Kinesiology

Trivia Night brings Ed.D. Students and Alumni together for some Virtual Fun

Posted on September 28, 2020

Ed.D. cohort zoom meeting

A few weeks ago we kicked off our first monthly Ed.D. in KIN virtual social event for the 2020-2021 academic year.  As we all know, it is hard to stay connected with others in the current climate. We wanted to offer something lighthearted and fun for students and alumni to take a break and connect. This first event was “Ed.D. Trivia Night,” which was organized and hosted by Jené Baclawski, a member of the 2018 cohort. After introductions and some time to “mingle,”  students were randomly assigned to three teams to play four rounds of trivia: popular culture, adventures around the world, the kitchen sink, and UNCG Ed.D. in KIN facts. After each round students were sent to their breakout rooms to discuss their ideas and submit their team answers using Google forms.

Jené Baclawski

There was lots of laughter as Jené offered entertaining commentary as the MC. It was a great time for students to connect with one another, especially students from other cohorts and alumni. Some of the players had their children and pets in the background which helped the event feel more casual and open. Overall the event was a hit!

A student reflected that “the opportunity to chat with new people who have gone through or are going through a similar experience” was great.We appreciate Jené organizing and leading the social event. Attendees offered a few shoutouts to Jené for her effort and creativity: “Excellent work, Jené! Your thoughtful and playful attitude during the event made it really fun.” 

Thanks for all your efforts in putting together this event Jené! Ed.D. students and alumni should keep an eye out for the October event coming soon – the Ed.D. graduate assistants will be planning and hosting this event.

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Kinesiology

Mindy Smith, Ed.D. in KIN Graduate, Publishes Dissertation

Posted on October 08, 2020

Mindy Smith

Dr. Mindy Smith, a 2019 Ed.D. in KIN graduate, recently published her dissertation. Mindy is currently an Assistant Professor in Applied Health Science and Director of Student Wellness at Messiah College. Mindy, along with her faculty mentors Dr. Diane Gill and Dr. Erin Reifsteck, published in the Journal – Case Studies in Applied Sport and Exercise Psychology. The paper is titled, “An Intervention to Support Collegiate Student-Athletes in the Transition to Meaningful Lifetime Physical Activity.” Here is the link to the article on Human Kinetics. 

Congrats Mindy! We love to see our Ed.D. in KIN graduates continuing their work after graduating with their degree.

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Kinesiology

Catching up with 2018 Ed.D. in KIN alumni Eric Cash

Posted on October 22, 2020

Eric Cash

2018 Ed.D. in KIN alum, Eric Cash, is currently the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach at Dorman High School in Roebuck, South Carolina. He is also an adjunct professor at Liberty University in the Exercise Science Department, the President of the South Carolina Strength Coaches Association, and the State Director of South Carolina for the National High School Strength and Conditioning Association (NHSSCA). 

Eric Cash has been busy since graduating with his Ed.D. from UNC Greensboro. He was recently featured on the Strength Talk & Shop Podcast. The podcast includes discussion on Strength & Conditioning and the life of being a coach. The speakers dive into many topics not just only on Strength but of life itself. Guests include some of the top names in coaching and people who compete in lifting. For more information or to listen to the podcast go here. Additionally, he recently helped to write a chapter for the NHSSCA Certification Manual and was named the NHSSCA 2020 National High School Strength Coach of the Year. 

Keep up the good work Eric!

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Kinesiology

Ed.D. Students enjoyed being together at Game Night – a virtual social event

Posted on October 26, 2020

Ed.D. zoom meeting playing pictionary

On October 16th, the second Ed.D. virtual social event brought students together for “Game Night,” which included several rounds of Pictionary. This event was hosted by the program’s graduate assistants to provide entertaining opportunities for the Ed.D. students and alumni to get connected and have fun with their colleagues during these challenging and difficult times. The Kinesiology Ed.D. program began these virtual socials last month with Trivia night, and will continue virtual social opportunities on a monthly basis for the rest of the academic year. 

