What is your academic and personal background?

Prior to coming to Minnesota, I served as the Assistant Sports Information Director at Washington and Lee University, which is also my undergraduate alma mater. I have a B.A. in journalism and mass communication and while at W&L, I also was a two-year letterwinner and team captain of the women's basketball team. I've also worked in sports information at University of Delaware, held an internship in sport development at USA Water Polo and received my M.S.Ed. from University of Miami (FL) in sport administration.

What are my research projects like/what are my teaching responsibilities/what is a typical day like?

I think this is a trick question! As a Research Assistant in the Tucker Center and an Instructional Technology fellow, there truly are no "typical" days. My duties in the Tucker Center include but are certainly not limited to: maintaining and updating our website, handling media requests and preparing for our biannual distinguished lecture. As an IT Fellow, I spend a lot of time responding to "consitutent" requests, anything from setting up course websites to editing video, it is never boring!

I recently presented a poster at the Sport, Sexuality and Culture Conference. I, along with Drs. LaVoi & Kane, examined online coaching biographies of NCAA Division I coaches in the Big 10 Conference. The purpose of this pilot study is to explore ways in which female coaches might be marginalized and trivialized in new media—patterns of representation well-documented in other forms of print and broadcast journalism. Also, I will be presenting research on Social Media and Sport at the European Association Sport Sociology Conference in Rome with fellow graduate assistant, Emily Houghton.

What advice do I have for incoming graduate students to the School of Kinesiology?

These two nuggets might seem counterintuitive but I think they complement each other well: "Plan ahead" and "Take it one day at a time". It's important as a graduate student to manage your time wisely and meet all your requisite deadlines, but it's also important not to get too caught up in long term and set goals that are manageable.

Background:

I received my B.S. in Physical Education-Exercise Science from Southwest Minnesota State University and completed my M.S. in Human Performance at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. I am finishing my first year in the Kinesiology Ph.D. program with an emphasis in motor learning and development.

What are my research projects like/ what are my teaching responsibilities/ what is a typical day like?

As part of my teaching assistantship, I helped the instructor design the syllabus for the course. I am also responsible for the design and instruction of the virtual dissection portion of the Human Anatomy lab course. This summer, I will be the instructor for the Human Anatomy course.

What advice do I have for incoming graduate students to the School of Kinesiology?

My advice would be to make early contact with your advisor and other professors. Be ready to jump in and get involved in research projects right away, and make sure you are prepared to be a full time student. Most of all, choose classes and research topics that you find interesting. This will make your experience much more enjoyable and worthwhile.

Emphasis:

Exercise Physiology

What are my research projects like/ what are my teaching responsibilities/ what is a typical day like?

As a first year master's student, I spend much of my time in class and working on course work. I am reading publications related to my thesis on a daily basis, along with other journal articles of interest.

I am currently working as a graduate assistant for Dr. Barr-Anderson, an exercise epidemiologist in the School of Kinesiology. I am working directly with her on a daily basis to gather information for her current and upcoming research related to obesity prevention and physical activity. As the study commences, I will be interacting with participants and helping with execution of the study and data collection.

In addition, I have helped to collect bone geometry, body composition, and oxygen uptake data for a few research projects in the physiology lab. In the near future, I will be collecting bone data for a large NIH-funded study headed by a professor in the U of M Medical School.

What advice do I have for incoming graduate students to the School of Kinesiology?

Thus far, I have enjoyed involving myself in a wide array of activities. I like that my work as a research assistant is different than my thesis work--it keeps things interesting and allows me to learn more in the field. Although focusing is important, I think becoming involved in as many areas of research as possible is beneficial, especially in the beginning of graduate education.

Background

Originally from Minnesota, I am an AASP certified Sport Psychology Consultant and a doctoral student in Sport Psychology.

What are my research projects like/what are my teaching responsibilities/what is a typical day like?

Research projects in youth sport and background anger.

I teach three courses,
Kin 3126 Sport and Exercise Psychology,
Kin 3131 History and Philosophy of Sport, and
SMGT 3621 Applied Sport Psychology.

My work day revolves around teaching, research and my consulting business.

What advice do I have for incoming graduate students to the School of Kinesiology?

Approach each day as an opportunity to gain knowledge and move one step closer to achieving your goals.