behavior, coaching, physical education, traditional Chinese sports and wellbeing, and growth and maturation. JSHS has a current impact factor at 2.531.
The Faculty Senate at the University of Minnesota is comprised of faculty and faculty-like academic professional representatives from the all University of Minnesota campuses and concerns itself with faculty welfare, educational, and research matters.
Her research project, “Physical activity and sociodemographic correlates of adolescent exergamers,” was recently published in the Journal of Adolescent Health. The study was a collaboration between the School of Public Health’s program Project EAT and Barr-Anderson, and revealed that exergaming may have an influence on physical activity for girls. Barr-Anderson said the positive relationship between girls who are vigorously active and those who play exergames shows that gaming may play a role in increasing vigorous activity or help lead to such activity.
Yuhei Inoue, Ph.D., associate professor of sport management in the School of Kinesiology, has published a multi-year study with two colleagues examining the extent to which sporting event attendance is associated with self-rated health in Global Health Research and Policy.
The results of the study demonstrate that, controlling for the effects of personal and environmental characteristics, sporting event attendance positively correlates with self-rated health over a 12-year period. Specifically, when compared to individuals who did not attend any sporting event during the past year, those who attended a sporting event were 33% more likely to indicate a higher level of self-rated health. These findings provide evidence for a positive association between sport spectatorship and the perception of general health and contribute to the literature examining the relationship between sport spectatorship and health outcomes.
Zan Gao, Ph.D., School of Kinesiology associate professor, has published an article with colleagues in BioMedResearch International. The study, “Effect of Mini-Trampoline Physical Activity on Executive Functions in Preschool Children,” investigated the effect of mini-trampoline physical activity on the development of executive functions in Chinese preschool children. A sample of 57 children aged 3–5 enrolled in preschool was randomly assigned to an intervention group and control group for 10 weeks. All children had the same classes and care service, but children in the intervention group had an extra 20 minutes of trampoline training after school.
Findings indicated that a 10-week trampoline physical activity training may not be sufficient to trigger the improvement of preschool children’s executive functions, and future research with larger representative samples is warranted to discern the dose-response evidence in enhancing young children’s executive functions through physical activity.
BioMed Research International is a peer-reviewed, Open Access journal with a current Impact Factor of 2.476.
Congratulations toJürgen Konczak, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology, who received the Marty and Jack Rossmann Faculty Development Award at the College of Education and Human Development assembly on April 30. The Rossmann Award recognizes a tenured faculty member who has demonstrated a truly exceptional level of creativity and productivity in scholarship, teaching and service, and who shows great promise of continuing such achievement. Konzak has instituted and directs the Human Sensorimotor Control Laboratory (HSCL) as well as the Center for Clinical Movement Science (CCMS), an interdisciplinary unit across the University. His research, currently supported by grants from NIH and the NSF, focuses on the study of neurological movement disorders, motor learning after brain injury, and motor development in infancy and childhood and collaborates with, among others, the School of Nursing, School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Engineering as well as with international research centers, primarily in Italy and Singapore. Since joining the faculty in 1999 he has served in leading roles on several Graduate School and College committees and has been the Director of Graduate Studies for the School.
Daheia Barr-Anderson, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Kinesiology, has been invited to give a presentation at the Board of Regents’ May meeting. She is one of four newly promoted University of Minnesota faculty members invited to the meeting to give a short presentation and answer questions about their work.
Each year at their May meeting, the Board of Regents invite several recently promoted faculty from across the University who represent excellence in a variety of ways to participate in a panel. Barr-Anderson will discuss her scholarship and creative activities related to her research and community involvement.
Tianou Zhang, doctoral candidate in School of Kinesiology, has accepted a tenure-track position at the University of Texas-San Antonio (UTSA). Zhang will be an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology, Health, and Nutrition beginning this August. He will teach courses in Exercise and Nutrition, and continue his research on beneficial effects of phytochemicals supplementation in exercise and health.
The study examined the reliability of two objective measurement tools in assessing children’s physical activity levels in an exergaming setting. The findings suggested that the NL-1000 pedometers and ActiGraph GT3X accelerometers have low reliability in assessing elementary school children’s physical activity levels during exergaming. More research is warranted in determining the reliable and accurate measurement information regarding the use of modern devices in exergaming setting.
Thanks to support from the administrators of the University of Minnesota and the principal and teachers at LoveWorks Academy in Golden Valley,Zan Gao, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory (PAEL), recently established a Brain Gym Lab in the fitness room of LoveWorks Academy. Specifically, four Wii U exercise stations and four Xbox One Kinect exercise stations have been set up in the Brain Gym Lab, which promotes learning through movement.
Loveworks Academy is a public charter school located in a diverse neighborhood and works with a large number of low-income, underserved children ages 4 through 14. The school focuses on a strong academic program that personalizes learning for all students, helping develop independent, cooperative, responsible, and creative adults.
Thus far, the novel exercise program has been well received by teachers and students in the school. This is the third school-based lab Dr. Gao has established in the public schools in the state of Minnesota. Below are photos from the program.
Congratulations to Kinesiology Ph.D. candidate Kristin Wood, who has been chosen by the School’s Graduate Education Committee as recipient of the School of Kinesiology’s 2018-19 Doctoral Dissertation Award. The award provides a 50% graduate assistantship for the coming academic year.
