Thomas Stoffregen, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology, along with doctoral candidate Yi-Chou Chen, alumni Fu-Chen Chen, Ph.D., and Taiwanese colleagues, are to publish in, Gait and Posture. Their contribution is titled, “Cognitive and postural precursors of motion sickness in adolescent boxers.”
Ph.D. students publish article in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism
Kinesiology doctoral students Patrick Wilson, Chris Lundstrom, and Greg Rhodes, along with their advisor, Stacy Ingraham, Ph.D., have published an article in the, International Journal of Sport Nutrition & Exercise Metabolism.
The article titled, “Dietary tendencies as Predictors of Marathon Time In Novice Marathoners,” was designed to examine the effects of dietary factors such as carbohydrates on performance in novice marathon runners. They found that consuming a high amount of carbohydrates 24-36 hours before running a marathon is associated with a faster marathon time.
LaVoi quoted in ESPN article
Dr. Nicole LaVoi, teaching faculty in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center, comments on the controversies surrounding Brittney Griner in the article, “What Brittney Griner says about us.”
“We disparage female athletes so we don’t have to make room for them,” notes LaVoi. “People can’t just say, ‘Wow, Brittney Griner is a great athlete.’ We need to have a caveat: ‘She plays like a guy, she looks like a guy, she must be a guy.’ These qualifiers marginalize what Brittney has done and serve to keep the current pecking order in place, whereby men’s sports are more valued, more culturally relevant — the norm.”
Griner, center for Baylor University’s women’s basketball team, has won numerous awards throughout her basketball career and continues to break collegiate records. For more on Griner and her statistics read here.
Hamilton awarded Jean Freeman Scholarship
Doctoral candidate Maya Hamilton is the recipient of the 2013-2014 Jean Freeman Scholarship from the College Swimming Coaches Association of America (CSCAA). The scholarship, named for legendary U of MN coach Jean Freeman, is given annually to a male and a female assistant coach in each NCAA division whose exceptional contributions have brought recognition to their college or university.
Hamilton received this award through her position as an assistant swim coach at St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota. Currently, she is a doctoral candidate in Kinesiology at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, examining moral identity development of college coaches. She works as a research assistant under the guidance of the associate director of the Tucker Center, Nicole LaVoi, Ph.D. As an undergraduate, Hamilton received a B.A. in History from Yale University. Additionally, she is a member of the Alliance of Women Coaches, which serves to support and increase opportunities for women coaches.
“Maya is a deserving recipient of this prestigious award in Jean’s honor,” said Dr. LaVoi. “Maya is an exemplar young coach who lives her values of integrity, honesty, and graciousness while striving to help her athletes perform to their best abilities and become good people. I am so proud that her efforts are being recognized by her peers, she is most deserving.”
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Stoffregen to participate in show at Minneapolis Institute of Arts
Thomas Stoffregen, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology, will be participating at a free exhibit at the Minneapolis Institute of the Arts (MIA) entitled, “Superimpostor.”
Minnesota artists, David Bowen and Brett Smith, create kinetic sculptures through the use of computer imaging and cinematic illusions. Stoffregen will comment on this exhibit Thursday, March 21, at 7:00 p.m.
LaVoi quoted in Northwest Herald article on gender stereotypes in sport
Dr. Nicole LaVoi, teaching faculty in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center, explains the misconceptions of Title IX and the stereotypes surrounding gender capabilities in sport.
In the article, “Invading the boys club,” a young girl describes her experience playing on a boy’s water polo team in high school. Many coaches, parents, and players are upset and worried about this decision. LaVoi argues that, “If coaches have reservations strictly based on a female player’s safety when they could easily have the same misgivings about a smaller or less-talented male player, they are guilty of feeding gender-based stereotypes that continue to permeate society.”
LaVoi also notes that Title IX strives for equality for both male and female opportunities, but because females have been extremely under-represented, protection of their opportunities is greater.
