Zachary Pope, Ph.D. student in the School of Kinesiology, has been awarded a 2015-2016 SHAPE America Graduate Student Research Grant. The $2500 grant will be used to conduct a 10-week study examining how the use of two free, commercially available smartphone apps (MapMyFitness app syncing to the Facebook app) may improve self-regulation of physical activity and promote weight loss in overweight or obese college students. The study will use Facebook to provide bi-weekly health tips to determine if these reminders may also result in increased physical activity and greater weight loss.

Zachary is advised by Dr. Zan Gao, assistant professor of behavioral aspects of physical activity and director of the School’s Physical Activity Epidemiology Laboratory, where Zachary is conducting the study.

The SHAPE America Graduate Student Grant Program, sponsored by the Society of Health and Physical Educators, has awarded over $600,000 in funding  since its inception in 1997. Last year, grants were awarded to just four graduate students across the county.