The CHINA CHAMPIONS program participants were recently featured in a Minnesota Daily article, “Ex-Olympians at home, pupils in Minnesota.” The article covers an overview of the program as well as insights from two participants, Lu Chunlong (gold medal trampolinist) and Li Ting (gold medal synchronized diver).
In the piece, Chunlong remarks, “I was nervous up until coming here, and suddenly my dream came true. I now have my opportunity, and I’m very excited.”
Geumchan Hwang, a doctoral candidate in the School of Kinesiology, was a two-time presenter at the 2014 Sport Marketing Association (SMA) annual conference, which took place October 22-24 in Philadelphia, Penn. Hwang presented work titled, “Antecedents and consequences of Formula1 spectators’ fanship: Parasocial relationships, media consumption, event satisfaction, and intention to return to the event,” and “The influence of a fan’s Public Relations Perception (PRP) on a sport celebrity’s brand image tarnished by scandals.”
Zachary Pope, doctoral student and graduate research assistant in the Physical Activity and Epidemiology Laboratory, was first author on a recently published paper in the Journal of Sport and Health Science. The study sought to review the validity and reliability evidence of eating disorder measures when used in populations of athletes. Findings revealed that many studies employ eating disorder measures which have only been proven valid and reliable in the general population. Implications of these findings and directions for future validation research with eating disorder measures in athlete populations is discussed.
Read more here: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jshs.2014.05.001
Lisa Kihl, Ph.D., associate professor in the School of Kinesiology, and adjunct instructor and former U of MN athletic director Joel Maturi were speakers at the 2014 Minnesota Positive Coaching Alliance conference with the theme, “Leading with Character: What’s Your Direction?”
The conference was directed at youth workers and administrators and aimed at self-examination of their own character and how their actions impact youth character development. Maturi gave a presentation titled “Leading Your Organization” and Kihl spoke on a panel discussion about “Cultivating Character in our ‘Pop Culture’ World.”
Dr. Jo Ann Buysse, senior lecturer in the School of Kinesiology, gave an invited presentation to kick off International Awareness Week at St. Olaf College. Her talk was titled, “Perspectives on International Sports and Issues of Diversity: The Case for Inclusion,” and examined the power and privilege of sport globally.
The University of Minnesota’s College of Education and Human Development will honor the late Jean K. Freeman, alumna of the then Department of Physical Education (now School of Kinesiology), by renaming the University Aquatic Center the Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center. The legendary Freeman, who passed away in 2010, was a student-athlete for the Gophers and then coached Minnesota’s swimming and diving program for more than 30 years.
Freeman swam for the Gophers from 1968-72 and graduated from the Department of Physical Education in 1972. She served as an assistant swim coach at Minnesota for one season, before being named the program’s head coach in 1973. Freeman held the position for 31 years before retiring as the women’s head coach in 2004.
“The Jean K. Freeman Aquatic Center will be a tribute to an outstanding alumna, coach, role model and a forever-loyal Gopher,” Minnesota Senior Associate Head Women’s and Men’s Swimming Coach Terry Ganley said.
During her three-decade tenure, Freeman produced 27 winning seasons, which included two Big Ten Championships in 1999 and 2000, and 208 dual meet victories. Freeman coached two National Champions, 175 All-Americans, 14 Big Ten Champions and more than 1,000 student-athletes.
Among her many honors and accolades, Freeman was a four-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (1984, 1986, 1996, 1999) and was inducted into the Minnesota Swim Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 1992. Freeman was also inducted into the “M” Club Hall of Fame in 2000, the University of Minnesota Aquatics Hall of Fame in 2006 and the American Swimming Coaches Association Hall of Fame in 2011.
In 1999, Freeman was the first woman to win the National Collegiate and Scholastic Swimming Trophy awarded annually by the College Swimming Coaches Association of America. She was a founder of “The Coaching Summit,” which is a leadership and mentoring group of Division I women swimming coaches.
Freeman was awarded The 1998 Presidents Club Award by University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof, in honor of her partnership in building and sustaining excellence at the University, and in 2010, President Robert Bruininks presented her the Outstanding Leadership Award for her exceptional service to the University and the significant contributions made to its people and communities.