Munafo awarded 2013-14 DOVE Fellowship
Justin Munafo has been awarded a 2013-2014 Diversity of Views & Experiences (DOVE) Fellowship from the Office for Diversity in Graduate Education.
Munafo has been admitted to the Kinesiology Ph.D. program for Fall 2013. He will be studying in the Movement Science focus area, specifically perception and action, with Tom Stoffregen, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology, as his adviser. Munafo received his B.A. in Psychology from the University of Dayton, and has been doing research at the University of Cincinnati’s Perceptual-Motor Dynamics lab.
“Justin is a very promising young scholar whose background and interests are a perfect fit with what we do in the Affordance Perception-Action Laboratory,” said Dr. Stoffregen. “Justin’s outreach efforts will help to motivate young Native Americans to pursue careers in scientific research.”
Dengel and Geijer to publish article in American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
Donald Dengel, Ph.D., professor of kinesiology, and doctoral student Justin Geijer are set to publish an article in the American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. This article pertains to research on bone mineral density in adults with Down syndrome.
The article citation is as follows:
Geijer JR, Stanish H, Draheim CC, Dengel DR: “Bone mineral density in adults with Down syndrome, intellectual disability, and non-disabled adults.” American Journal on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities.
KIN undergraduate student wins PRESS research award
Kinesiology undergraduate student Ashley Watkins’ abstract, “Quality of Life in Severely Obese Pediatric Patients Seeking Medical Weight Management,” was selected as the winner of one of the U of MN’s Pediatric Departmental Undergraduate Student Research Awards for this year’s Pediatric Research, Education and Scholarship Symposium (PRESS). The Seventh Annual PRESS takes place on April 19. Ms. Watkins wrote the abstract with Dr. Aaron Kelly, an Assistant Professor in the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Minnesota.
LaVoi discusses young girls’ physical activity in The Oregonian
Dr. Nicole LaVoi, teaching faculty in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center, weighs in on how to help young girls become more active.
In the article,”Tips for helping your teenage daughter get physically active,” LaVoi states, “They say inactivity is the new smoking.” She then explains the critical role parents play in finding a stimulating activity for their daughters to be a part of. Furthermore, LaVoi urges parents to express the importance of physical activity and to allow freedom when choosing an activity to participate in.
Kihl serving as consultant to Major League Baseball
Dr. Lisa Kihl, associate professor of kinesiology, is serving as a consultant for Major League Baseball and their Reviving Baseball in Inner Cities (RBI) 2013 Institute being held March 20-24 in Orlando, Fla. The purpose of the RBI Institute is to provide RBI league administrators’ and volunteers’ professional development in the marketing, promotion, and operations of local RBI programs. Dr. Kihl’s main role was developing workshop content and assisting with the organization and administration of the Institute.
LaVoi to keynote at UMAC and MIAC seminar
Dr. Nicole LaVoi, teaching faculty in the School of Kinesiology and associate director of the Tucker Center, will serve as the keynote speaker at a professional seminar organized by the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) and Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC). The seminar will be held on Thursday, March 14 and will cover various topics including, Title IX, social media, motivational, and communication strategies for coaches. LaVoi’s talk entitled, “Psychology of Coaching: Effective Motivational Strategies and Effective Communication,” is aimed toward professional development for administrators, coaches, and student-athletes.
For more information or to RSVP, visit the UMAC’s website.
Gao publishes paper as lead author
Dr. Zan Gao, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology, recently published the article, “Video Game-Based Exercise, Latino Children’s Phsyical and Academic Achievement,” as the lead author in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.
The research was designed to examine the impact of Dance Dance Revolution [DDR]-based exercise on Latino children’s physical fitness and academic achievement. Gao and colleagues found that the DDR-based exercise intervention improved children’s cardiorespiratory endurance and math scores over time. This study was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Its national program, Salud America, serves as a research network in efforts to prevent obesity among Latino children.