Wood is advised by Diane Wiese-Bjornstal, Ph.D., professor in the sport and exercise psychology emphasis. Her research interests are in psychology of injury, psychological interventions to increase rehabilitation adherence, and curriculum development in athletic training education programs. She has the following publication due out in June, 2018: Wiese-Bjornstal, D. M., White, A. C., Wood, K. N., & Russell, H. C., Sports medicine psychology. In T. S. Horn & A. L. Smith (Eds.), Advances in sport and exercise psychology (4th ed.) Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics
The Kinesiology Doctoral Dissertation Award provides the School’s most accomplished Ph.D candidates with an opportunity to devote efforts to an outstanding research project under the mentorship of the student’s primary faculty advisor.
Girls on the Run (GOTR), an innovative youth development program that uses running and other physical activities as a platform for teaching life skills and healthy habits, was featured in the New Hampshire online publication, Seacoastonline.com. Kinesiology professor Maureen Weiss, Ph.D., who conducted a longitudinal study evaluating the effectiveness of the program in achieving its goals, was cited in the article by GOTR’s Executive Director, Jen Hubbell. She said Weiss’s study showed that “Girls on the Run makes a stronger impact than organized sports and physical education programs in teaching life skills.”
Kinesiology Ph.D. candidate Madeleine Orr has been selected to receive a $2,100 graduate student award from the Women’s Philanthropic Leadership Circle (WPLC). Orr is in the Sport Management emphasis and is advised by Yuhei Inoue, Ph.D.
The award will be presented at the WPLC’s annual awards celebration on Tuesday, June 12, at the Town and Country Club. Orr was chosen to receive the award based on her “academic achievements, community involvement, leadership, and passion for your academic and professional career.”
The Women’s Philanthropic Leadership Circle was designed to increase the overall visibility of women leaders in education and human development and provide financial support to women in and aspiring to leadership positions. Each year, WPLC grants financial awards to women graduate students and “Rising Star” pre-tenure faculty members who are demonstrating leadership and creativity through their academics, research, service, and/or teaching.
Daheia Barr-Anderson, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Kinesiology, was honored with the Multicultural Recognition Awardfor Faculty. This award recognizes significant professional or extracurricular contributions to and promotion of multicultural relations and perspectives. Barr-Anderson’s research centers on increasing physical activity behavior and decreasing sedentary behavior among children, particularly African-American females. Her professionally and personally involvement in the community fuel her passion. These services, such as volunteering for two African-American female organizations committed to the empowerment and education of our youth, Barr-Anderson states, have influenced her research and most importantly allow her to use her privilege as an African-American academic researcher to share the voices from her community.
Jürgen Konczak, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology, received the Marty and Jack Rossmann Faculty Development Award. The Rossmann Award recognizes a tenured faculty member who has demonstrated a truly exceptional level of creativity and productivity in scholarship, teaching and service, and who shows great promise of continuing such achievement. Konzak has instituted and directs the Human Sensorimotor Control Laboratory (HSCL) as well as the Center for Clinical Movement Science (CCMS), an interdisciplinary unit across the University. His research, currently supported by grants from NIH and the NSF, focuses on the study of neurological movement disorders, motor learning after brain injury, and motor development in infancy and childhood and collaborates with, among others, the School of Nursing, School of Veterinary Medicine, College of Engineering as well as with international research centers, primarily in Italy and Singapore. Since joining the faculty in 1999 he has served in leading roles on several Graduate School and College committees and has been the Director of Graduate Studies for the School.
Carol Nielsen is the recipient of the Jeanne T. Lupton Civil Service/Bargaining Unit Outstanding Service Award. Named in honor of Jeanne T. Lupton, Dean of General College (1979-86), this award recognizes outstanding service to CEHD and to the University of Minnesota by a CEHD Civil Service/Bargaining Unit staff. Although Nielsen’s primary responsibilities focus on all aspects of course management, she also has been heavily involved in building management and securing a safe workplace for others. She has built an excellent relationship with Facilities Management (FM) and takes a proactive approach to find solutions that are financially in our best interests. Nielsen is a passionate advocate for students and works directly with advisors and instructors to ensure high 4-year graduation rates in the School. What truly sets her apart, however, is Carol’s positive impact on her staff and colleagues. Her kindness, consideration, and inspired leadership style makes people feel welcome and appreciated, causing very high morale and productivity among the department staff.
Three Recreation Administration course take first place: REC 2151 Outdoor and Camp Leadership (recognized for its unique class structure and trip to the Apostle Islands in Northern Wisconsin), REC 3322 Outdoor Recreation Winter Skills, REC 3321 Outdoor Recreation 3-Season Skills, and REC 4311 Programming for Outdoor and Environmental Education. PE 1205 Scuba and Skin Diving takes second, and PE 1033 Foil Fencing took third. REC 4301 Wilderness and Adventure Education in Belize ranks in as ninth on the list.
School of Kinesiology adviser Katie Koopmeiners has been nominated the co-chair of the U of M’s Academic Advisory Network (AAN) board for the 2018-19 academic year. The AAN fosters opportunities for professional growth, personal development, and community building for advisors and student services professionals from across the Twin Cities campus. It also provides a forum for discussion and the exchange of ideas and information regarding academic advising within the University community.
Koopmeiners advises undergraduate major students in recreation education and sport management, as well as minor students in coaching, health & wellness promotion, outdoor & recreation education, and sport management.
Kristin Farrell, the School’s honors program academic adviser, will be a member on the AAN board during the 2018-19 academic year.
