The UNCG KIN department is glad to recognize a new member of its close-knit community, Michael Hemphill, the new Assistant Professor of Kinesiology. Hemphill holds a Bachelor’s degree from Wingate University (NC) and a Ph.D. from Purdue University. Previously, he held a faculty position at the College of Charleston (SC).
Dr. Hemphill’s research focuses on teaching personal and social responsibility through sport, physical activity, and physical education with specific applications to urban communities and professional development programs for physical activity providers. He has published several research articles in refereed journals including Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, The Physical Educator, European Physical Education Review, Physical Education & Sport Pedagogy, and Sport, Education, and Society. Additionally, he has delivered research presentations to international, national, and regional conferences including the American Educational Research Association, SHAPE America, and the Association Internationale des Ecoles Superieures d’Education Physique [AIESEP; International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education]. His dissertation study was recognized with the International Young Scholar Award in 2011 from AIESEP.
This semester, Hemphill is teaching KIN 731: Curriculum Development, which is a part of the EdD in Kinesiology Online program.
Hemphill is a native of Brevard, North Carolina, and enjoys frequent visits home for hiking in the nearby Pisgah National Forest and DuPont State Forest. He is a self-described “podcast junkie” and follows a range of podcast topics focused on sports, news and politics, and storytelling.
What do you enjoy about being part of the UNCG KIN department?
The Kinesiology department has a long history of quality teaching, scholarship, and service which provides me with a foundation for professional growth in my own teaching, scholarship and service. So far, I enjoy working with my colleagues and with students in the EdD in Kinesiology Online program. This program is a new and innovative approach to doctoral education which allows me to work with outstanding students are who are also accomplished in their on going full time professional roles.
In what ways does your research have real world implications?
The research I conduct has real world implications by supporting quality instruction in youth sports programs. This can help support positive relationships among youth, develop supportive social contexts in sports settings, and empower youth leaders through continual learning.
What are some fun experiences you’ve had in your professional journey?
I was fortunate to have an internship with the Charlotte Bobcats in 2005, the first year the NBA returned to Charlotte after the Hornets left for New Orleans. I was a video coordinator in charge of coding game tape to help the scouting team prepare for opponents and prepare for the NBA Draft. The head of the scout team was former NBA player Dell Curry. Dell asked me if I would code tape of his son, Stephen Curry, who was an under-sized and hardly-recruited guard at a local high school. Stephen became a great college player at Davidson and is now a two-time NBA MVP and NBA Champion. The experience with the Bobcats influenced my interest in systematic observation research which I later used in my dissertation.