Warren and his colleagues found that the perceived value, flexibility, convenience, and exclusivity of the subscription program were identified as major factors for why college students would consider a subscription purchase. This study is a starting point for understanding why sport fans may choose to purchase a subscription-based ticketing plan.
School of Kinesiology sport and exercise science lecturer and MEd director, Christopher Lundstrom, PhD, was recently featured in an interview titled “Fit Feb: Are ‘Connected’ Fitness Machines Worth the Money?”
When questioned about why at home fitness machines have been popular during quarantine, Lundstrom notes “I think it really engages the mind a little bit more and makes the workout go by a little quicker and also just provides some motivation.”
This article can be used by coaches and sports performance staff to determine collegiate track and field athletes’ positional suitability and create more effective sport- and event-specific training and nutritional programs for this athlete population.
Jordan Lynn graduated from the School of Kinesiology with a Sport Management degree and a minor in communications in 2014.
“I was an athlete in high school. I loved sports and I wanted to stay in the industry,” Lynn said. “I think that’s how a lot of people end up in the sport management field. Once I started taking classes I really developed an appreciation for the business side of sport, all the things you can do like marketing, promotion, sales, etc.”
Lynn participated in several internships as an undergraduate student as a part of the Sport Management Program requirements. Heading into his senior year, he still needed a few more internship credits.
“I took an internship with the St. Paul Saints in their marketing department the winter of my senior year,” Lynn said. “When I graduated they hired me on full time and I’m still there now.”
Lynn said it’s been a rewarding experience to be able to shape his career over time with the same organization. He started as an intern in 2013, and is now the Director of Digital Media and Video Production. The experience matches the advice he would offer to current students.
“Look for internship experiences early and often,” Lynn said. “And don’t limit yourself when you’re looking. It’s easy to think, ‘Well, I want to work in the NBA, or NFL,’ and then discount smaller or different organizations. Every opportunity is going to give you experience and make you more marketable when you move on. Smaller teams or organizations often aren’t as competitive to apply to, and you’re still gaining valuable experience in the sport world.”
Jordan Lynn
Lynn himself is primarily a basketball fan. His motivation for attending the career fair that landed him his Saints internship was to network with the Timberwolves.
“My roommate convinced me to talk to the Saints as we were leaving,” Lynn said. “And I’m so glad I did. This job has been amazingly fun and rewarding.”
Lynn’s second piece of advice to students is to find your niche and value within the industry. Along with his sport management courses, he decided to take a couple of film classes because video was a personal interest of his.
“I honestly hadn’t considered video or film as a viable career path,” Lynn said. “I was just always interested in it. I was the kid who stole my mom’s camcorder growing up to film all sorts of stuff.”
Those film classes inspired Lynn’s minor in communications. Which, he said, “is a big reason why I’m doing what I do now.”
In addition to helping Lynn land his role with the Saints, his work in video led him to start JLynn Productions, a video production company. Through his independent video work, Lynn created the film Black Lives Matter in response to George Floyd’s murder at the hands of the Minneapolis Police Department and the resounding protests that occurred afterwards.
“Like so many other people, I was horrified by Floyd’s death,” Lynn said. “It was incredible to see the community band together in support of Floyd and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement after his death. But I still saw a lot of people on social media who seemed to not understand what the BLM movement was, or who were questioning its value.”
“I’m not the most outspoken person. But I wanted to figure out how I could contribute to getting the BLM message across and make things clearer for people who didn’t understand. I wanted to find a way to use my skills to help contribute the best way I knew how.”
And so Lynn created Black Lives Matter, a film with the purpose of explaining what Black Lives Matter means, told from the perspective of the Twin Cities community and beyond.
“That’s the question that starts off the video,” Lynn said. “I wanted to hear directly from people’s mouths. If I could have people explain what it means to them, what they want out of the movement, how the negativity around the movement has impacted them, and how people can contribute that would be the best way to explain to people what Black Lives Matter means.”
