Leo McAvoy, professor emeritus in the School of Kinesiology, wins U of M Outstanding Achievement Award

June 13, 2017

Leo McAvoy, Ph.D., professor emeritus of recreation in the School of Kinesiology, has been awarded the University of Minnesota’s prestigious Outstanding Achievement Award.

Dr. McAvoy earned a Ph.D. in 1976 in Recreation, Park, and Leisure Studies from the College of Education and Human Development and taught and conducted research for over 30 years in the School of Kinesiology. He has been honored numerous times nationally for his contributions to the parks and recreation field, and early in his career was elected to the Academy of Leisure Sciences, one of 55 such scholars in North America at the time. In 2004 he received the Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt Award for Excellence in Recreation and Park Research, his field’s highest award.

During his career, Dr. McAvoy focused his research on populations often overlooked in the field–access for individuals with disabilities and initiatives with American Indians related to their relationship to outdoor recreation and recreation resources. He pioneered efforts in the 1980s and ’90s to create opportunities for access to the outdoors for all people, and to achieve inclusion and inclusive programming.

Mary Jo Kane, Ph.D., School director from 2005-2011, says, “Deeply committed to issues of diversity and social justice, Professor McAvoy was one of the first scholars in the country who placed at the center of their work the various and important ways individuals with disabilities interact with the outdoor environment. He is one of the most dedicated and passionate people I know, an individual who has had a profound impact in both his personal and professional capacity.”

The Outstanding Achievement Award may be conferred only on graduates or former students of the University who have attained unusual distinction in their chosen fields or professions or in public service, and who have demonstrated outstanding achievement and leadership on a community, state, national, or international level. It is the highest honor bestowed by the University outside of the Honorary Doctorate degree.

A college ceremony honoring Dr. McAvoy is planned for late summer or early fall.

Barr-Anderson, students present at ACSM

June 6, 2017

Daheia Barr-Anderson, Ph.D., and students traveled to the American College of Sport Medicine’s Annual Meeting in Denver, CO held May 30-June 3 to give several presentations. Barr-Anderson is an assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology in behavioral aspects of physical activity.

Tutorial: Hot Fitness Trends to Promote Health and Physical Activity in Minority Communities – Yoga. Daheia Barr-Anderson

Oral Presentation: Exploring the link between exercise identity and intervention dosage: I-FIT (Initiating Feelings of Individual Transformation). Eydie Kramer, Kinesiology doctoral student; Daheia Barr-Anderson

Poster Presentation: Vertical jump test as a health-promotion screening tool for predicting bone strength in young adults. Maggie King, Kinesiology doctoral student; Steven Levy, Lucas Carr, and Kathleen Janz, Iowa State University

Hoffman receives professional development grant from U of M Foundation

June 5, 2017

Congratulations to Brandi Hoffman, director of the School of Kinesiology’s Physical Activity Program (PAP), who has been awarded a $1,000 professional development grant from the University of Minnesota Foundation. The award, donated by Carrie Sampson-Moore, will be used to support Hoffman’s Physical Activity Program.

Sampson-Moore is the director for Physical Education at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and is an alumna of the School’s master’s program. She was part of a 2015 delegation to China led by School director Li Li Ji to discuss college/university instructional physical activity programs in the U.S. and China.

Five School of Kinesiology educators awarded Partnership for Affordable Content Grants

June 5, 2017

The School of Kinesiology is pleased to announce five recipients of the Partnership for Affordable Content Grants awarded by University of Minnesota Libraries.

Physical Activity Program director Brandi Hoffman, assistant professor Daheia Barr-Anderson, Ph.D., and Ph.D. student and graduate/teaching assistant, Eydie Kramer, together have been awarded a $3,000 grant. Lisa Kihl, Ph.D., associate professor, and Diane Wiese-Bjornstal, Ph.D., professor, each have received a $1,000 grant.

The grants are intended to provide affordable content to students by supporting individuals who are exploring innovative course content options. The University of Minnesota Libraries created the program to encourage faculty and instructors to work with library staff to implement affordable high-quality content options into their courses as an alternative to high-cost commercial textbooks and other expensive course materials.