Weiss and former students publish on positive youth development and The First Tee
Maureen Weiss, kinesiology professor in physical activity psychology, and former students Cheryl Stuntz (associate professor, St. Lawrence University), Jennifer Bhalla (lecturer, University of Minnesota), Nicole Bolter (assistant professor, Boise State University), and Melissa Price (women’s soccer coach, University of Nevada) published the first phase of research on positive youth development and “The First Tee” titled, “More Than a Game: Impact of The First Tee Life skills Programme on Positive Youth Development: Project Introduction and Year 1 Findings,” in Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise, and Health. The four-year longitudinal, mixed-methods study examined the effectiveness of The First Tee in promoting social and psychological competencies and core values among adolescent participants.
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Gao serves as symposium keynote speaker
Dr. Zan Gao, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology, served as the keynote speaker for a research symposium on February 22 at the 2013 American College of Preventive Medicine meeting in Phoenix, AZ.
The title of talk was, “Reducing Childhood Obesity among Latino Children.” This event was co-sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, the American College of Preventive Medicine, and the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Gao presented his research on exergaming along to an audience of primary care physicians, pediatricians, and medical school professors.
Smith serves as senior editor; publishes in WORK
Thomas Smith, Ph.D., lecturer in the School of Kinesiology, served as the senior editor for a special issue of Ergonomics in Design, devoted to the globalization of ergonomics. Smith’s contribution to the special issue was titled, “Certification of Professional Ergonomists: A Global Perspective.” This work focused on the credentials of professional ergonomics and the accreditation process for future ergonomics, written through an international lens.
Smith also published three articles in the 2012 and 2013 issues of the journal WORK, associating ergonomic environments with different individual outcomes. The pieces are as follows:
- “Integrating Community Ergonomics with Educational Ergonomics – Designing Community Systems to Support Classroom Learning”
- “A Comparative Study of Occupancy and Patient Care Quality in Four Different Types of Intensive Care Units in a Children’s Hospital”
- “Designing Learning Environments to Promote Student Learning: Ergonomics in All but Name”
Lisec published in Journal of Sports Media
John Lisec, School Kinesiology Ph.D. student, was recently published in the Journal of Sports Media. His article, “Gender Inequality in the New Millennium: An Analysis of WNBA Representations in Sport Blogs,” was co-authored by Mary G. McDonald of Miami University-Ohio.
Lisec and McDonald examined two sport news blogs, Deadspin and Women Talk Sports, to see if traditional media themes related to gender and sport were represented. Their findings suggested that dominant ideologies and representational patterns most frequently produced in traditional media accounts are often reproduced in Deadspin, while Women Talk Sports offered a unique opportunity for more critical engagement with these ideologies.
Lewis’ research featured in CEHD website and in Connect magazine
Dr. Beth Lewis, associate professor in the School of Kinesiology, is featured currently on the CEHD website.
The feature describes her research interests around postpartum women and exercise. As Lewis noticed the benefits of regular exercise in all aspects of her own life, she wanted to share this awareness with other women, especially women with newborns. Her initial research on exercise and wellness interventions ultimately led to research about exercise and postpartum depression, for which she was recently awarded a $1.46 million Research Project Grant (R01) by the National Institute of Mental Health.
View the full story here.
Stoffregen gave a talk in the CCMS colloquium series
Thomas Stoffregen, Ph.D., professor in the School of Kinesiology, gave a talk in the colloquium series of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Clinical Movement Science on February 18. Stoffregen describes research on postural control and adaptations in individuals who were at sea for the first time. The title of his talk was “Getting your sea legs.”
Gao integrates exergaming in a Minneapolis public school
Dr. Zan Gao, assistant professor in the School of Kinesiology, recently established an exergaming lab in the fitness room of Anne Sullivan Elementary School. Gao received support for exergaming (activities involving exercise-based video games) from the administrators of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis Public Schools, and the principal and teachers at Anne Sullivan Elementary School.
The exergaming lab has eight Wii exercise stations and one Xbox Kinect exercise station. In addition, exergaming activities such as Dance Dance Revolution have been incorporated into the physical education classes in the gym. According to Gao, this program has been well received by the teachers and students in the school.