In addition to her accomplishments at Minnesota, Freeman coached at the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1991, the U.S. Women’s Junior National Team that won the Quebec Cup in 1992 and the U.S. team that competed in South Korea for the 2004 World University Games. Outside of her professional commitments, she worked to establish the Learn to Swim Program in Minneapolis.
The Jean Freeman Endowed Scholarship was established in 1998. It is now awarded annually to a female swimmer who represents unyielding motivation and a committed spirit that is complimented with a deep-seeded dedication to personal growth: the embodiment of the scholarship’s namesake.
The University will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 3 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 6, 2014. A 3:30 p.m. reception will follow in the Commons Hotel Ballroom (615 Washington Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN).
Media who would like to attend the ceremony should RSVP to jkf-rsvp@umn.edu.
Freeman passed away on October 14, 2010, following an extended illness.
A manuscript from assistant professor Yuhei Inoue, Ph.D., and colleagues has recently been accepted for publication in Group Dynamics: Theory, Research, and Practice. This paper, “Team Identification and Postdisaster Social Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Social Support,” reports the results of surveys obtained from spectators of Japanese professional soccer games in the aftermath of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. The findings indicate that highly identified spectators tended to perceive emotional support from home teams’ disaster relief efforts, and the increased perception of emotional support, in turn, helped the spectators enhance their social well-being following the earthquake. Continue reading “Inoue accepted for publication”
Erik Van Iterson, a doctoral candidate under the mentorship of assistant professor Eric Snyder, Ph.D., has been named a finalist for the American College of Cardiology’s (ACC) Young Investigator Award Competition. The title of his presentation is “Influence of Metaboreflex Stimulation on Cardiac Power and Stroke Work during Submaximal Constant-Load Exercise in Heart Failure.”
The competition winner and second place finisher are to be announced during the March 2015 annual ACC scientific sessions in San Diego, CA.
To foster an exchange of culture, education and sport, the University of Minnesota will host 10 Chinese Olympic and world champion athletes and one Olympic-level coach as part of the CHINA CHAMPIONS program (CCP), arriving October 16.
Led by the U’s School of Kinesiology, in collaboration with Beijing Sport University and supported by the China Scholarship Council, CCP is a unique, global collaboration that provides mutual benefits for Chinese athletes and University faculty, staff, and students.
“This partnership offers the chance for visiting athletes and many at the University to engage, teach, and enhance learning from each other,” said Li Li Ji, Ph.D., director of the School of Kinesiology and founder of the CHINA CHAMPIONS program. “Our goal is to ensure all involved gain insight and appreciation for the cultures in each country and harness that knowledge to benefit our world.”
During the next year, participants will attend specially designed courses in the School of Kinesiology, including academic seminars, workshops, and English as a Learned Language classes. Beyond the classroom, athletes will visit Minnesota cultural sites, become acclimated with the Twin Cities area, as well as take tours of University and local professional sports team’s stadiums, arenas, and training facilities.
University partners with the School of Kinesiology include the University of Minnesota China Center, the Global Programs and Strategy Alliance (GPS Alliance), and the College of Education and Human Development (CEHD).
Postdoctoral associate Sarah Baker, Ph.D., is set to present at the North American Cystic Fibrosis Conference on October 9th and 10th. The title of her presentation is: “Cardiovascular effects of an inhaled B2-agonist are attenuated in cystic fibrosis patients.” Her co-authors include: Stephen R. Karpen, Courtney M. Wheatley, Wayne J. Morgan, Eric M. Snyder, director of the Clinical Exercise Physiology Laboratory.
Connie Magnuson, Ph.D., director of Recreation, Park and Leisure Studies program in the School of Kinesiology, was the keynote speaker at the Fall Women’s Physical Education Alumni Association (WPEAA). The presentation was titled, “Praise for Play”. Magnuson believes that play is a critical element for development.