Game Night was a success – there were many laughs and enjoyable conversations during the event. One of the students shared how she was so stressed and  was thankful she attended because it really helped her relax – “It was just what I needed after a long week. Another student commented, “I will definitely invite other friends for the next social.” One of the most enjoyable moments during the meeting was when some of the students’ children participated with their parents in the games, especially since they were the ones who could really figure out the Pictionary drawings. It was a great experience for attendees to meet a mix of students and alumni and share happiness with colleagues. Future socials will be hosted -including other game nights, yoga, and more.

Thanks for everyone’s participation and engagement in this event. We are looking forward to meeting with you again in the upcoming social events. 

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Kinesiology

Catching up with 2019 Ed.D. in KIN Alumni Kimberly Clark

Posted on October 10, 2020

Kimberly Clark

Dr. Kimberly Clark is currently a Clinical Associate Professor, Master’s in Respiratory Care Program Director, and Department of Kinesiology Assistant Chair at UNC Charlotte. 

Since earning her doctorate degree from UNCG she has been more actively involved in professional service and research activities. Kim is co-chairing two committees as a member of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) House of Delegates and working on a new project for the AARC Education Section Membership to develop a mentor/mentee program to help respiratory therapy faculty and aspiring faculty to achieve their professional goals. She is also working on developing two new graduate level respiratory therapy programs that are early in the development stages and was a co-author on 3 peer-reviewed publications in 2020. 

Kimberly shared, “The Ed.D. program was very helpful in modeling a good online program. I use many of the practices that were incorporated into the Ed.D. program in the courses that I currently teach online. The most important aspect about the Ed.D. program for me was that it gave me a doctorate related to my professional field.”

Keep up the good work Kim!

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Kinesiology

Ed.D. in KIN Candidates Lauren Griffin and Kristi Johnson Defend Their Dissertations

Posted on November 04, 2020

The Ed.D. in KIN program is excited to welcome two new doctors to the ranks. Dr. Lauren Griffin and Dr. Kristi V. Johnson successfully defended their dissertations in October. The defenses were virtual, meaning that Lauren and Kristi were able to share their research with not only their committee’s, but also their peers, friends, and families. Their work will have a great impact on their individual settings. 

Dr. Lauren Griffin defended her dissertation titled, “Minorities in Kinesiology: Challenges Encountered in the Pursuit of an Athletic Training Degree and Beyond.” This study, along with other related research, highlights the challenges that plague minority enrollment and retention into the athletic training profession.

Dr. Kristi V. Johnson defended her dissertation titled, “A Framework for Developing Effective and Sustainable Asset-Based Community-Campus Partnerships in Dance.” Her findings highlighted the importance of considering faculty/community pairings and transactional partnerships as valid entry points to more complex organizational integration and mutually transformative relationships.

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Kinesiology

Ed.D. in KIN Participates in the Association for Applied Sport Psychology Virtual Conference

Posted on November 10, 2020

Recently, Ed.D. in KIN faculty and students participated in the Association for Applied Sport Psychology’s (AASP) Virtual Conference. The annual conference was held virtually October 21st-24th, 2020 and featured a variety of speakers including Brandon Marshall – former NFL all-Pro and Kara Goucher – Olympic Marathoner and World Champion Medalist. Several of our Ed.D. students were able to present their work and research. 

Theodore Monnich, a fourth year student, presented a poster titled – “Mental Skills Needs Assessment of Ice Hockey Goalies.” This research focuses on the mental challenges and strategies most necessary for applied sport psychology consultants to consider when working with ice hockey goalies. 

Amanda Aguilar, a fourth year student, presented a poster titled – “The Effects of Sports Specialization on the Family Unit.” This research explores how an athlete’s participation in sports specialization affects the family unit, focusing on the temporal, social, relational, and economic aspects of family life. 

Lindsey Hamilton, a second year student, was a presenter on 3 panels, 2 symposiums, and 1 workshop. The presentations spanned a range of topics including measuring effectiveness of applied mental skills work, on-field ACT-based mental skills interventions, considerations for working with high school-aged athletes, and how mental performance consultants can navigate the mental health referral process. 