Aizawa has article accepted for publication in Sport Management Review

June 1, 2017

School of Kinesiology visiting scholar Kurumi Aizawa, Ph.D., has had an article accepted for publication in Sport Management Review. The article, “Long-Term Impact of the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games on Sport Participation: A Cohort Analysis,” reports the findings that individuals who experienced the Tokyo 1964 Olympic Games during youth participated in sport more frequently than other generations.

Co-authors on the publication are Ji Wu, graduate student in Sport Management; Yuhei Inoue, Ph.D., assistant professor of Sport Management; and Mikihiro Sato, Ph.D., assistant professor at James Madison University, VA.

Kinesiology undergrads, Gopher track teammates are featured in local, national media

May 31, 2017

Two School of Kinesiology undergraduates are featured in this week’s online issue of City Pages. Brad Neumann (left in photo) and Justin Rabon are friends and teammates on the Gopher track team, but their story is more than that — a gratifying tale of two people who had the good fortune to find each other at just the right time.

Learn more in Outsports (coming-out stories from Brad and Justin), the Pioneer Press, USAToday, WCCO TV, Fox9, Kare11, and the Minnesota Daily.

PAEL, Gao to present several studies at ACSM Annual Meeting

May 31, 2017

Zan Gao, Ph.D., Kinesiology associate professor and director of the Physical Activity and Epidemiology Laboratory (PAEL), and members of his lab will be presenting at the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM) Annual Meeting and Exercise is Medicine World Congress held jointly in Boston, MA, this week through June 4.

PAEL’s papers accepted for presentation and School of Kinesiology presenters are:

At ACSM

Trajectory changes of children’s energy expenditure and physical activity: The effect of physical activity regiment. (Gao and June Lee, Kinesiology doctoral candidate)

Dynamic relationship among elementary school children’s psychosocial beliefs, outside school physical activity and screen time. (Gao and Lee)

Effects of exergaming on college students’ energy expenditure, physical activity and enjoyment. (Zachary Pope, Kinesiology doctoral student, Lee, and Gao)

College students’ situational motivation, energy expenditure, and blood pressure in exergaming and treadmill walking (Nan Zeng, visiting doctoral student, Pope, Lee, and Gao)

At Exercise Is Medicine World Congress

A meta-analysis of effects of exergaming on individuals’ rehabilitation. (Pope, Zeng, and Gao )

Gao’s research on exergaming highlighted in CEHD Vision 2020 blog

May 30, 2017

School of Kinesiology associate professor Zan Gao, Ph.D., has written an article on his work related to the positive health outcomes of fitness technology and exergaming on the CEHD Vision 2020 blog.

His research shows that replacing younger students’ “screen time” on tablets or computers with apps for exercise games can be as effective as physical education classes.

Gao emphasizes that exercise games on the computer do not replace time playing outside or the traditional physical education curriculum. Instead, he says, “we hope that active, fitness-oriented apps and games can replace sedentary time young people spend using tablets, watching television or playing traditional games – not physical activities like sports, biking or outside play.”

“Exercise games are not just a fad,” says Gao, “and can be part of our approach to capturing the attention of students who are not drawn to athletics and physical education.”

Gao is director of the School’s Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory.

Dengel quoted on positive effects of exercise on circulation in Experience Life

May 30, 2017

Donald R. Dengel, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology was recently quoted in the June issue of Experience Life, an online health and fitness magazine, on how exercise improves circulation. “The circulatory system loves exercise,” Dengel says in the article, and explains that exercise makes the circulatory system stronger, more flexible, and more expansive, which in turn boosts athletic performance. The article can be accessed here.

Orr receives travel grant to present at North American Society for Sport Management

May 24, 2017

Madeleine Orr, Ph.D. student in the School of Kinesiology, advised by Dr. Yuhei Inoue, assistant professor of sport management, has been awarded a Council of Graduate Students travel grant for $600 to attend and present at the North America Society for Sport Management Conference. Orr’s presentation is titled: “Toward a Practitioner-Oriented Framework of Event Legacy: A Case Study of Toronto 2015.”

Several other Kinesiology faculty members and graduate students are participating in the conference, held in Denver, CO from May 30 until June 2.