Continue reading “Magnuson serves as keynote speaker for the Fall WPEAA meeting”
Dr. Zan Gao, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology and director of the Physical Activity Epidemiology Lab (PAEL), was recently published as the first author in the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. This study examined the impact of an exergaming-based program on urban children’s physical activity participation, body composition and perceptions of the program. The findings suggested that implementation of exergaming-based program could have a significantly positive effect on children’s physical activity participation and attitudes.
Click here to read more.
Donald Dengel, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology and director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology, was inducted as a Fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology at the 84th annual meeting, held September 11-13, 2014 in Austin, Texas.
The National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK) is an honorary organization composed of Fellows who have made significant contributions to the field through scholarship and professional service. Dengel joins School of Kinesiology colleagues Li Li Ji, Mary Jo Kane, Juergen Konczak, Arthur S. Leon, Tom Stoffregen, Michael G. Wade, and Maureen Weiss, who are also NAK Fellows.
Professor Michael Wade, Ph.D., and Thomas Smith, lecturer in the
School of Kinesiology, published a chapter entitled, “Variability in Human Motor and Sport Performance,” in the newly published book, Variability in Human Performance, which they also co-edited. Other co-editors include Rob Henning of the University of Connecticut and Tom Fisher, Dean of the University of Minnesota College of Design.
Alex Kasek, Masters student in Dr. Eric Snyder‘s Clinical Exercise Science Laboratory, traveled to Miami, Florida on September 18th to present at the ACSM Integrative Physiology of Exercise Conference. The title of his presentation is “Pulmonary Capacitance is Lower in Patients with Cystic Fibrosis at Rest and During Peak Exercise.”
Emma Lee, Masters student in Dr. Eric Snyder’s lab, will also be traveling to Miami, Florida on September 20th to present at the ACSM Integrative Physiology of Exercise Conference. The title of her presentation is “Body Composition Is a Poor Predictor of Relative Marathon Performance.”
Assistant professor Yuhei Inoue, Ph.D., presented a paper titled, Positive youth development through sport: Role of self-determined motivation, at the 2014 meeting of the European Association for Sport Management, held in Coventry, UK, on September 9th-12th.
Don Dengel, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology and director of the Laboratory of Integrative Human Physiology (LIHP), was interviewed on WCCO-AM concerning the recent report by the Minnesota State Health Department on the over 3,000 concussions that occurred last year in high school athletes.
Dengel is an active researcher on concussions and concussion prevention. Earlier this year, he spoke on “Emerging Diagnostic Tools and Potential Therapies Under Investigation” at the Coalition for Concussion Treatment’s Concussion Awareness Summit held at the United Nations in New York City. He also is involved with an NFL Charities grant aimed at better diagnostics and monitoring of multiple concussions.
Kelly Miller and Torey Alberda, two recent graduates of the School of Kinesiology, were featured along with five other alumni in CEHD’s Fall Issue of Connect Magazine. Miller received her B.S. in sport management , while Alberda graduated with a B.S. in kinesiology. Each story reflects on the experiences the School of Kinesiology provided them as undergraduate students and how those experiences impacted their lives.
Continue reading “Two School of Kinesiology alumni featured in CEHD magazine”
Li Li Ji, Ph.D., professor and director of the School of Kinesiology and Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene and Exercise Science (LPHES), was featured in the Fall Issue of CEHD’s Connect Magazine for his work as the lead researcher on a new study that revealed that oats may help fight inflammation in women between 50-80 years of age. This study was originally published in the Nutrition Journal.
“Just the sight of you: Postural effects of interpersonal visual contact at sea,” by Manuel Varlet, Thomas Stoffregen (director of the Affordance Perception-Action Laboratory) , Fu-Chen Chen, Cristina Alcantara, Ludovic Marin, and Benoit G. Bardy, has been accepted for publication in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception & Performance.
Chen received his Ph.D. in kinesiology from the University of Minnesota. Dr. Varlet is a post-doc at the University of Western Sydney, in Australia. Drs. Marin and Bardy are at EuroMov, the European Center for Movement Science, at the University of Montpellier-1, France. The study was conducted on board the M/V Explorer as part of the Semester at Sea program, in the waters of the southern Caribbean.
JEP:HPP is one of the pre-eminent journals in basic experimental psychology, with an impact factor of 3.105.