Lynn posted the video on his social media this summer and garnered support from family and friends for his work. When he received a prompt from the Oregon Short Film Festival to submit work, he looked back at what he’d created in 2020. The Black Lives Matter documentary stood out.
“When I originally made this I had no intentions of submitting it to a film festival,” Lynn said. “The purpose was an explanation. That’s all I wanted to get out of it.”
“I get emails from various film festivals pretty regularly. Something clicked, and I decided to take a shot and see if the Black Lives Matter film was good enough to get selected.”
Not only was the film good enough to get selected to be shown in the Oregon Short Film Festival Winter 2021, but it has also been nominated as a Best Documentary Film Award Finalist.
The Oregon Short Film Festival is presented by the Film Festival Circuit and will take place live via a drive-up movie theater in Oregon Thursday, February 25 through Sunday, February 28. For Twin Cities-area readers, you can view the film on Lynn’s YouTube channel.
Thanks for your inspiring work, Jordan. The School of Kinesiology is very proud to call you an alumni of our program.
Sarah Greising, PhD, was selected to serve as a member of the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) Women’s Leadership Forum (WLF). Her two-year term begins February 17, 2021.
The WLF seeks to mentor, foster, encourage, and inspire women at the start and throughout their careers in orthopaedic research, and will assist women in obtaining leadership roles in orthopaedic-related organizations.
Vicki Schull, PhD, was interviewed in Wallet Hub’s Super Bowl Fun Facts – The Big Game By The Numbers regarding the Super Bowl LV (55). Schull was featured in the Ask the Experts section, where she gave her thoughts on the economic impact of the game, the strategy behind the commercials, and of course, her pick to win the game.
Schull is a lecturer of Sport Management in the School of Kinesiology, and the director of the Sport Management MEd program.
NICHD seeks to bring together experts from the fields of limb development, vertebrate limb regeneration, human limb loss, and rehabilitation to inform future research strategies in the field of mammalian limb regeneration. Overall the workshop seeks to establish the future directions and collaborative opportunities between basic scientists and clinicians toward a common goal of advancing limb regeneration.
The NICHD Strategic Plan 2020 provides an overarching framework for the future of NIHCD research and establishes ambitious goals to fulfill NICHD’s mandate. One such goal is to “Advance the ability to regenerate human limbs by using emerging technologies to activate the body’s own growth pathways and processes.” This workshop hopes to inform NICHD’s strategy for approaching this aspirational goal.
Dr. Greising was invited to contribute to the ‘Supporting function in the proximal limb for amputees’ session of the workshop.
Partners in the workshop include the NICHD’s Developmental Biology and Structural Variation Branch (DBSVB) and National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR).
Schoolof Kinesiology Sport Management lecturer, Clinton Warren, PhD, was recently featured in the article “2021’s Best & Worst Cities for Football Fans” on the personal finance website WalletHub. In the article, Warren gives insight on the qualities that make a city an ideal environment for football fans.
When asked about the financial impacts of the pandemic on the football industry, Warren says “Overall, the NFL is the most insulated from the pandemic’s economic effect as a result of the significant broadcast revenue the league generates. The league was able to complete its season without cancelling a game, and since the NFL makes the majority of its revenue through these and licensing relationships, the financial toll of the pandemic is lessened when compared to other professional sport leagues.”
Read the full article and more of Warren’s thoughts here.
Isaac Wong, a 2020 graduate from the Sport and Exercise Science MEd program
Isaac Wong, MEd, graduated from the School of Kinesiology’s Sport and Exercise Science MEd program in May of 2020, with the goal of becoming a college-level soccer coach. Originally from London, England, Wong received his undergraduate degree in Exercise Science from Northwestern College in Iowa. After graduating, Wong knew a master’s degree would put him in a better position to reach his career goals.
“My goal is to coach college soccer full-time, and potentially teach a Kinesiology class or two in addition to that,” Wong said. “I knew I would need at least a master’s degree in order to do that.”