Kurumi Aizawa, Ph.D., visiting scholar from Waseda University Research Institute for Sport Knowledge in Tokyo, Japan, presents “Leveraging Events for Sport Participation: The Case of the Japanese National Sports Festival.”
Yuhei Inoue, Ph.D., presents “Sport Spectatorship and Live Satisfaction: A Multi-City Investigation.”
Lisa Kihl, Ph.D., presents “Athlete Representation in the Governance of Intercollegiate Sport,” together with Ph.D. student Caroline Heffernan.
Nicole LaVoi, Ph.D., participates in a symposium titled, “The Paradoxical Decline of Women in Coaching: Time for Radical Structural Change.”

The detailed conference program is available online.

Daheia Barr-Anderson and Sanaz Khosravani receive 2017 Women’s Philanthropic Leadership Circle awards

May 23, 2017

A faculty member and doctoral student in the School of Kinesiology have been selected to receive awards from the College of Education and Human Development’s Women’s Philanthropic Leadership Circle (WPLC).

Dahia Barr-Anderson, Ph.D., assistant professor in the School, has received the Rising Star Faculty Award of $1,500 to use for professional development. She joins an elite group of CEHD female faculty members in the college who have received this prestigious award.

Sanaz Khosravani, a Kinesiology doctoral student in the Human Sensorimotor Control Laboratory, will receive a $1,400 Graduate Student Ph.D. award based on the review committee’s assessment of her “academic achievements, community involvement, leadership, and passion for her academic and professional career.”

The awards will be conferred at the WPLC’s annual celebration on Tuesday, June 13, at the Town and Country Club in St. Paul.

Thul’s research quoted in Deadspin article “The Full-Court Pressure of the Somali-American Sportswoman”

May 22, 2017

The latest posting of online publication Deadspin includes an article, “The Full-Court Pressure of the Somali-American Sportswoman,” which explores the challenges Somali women face in participating in sports and physical activity through the lens of the Somali-American community in Minneapolis. The research of School of Kinesiology lecturer Chelsey Thul, Ph.D., is discussed extensively, and Thul; Cawo Abdi, Ph.D., associate professor of sociology at the U of M; Sarah Hopkins, head coach of U of M women’s cross country; and Muna Mohamed, Kinesiology master’s student and research assistant, are quoted.

Kihl is Executive Council president-elect of the North American Society for Sport Management

May 16, 2017

Lisa A. Kihl, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Kinesiology, was recently elected President-Elect of the Executive Council for the North American Society for Sport Management. Kihl’s term on the council is three years, and over that time she will serve as President-elect, President, and Past President.

The purpose of the North American Society for Sport Management is to promote, stimulate, and encourage study, research, scholarly writing, and professional development in the area of sport management, in both theoretical and applied aspects.

Weiss publishes in The Sage Encyclopedia of Out-of- School Learning

May 15, 2017

Maureen Weiss, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology, published an article, “Positive youth development through sport” in the just-released anthology by Sage on after-school and out-of- school programs related to teaching methods and learning styles. The two-volume series covering over 200 articles documents what the best research has revealed about out-of- school learning—what facilitates or hampers it; where it takes place most effectively; how we can encourage it to develop talents and strengthen communities; and why it matters.

Gao is co-investigator on NIH grant to study physical activity in older adults

May 15, 2017

Zan Gao, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory in the School of Kinesiology, recently collaborated with researchers from the U of M and successfully secured a 5-year NIH R21/33 research grant as a co-investigator. The project titled “Mindful Movement for Physical Activity and Wellbeing in Older Adults: A Community Based Randomized Hybrid Effectiveness-Implementation Study” (1R21AT009110-01A1) will be led by Dr. Roni Evans, Research Director of the Integrative Health & Wellbeing Research Program at the Center for Spirituality and Healing.

Physical inactivity has reached pandemic proportions and is associated with increased morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Of particular concern is that most middle to older age adults fall far short of recommendations for health-enhancing physical activities. This project takes a novel approach to tackling this problem by combining mindfulness with behavioral strategies in a unique ‘Mindful Movement’ program offered through YMCA community facilities. Gao will serve as the physical activity assessment specialist in the team to lead the measurement of the primary outcome – older adults’ moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

Lewis and colleagues publish in Women’s Health

May 9, 2017

Beth Lewis, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Kinesiology, and colleagues (including her advisees Lauren Billing, Kinesiology Ph.D. candidate, and Katie Schuver, Kinesiology Ph.D., 2014 ) have had an article published in Women’s Health.