Dr. Pam Brown, Dr. Diane Gill, Amanda, and Ted were all in attendance for the virtual graduate career fair where they were able to meet and mingle with prospective Ed.D. in KIN students. 
Great work Ted, Amanda, and Lindsey! For more information on AASP’s virtual conference go here.

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Kinesiology

Catching up with Ed.D. in KIN Alumni Jennifer Schachner

Posted on November 16, 2020

Jennifer Schachner

Dr. Jenn Schachner is currently the Program and Operations Director at the  Timpany Center, a non-profit educational and therapeutic center that serves community members through a partnership between San José State University Research Foundation (SJSURF) and Santa Clara County. She also teaches beginning and intermediate Taekwondo for the Kinesiology Department at San Jose State University. 

Jenn graduated in 2018 with her EdD in KIN. Her dissertation was titled, “The Effects of Modified Martial Arts on Older Adults.” Since finishing her dissertation, her work has gone international. Jenn has been collaborating and consulting with adapted martial arts programs – some these collaborations even started because people have found her dissertation work online. So far, she has had people contact her from Italy, Germany, and Israel to collaborate. Jenn is also proud of being able to transition many of her wellness programs and internship programs to online versions during COVID. Now post COVID (whenever that may be), her members want the online classes to continue as part of their services.

Jenn shared, “The degree alone allowed me to research my passion and then put it out into the world. At SJSU we have modified fitness and wellness programs for older adults in Kinesiology and we have a martial arts curriculum, but not many people are putting these two areas together. I want to pave a way for our older adults to benefit from the training in a safe, fun and enriching manner as well as show people that the arts are a lifelong activity. Without this EdD program, I don’t think I would have realized my own potential in making fundamental changes. One of the things I am appreciating now is that this program taught me how to be productive online and use all the tools needed to be successful when working during COVID. I have watched colleagues struggle to use google docs, Canvas, etc. but when SJSU and even my fitness programs at the Center went online, I was confident and efficient.”

We’re excited to see your continued work in the martial arts setting Jenn!

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Kinesiology

Dr. Jacob Surratt, Ed.D. in KIN Alumni, Named VP of Student Academic Success

Posted on November 20, 2020

Jacob Surrat

Dr. Jacob Surratt was recently named the incoming Vice President of Student Academic Success at Forsyth Tech Community College (FTCC) in Winston Salem, North Carolina. Jacob was chosen from over 60 applicants for this position. In his new role  he will support and increase student success and FTCC. He hopes to build stronger partnerships with UNCG through this position. See a story from FTCC on the appointment here. 

Jacob shared, “The Ed.D. program prepared me to balance multiple projects, write grants, and build connections with knowledge and people to succeed.”

Jacob begins his new role on December 2nd, 2020. Best of luck from your Ed.D. in KIN family!

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Kinesiology

Catching up with 2019 Ed.D. in KIN Alumni Callie Phillips

Posted on December 03, 2020

Dr. Callie Phillips is currently the Head Volleyball Coach and an Adjunct Professor at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte, North Carolina. 

Since earning her doctorate degree Callie has been busy – coaching and teaching! She is managing a nationally-ranked, championship contending volleyball program and teaching a course on coaching and athletic administration at Johnson & Wales University. The university is adding a master’s program in sport management in 2021, and Callie hopes to teach a course for it as well. Additionally, as Johnson & Wales plans to expand some undergraduate programs, Callie is looking to propose a Kinesiology degree or courses in the subject area. Recently she was asked to sit on a virtual panel on Women’s Leadership in Sport for the USCAA, and her team played in its second national title game this past season. The team claimed the USCAA Division II National Title in 2018 and were the runners-up in 2019.  Callie has coached 13 All-Americans and 25 Academic All-Americans in her 11-year tenure at Johnson & Wales University. The team will return to the court in Spring 2021 after its fall season was postponed.

Callie shared with us, “I am so grateful for my time at UNCG. The Ed.D. program really helped me understand academics and expectations in higher education. My background was in secondary education, so I had to learn the differences between the two and how things work at this level. It also gave me the ability to pursue more expertise in my area of coaching so that I can be a better professor and coach.” 

Keep up the good work Callie!

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