Wong’s wife, Sarah, who he met at Northwestern, is originally from Burnsville, Minnesota, and is pursuing a doctorate in Pharmacy at the University of Minnesota. This made his decision to attend the U of M relatively easy.
“The Sport and Exercise Science program was my first choice,” Wong said. “The degree made sense and the location was really good for Sarah and I. It was ideal for us to live together in the same city while we completed our degrees.”
Wong said his experience with the program was overwhelmingly positive. While pursuing his degree, he also played on the U of M men’s club soccer team.
“It was really awesome to continue to play competitive soccer after my college soccer career,” Wong said. “That was one of the benefits of attending the University of Minnesota.”
In addition to his participation in University club sports, Wong said the research experience he gained while working with Christopher Lundstrom, PhD, the director of the Sport and Exercise Science MEd program, was a major benefit of the program.
“What really took my education to the next level was participating in applied sport science research in the Human Sport Performance Laboratory,” Wong said. “I now know how to conduct research, write academically for research publications, and can better understand research papers when I’m reading them.”
Wong is currently a full-time soccer coach, coaching the high school boys team at Nova Classical Academy, and two boys club teams at the Salvo Soccer Club. He landed his high school coaching position through a connection with a fellow MEd classmate. His next step is to apply for college assistant coaching roles.
“I think my master’s degree puts me in a better spot as an applicant,” Wong said. “A master’s degree is often mentioned in the preferred qualifications of coaching positions.”
Wong also noted that classes he took, such as KIN 5136 Psychology of Coaching with Nicole M LaVoi, PhD, a senior lecturer in the social and behavioral sciences of physical activity, gave him a lot of tangible experience in leadership and how to conduct himself as a coach.
“I think one of the most applicable courses I took as a master’s student was psychology of coaching,” Wong said. “It’s all hypothetical, with many real-life examples used as well, and it really gives you a good perspective on how to best conduct yourself when it comes to leading and coaching.”
Wong and his wife are now looking to take the next step in their careers, and will take with them the connections they’ve made at the University of Minnesota.
Good luck Isaac, we’re proud to call you an alumni of the School of Kinesiology!
The College of Education and Human Development’s (CEHD) Office of Research and Policy has awarded Zan Gao, PhD, associate professor in the School of Kinesiology, with the CEHD Research Acceleration Program Developmental Grant Award of $200,000. The grant was awarded to Gao’s project titled “Implementing Personalized Exercise Prescriptions through Mobile Health in Rural Elderly Cancer Survivors.” The award period begins on February 1, 2021 and ends on January 31, 2023.
The purpose of Gao’s proposed project is to examine the effects of combination of a smartwatch and a Facebook health education intervention on cancer survivors’ physical activity and other health outcomes through personalized exercise prescriptions, as compared to other three conditions.
Past research has shown that physical activity provides many health benefits after a cancer diagnosis and plays an important role in reducing all-cause, cancer-related death and cancer events in eldertly cancer survivors. Adopting an active lifestyle may decrease cancer risks, and improve cancer prognosis and subsequent quality of life. However, most cancer survivors did not achieve recommended physical activity levels of 150 min/week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.
This study will integrate mobile health approaches, such as smartphone apps, wearable technology, and social media, to promote physical activity and prevent chronic diseases in the rural elderly cancer survivors. The study will randomize cancer survivors from Minnesota into 4 groups for a 6-month intervention period. The primary outcome is physical activity and secondary outcomes include cardiovascular fitness, body composition, quality of life, blood pressure, beliefs, and social support. If successful, it can significantly impact the development of novel programs for cancer survivors, particularly during and after the pandemic.
Greising’s talk was titled The interface of regenerative rehabilitation and pathophysiology for volumetric muscle loss injury. The symposium was presented by Simon Fraser University and BCREGMED. This first-of-its-kind virtual Regenerative Rehabilitation Research Symposium explored the interface of tissue engineering and regenerative therapies with rehabilitation techniques.