The article is titled “The relationship between employment status and depression symptomatology among women at risk for postpartum depression.”

School of Kinesiology Student Council announces 2017-18 officers and representatives

May 9, 2017

The Kinesiology Student Council recently announced their newly appointed officers/representatives for the 2017 – 2018 academic year.

Co-Presidents: Madeleine Orr and Anna Baeth
Secretary: Christiana Raymond
Treasurer: John Piekarski
Public Relations: Eydie Kramer and Arash Mahnan
Undergraduate Student Reps: Emily Groshens and Courtney Cashman

Zachary Pope, 2016 – 2017 School of Kinesiology Student Council President, said, “I have no doubt that under the leadership of the individuals listed above the Kinesiology Student Council will continue to grow and enhance the student experience within the University of Minnesota’s School of Kinesiology. Myself and the outgoing members of the Kinesiology Student Council Executive Team look forward to helping with a smooth transition of power that ensures the new Executive Team “hits the ground running.”

Sport Management Senior Seminar students collaborate with National Sports Center on projects

May 9, 2017

Young Ho Kim (second from right) and students at NSC.

Young Ho Kim, Kinesiology doctoral candidate and graduate assistant, and his students in SMGT 3881W Senior Seminar in Sport Management, took a tour of the National Sports Center (NSC) in Blaine in April to see the facility and meet with facility administrators. Kim and his students collaborated with the NSC on three projects this semester.

Students and NSC administrators at class presentations.

For the first, “Multi-National Corporations Based in Minnesota as Sponsors of USA CUP,” students researched and prepared a recommendation regarding sponsorship for the NSC premier soccer tournament, USA CUP, with the assistance of Steve Olson, Chief Operating Officer. For the second, “Indigenous/Native American Sports Tournaments and Events,” two groups researched and prepared a recommendation regarding development activities for The Star of the North Games (an Olympic-style, multi-sport event), focusing on adding events and Native populations, with the assistance of George Ellis, NSC’s Director of Sports Development. The third project was “Hosting a Girl’s and Women’s Wellness & Sports Expo at the NSC.” Students researched and prepared a recommendation for NSC to host the expo, focusing on sponsors and a topic series, with the assistance of Todd Johnson, Executive Director. On May 1, the NSC administrators visited Kim’s class and his students presented their projects.

Kim is co-advised by Kinesiology professor Michael Wade, Ph.D., and Rayla Allison, J.D.

Chinese World Champion in sailboating cruises with U.S. Olympic sailing coach, students on Lake Minnetonka

May 8, 2017

Ms. Ziyi Wang, participant in the 2016-17 China Champions Program (CCP) and World Champion in sailboating, spent the afternoon of May 3 enjoying her sport at the Minnetonka Yacht Club. As a bonus, she had the chance to meet and sail with U.S. National and Olympic sailing coach Gordy Bowers, who is currently head coach of the Lake Minnetonka Sailing School, and Peter Wattson, president of the Minnetonka Yacht Club.

Ms. Wang was accompanied by Ms. Chunlu Wang, Olympic gold medalist in short track speed skating, and Ms. Jill Griffiths, a member of the CCP advisory board. The group also spent time sailing and interacting with high school students from the sailing school.

The China Champions Program is sponsored by the University’s School of Kinesiology, the College of Education and Human Development and the China Center.

Kinesiology undergraduate Samantha Mussehl receives UROP award

May 8, 2017

Samantha Mussehl, an undergraduate student in the School of Kinesiology, has received a U of M Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) award. Samantha’s UROP will examine whether the soleus muscle shows signs of mechanical or neural injury and repair following a hemorrhagic stroke. The project is under the direction of LeAnn Snow, MD, Ph.D., assistant professor in the Division of Physical Therapy. Samantha is advised by Donald Dengel, Ph.D., professor and director of the School’s Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology, and she is working on a directed study project with him.

The UROP Award offers financial awards to full-time undergraduates for quality research, scholarly, or creative projects that are judged to contribute to the student’s academic development and which are undertaken in collaboration with a faculty sponsor.

CEHD News Kinesiology

CEHD News Kinesiology