Kinesiology's Blazo Blazing Trails Internationally

Dr. Jordan Blazo, pictured with his furry friends, in the Department of Kinesiology recently presented at the annual meeting of the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) in Montreal, Quebec. Dr. Blazo presented two projects focused on understanding sibling relationships in sport and how they may change as children approach and go through adolescence. The first project presented data regarding the adaptive function of making sport-based comparisons with an older sibling for developing perceptions of competence in youth sport. This project also highlighted the importance of the relationship quality of sibling interactions (i.e., warm and compassionate, or hostile and conflictual). Specifically, siblings that reported making more comparisons, perceiving more warmth, and higher levels of conflict, related to higher perceptions of sport competence. 

Dr. Blazo's second presentation shared information from a recent study regarding sibling relationship qualities, role modeling, and engaging in shared activities. The findings again suggested the importance of sibling relationship qualities.Sibling warmth was positively associated with using an older sibling as a role model, and leading to more shared activities in sport. Sibling conflict was negatively related to these same outcomes. Across both projects, specific attention was paid to the age of the participants (8-13 years old), as prior research in physical activity, and family studies areas has suggested that the importance of family relationships begins to wane compared to the broader peer group. In both studies, the influence of age was not supported, suggesting that having a sport involved older sibling may continue to hold value for youth sport experiences in the presence of other relationships. 

 

Thanks to Dr. Blazo for this amazing work and great story to share with our COE family! We are fortunate to have you with us, Dr. Blazo. Congratulations on your International Success!

Kinesiology helps make Field Days Fun in Lincoln Parish Schools!

Attached are pictures from the LPECC Field Day held on Friday, April 29 for which 31 students from KINE 113 under the direction of Dr. Tammy Schilling and KINE 414 , under the direction of Ms. Lacey Deal, ran stations. There were approximately 230 preschoolers that participated and enjoyed the educational stations on Friday.

 

The Ruston Elementary Field Day will be held on the campus of Louisiana Tech on Friday, May 6. The Tech Leadership Council will host carnival-like stations in Lambright while students from KINE 113 under the direction of Dr. Tammy Schilling, KINE 256 under the direction of Dr. Jean Chen, and KINE 414 under the direction of Ms. Lacey Deal, will run Teambuilding and Olympic-themed stations on the rugby and football practice fields, respectively. Thanks to Dr. Tammy Schilling of Kinesiology for organizing the event and sharing this exciting story with our COE!

New Adventures with the New Frontiers Series!

On Monday, April 4, 2016, Dr. Joseph Bass of Northwestern University, delivered a community lecture at 5:30 in the COE's Memorial Gymnasium. The event was funded by the Lincoln Health Foundation.  Kinesiology, SciTEC, the Department of Nursing, the Department of Human Ecology, LSUAg Center, Gibson's Natural Grocer, the Boys and Girls Club, the Lincoln Health Foundation, as well as COE, CANS, and COES  collaborated to host this extension event of the already wildly successful New Frontiers Seminars hosted by Drs. Jamie Newman and Mary Colderera-Moore.

Before the lecture, The Boys and Girls Club enjoyed interactive activities, lessons, door prizes, and refreshments all led by team members Dr. Tammy Schilling, Dr. Jean Chen, Ms. Dewanna Blake, Ms. Patti McFadden, Dr. Braden Roemer, Ms. Dawn Erickson, Ms. Cathy Judd, Ms. Lindsey Keith-Vincent, and their excellent students and colleagues. About 100 students from the Boys and Girls Club from grades 1-12 took part in making this community extension of the New Frontiers Series a great success.

There was standing room only for Dr. Joseph Bass's presentation that followed the activities with the Boys and Girls Club.  We wish to extend great thanks to Gibson's Natural Grocer and Ruston's Farmer's Market for the awesome smoothie supplies and door prizes. Journalist, Derek Amaya, from the Ruston Daily Leader, also joined in the festivities to capture the great event!