Arash Mahnan, School of Kinesiology PhD candidate in Biomechanics and Neuromotor Control, was invited to present at the MnDRIVE Brain Conditions and Institute for Translational Neuroscience Joint Retreat. His presentation was titled Vibro-tactile Stimulation as a Non-invasive Neuromodulation Treatment for Laryngeal Dystonia, and covered the outcome of his technology commercialization effort funded through MnDRIVE Discoveries through Industry Partnerships Fellowship, and the National Science Foundation Innovation Corps (I-Corps) program.
Valerie Larson, Kinesiology BS graduate and current Sport and Exercise Science MEd student
Valerie Larson received her Kinesiology BS from the School of Kinesiology in 2019, but she wasn’t finished with her academic goals, or ready to leave the U of M.
“I decided to pursue my MEd degree in Sport and Exercise Science because I loved the courses I took as an undergraduate, and wanted to further expand on my knowledge from my Kinesiology degree,” Larson said.
Larson’s career goal is to get her Doctorate of Physical Therapy (PT), and become a practicing PT. She will graduate with her MEd in the spring of 2021, and plans to start PT school at the U of M summer 2021.
“I enjoyed my experience at the University of Minnesota so I wanted to continue to learn more, and the MEd program felt like a good stepping stone before I go on to get my Doctorate,” Larson said.
Larson said her favorite experience as an MEd student so far has been her practicum (KIN 5696). KIN 5696 is a required experience for all MEd students in the School, it offers students opportunities to work in a professional environment under the guidance of working or active professionals. This course acts as a transition step between a student’s education and their professional career. The experience typically offers higher levels of responsibility and allows students to develop professional skills in the field while offering training and supervision. All of this let’s students practically apply their classroom learning.
Larson partnered with University of Minnesota Child Development Center for her practicum.
“I got to work with excellent staff and children who taught me a lot as a professional and individual,” Larson said. “It was so much fun helping 2-3-year-olds grow and develop throughout my practicum experience.”
In addition to her practicum experience, Larson said she’s enjoyed the opportunity to take a wide variety of courses to broaden her skills and knowledge.
“I wasn’t expecting the ability to choose from so many great electives to tailor my MEd program to what I wanted to learn,” Larson said. “I was able to pick courses based on exactly what I was most interested in so I would get the best and most fulfilling experience possible.”
When asked what advice she would give to students considering an MEd program, Larson said:
“I highly recommend this program! The faculty are supportive and the courses offered allow students to personalize their education, so take advantage of the ability to enroll in classes that will be best for your future.”
Good luck on your career journey Valerie, we’re proud to call you an alumni!
School of Kinesiology director and professor Beth Lewis, PhD, was recently featured in a U.S. News article titled “What You Can Do With a Kinesiology Degree.”
The article references a common misconception that a degree in kinesiology inevitably leads to a career in physical therapy. Lewis comments on this topic and states “Though kinesiology bachelor’s degree recipients often go on to physical therapy graduate programs, they can opt to become personal trainers or pursue a Master of Public Health degree. It is also common for individuals with college degrees in kinesiology to pursue graduate education in occupational therapy or a career as a corporate wellness program administrator.”
Erica Kesseh, a Sport and Exercise Science MEd student
Erica Kesseh finished her first semester of the Sport and Exercise Science MEd program this fall. As a strength and conditioning coach for ETS Elite, Kesseh said she’s enjoyed learning specific information about the sport part of the sport and exercise science field.
“I’m already working full-time in the field, but I wanted to go back and fine-tune my interests,” Kesseh said. “I felt like I still had questions and there were things I wanted to be better at, specifically with the population I work with, who are generally athletes.”
Kesseh is from Burnsville, Minnesota, and graduated from the University of Minnesota – Duluth with a bachelor’s degree in exercise science. After about a year and a half of working, she decided to continue her education by pursuing her MEd.
“It’s only my first semester,” Kesseh said. “But already, I’ve taken a class where I could ask questions and learn things that directly apply to my work. I would learn something in class, and then go to work and use exactly what I learned that same day when coaching.”
Kesseh works with both teams and individual athletes. She’s hoping to bring more knowledge and better results to her clients through her education. One of the things she’s already found to be beneficial was learning more about the periodization of training for athletes.
“It was extremely relevant to my work to think about how training is portrayed to athletes in different stages of their lives,” Kesseh said. “For example, young athletes should see training as fun, like playing, whereas later in an athlete’s career their focus is more about training in order to be competitive. This really helps me adjust my strategy with each person or team I’m working with.”
Kesseh hopes to continue her career of training athletes, perhaps managing other coaches in the future. She said she hopes to continue to grow her knowledge as a coach through her masters degree so when she reaches higher levels in her career she can share that knowledge with others.
Her advice to potential students?
“If you’re interested in this field, never assume that you know everything. You should always be trying to learn more, stay curious, and be looking for more answers.”
Kesseh is embodying that advice with her pursuit of an MEd degree. Kudos to you Erica, we’re excited to have you as a part of the School of Kinesiology and can’t wait to see where your knowledge and passion for sport takes you!
The manuscript was of original research examining differences in urban minority adolescents’ physical activity levels, enjoyment, and self-efficacy during small-groups and full-class exergaming sessions. This project is one of several community and school-based projects conducted by the Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory (PAEL) fighting to reduce health disparities in the underserved African American communities within the Minneapolis/St. Paul area.
Co-authors included Wenxi Liu, Ph.D. candidate, Xiwen Su, and Zan Gao, Ph.D.—research assistants and lab director, respectively, of the PAEL.
Has a medical professional told you your daughter is overweight?
If you answered YES to all of these questions, we want you and your child to be a part of our group discussions! We are creating a program for Black girls to help them adopt healthy lifestyle habits by using a smart doll and video series with parental involvement.
To show our appreciation, you will receive a $10 gift card.
If you are interested or have questions, please contact Dr. Daheia Barr-Anderson at (612) 301-5919 or mini-me@umn.edu.
This study is being led by Daheia Barr-Anderson, PhD, an Associate Professor in Behavioral Aspects of Physical Activity in the School of Kinesiology, at the University of Minnesota.
Kinesiology PhD candidates and members of the Affordance Perception-Action Laboratory (APAL) Chris Curry and Nicollete Peterson, published work in Frontiers in Virtual Reality along with Ruixuan Li, PhD, a former lab member, and Thomas Stoffregen, PhD, professor and director of APAL.
The article published, “Postural Activity During Use of a Head-Mounted Display: Sex Differences in the “Driver–Passenger” Effect,” expands on previous research documenting reliable sex differences in experiencing motion sickness, as well as reliable differences between participants in control of a virtual vehicle and participants who are not. The study asked whether postural precursors of motion sickness would simultaneously be influenced by individual and situational factors. The results are consistent with a prediction of the postural instability theory of motion sickness etiology and shed new light on the multifactorial origins of postural precursors of motion sickness in virtual environments.
Dr. Li was a member of APAL during her PhD program at the U of M, she received her PhD in Human Factors in 2018. Curry was supported by an NSF grant for translational sensory science (NRT-1734815). Dr. Stoffregen was supported by NSF-1901423, “Prediction, early detection, and mitigation of virtual reality simulator sickness.”
School of Kinesiology Sport Management lecturer, Clinton Warren, PhD, was recently interviewed in an article titled “Experts Weigh in on Current Job Market Trends” on the career development website, Zippia. In the article, Warren commented on the current and anticipated trends in the job market for sport, fitness, and recreation management as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
When asked about the biggest trends in the job market given the pandemic, Warren states “As we begin to move out of the pandemic and public health returns to a more stable state, the job market is likely to rebound slowly. It is unlikely a mass hiring will occur in the time immediately following the widespread availability of a vaccine.”
Warren goes on to answer more questions on important industry technology and demand for graduates.