Health Fair hosted at Ruston Elementary School by Faculty and Students from Kinesiology

On Friday, February 5, students and faculty from Louisiana Tech University hosted a health fair that promoted health and wellness at a local elementary school, Ruston Elementary. This is the second time this year, the University group has served the local school.  Students from KINE 255 and 402 and from Nursing 212 were assigned to different stations.  In addition, the Student Dietetics and Kinesiology students talked with the elementary students about the importance of health and wellness, and they physical demonstrated each of the exercises for the elementary-age children. In addition, the Louisiana Tech students encouraged them to participate in such physical activities in their spare time, especially after school and on the weekends. Three rotations were created for 344 third-fifth graders to rotate through. During the interdisciplinary service effort, there were 14 nursing, 1 dietetics, and 1 child life booths at the exhibition area, representing both the College of Applied and Natural Sciences (CANS) and the College of Education (COE). Four health-related fitness workout stations were implemented by the kinesiology students and faculty. The Ruston Fire Department also brought one of their fire trucks to provide fire safety education.

The four workout stations included:

o   line jumps, clap jacks, mountain climbers and standing elbow-and-knees for the cardiovascular endurance component;

o   partner claps, leg shuffle, inchworms and burpees for the muscular strength/endurance component

o   hip flexor, seated hamstring strength/spinal twist, abdominal stretch and stranding quad stretch/toe touch kicks for the flexibility component; and

o   BMI calculation and identification. 

The event would not have been possible without the leadership of Dr. Jean Chen, faculty from the Louisiana Tech Nursing Department, Mrs. Sarah McVay and Mrs Tanya Sims, and most importantly without the support of the teachers, administrators, and students at Ruston Elementary school! Below are just a few quotes from some of the participants and leaders. Thanks, also, to Dr. Chen for submission of this great story!

o   “I think it is important to encourage our youth to stay active and healthy. In our country, childhood obesity is a problem. By teaching our young people how to exercise, hopefully we can help fight childhood obesity.” – Matt Gunsallus, Kinesiology major

o   “I had a great time at the health fair. I really enjoyed being around the kids all day. It was great to see the kids so excited to exercise. That is the reason I am in this field of study. I want kids to be able to learn how to lead a healthy life.” – Dustin Horton, Kinesiology major

o   “It was great to see the kids’ engagement in all of the activities! As a student myself, I can relate to their excitement to being out of the classroom. The kids definitely kept us on our toes and we almost had to keep up with them!” – Sara Jones, Kinesiology major

o   “I felt great and energized teaching those little kids. They made me so happy and welcomed. They helped me improve my communication skills too. I hope to go back on day!” – Emily Rodrigues, Kinesiology major

o   “The health fair was a great opportunity to show my students how to deliver health content using physical activities. I had been “preaching” in class and we, as a class, had practice sessions on the stations/exercises, but nothing is more powerful than a reality shock. It was quite interesting to see how our students reacted to the “organized chaos” when at one point for the entire hour there were 106 children in the gym!” – Dr. Chen

o   “The Health Fair is a great way to introduce our children to the different types of health care.  The children in my classes enjoyed every aspect of the fair - from learning how to brush their teeth to crawling through a simulated fire tunnel, to learning how different exercises make one stronger - to name a few.  Not only are the students at RES learning how important it is to take care of their bodies, they are being taught by an excellent group of role models from Louisiana Tech.  It is always exciting to be able to bring these two schools together” – Patti Scheaffer, third grade teacher at RES

Strong Evidence of COE and Lincoln Parish Schools Partnerships this Week

Only one day into a four day work week and only two weeks into 2016, our College of Education faculty at Louisiana Tech University are partnering with almost every elementary school in Lincoln Parish ! On Tuesday, January 19 the Department of Kinesiology, the Department of Curriculum, Instruction, and Leadership, and the new UTeachTech Program served more than 50 teachers and 60 University students through four separate professional development training sessions for staff and a STEM Day where UTeachTech candidates taught 30 fourth graders Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math for 8 hours! Literacy-focused professional development sessions were held at Glenview Elementary, Cypress Springs, and Dubach. Professional development sessions for physical education educators was held at Memorial Gym. UTeachTech STEM Day was held at AE Phillips Laboratory School. Faculty and staff involved in the events included Dr. Tammy Schilling, Dr. Jordan Blazo, Dr. Jean Chen, Dr. David Szymanski, Mr. Chris Campbell, Dr. Bill Deese, Mrs. Diane Madden, Mrs. Erika Jones, Mr. Glenn Larson, Dr. Kim Kimbell-Lopez, Dr. Carrice Cummins, Dr. Libby Manning, Dr. Jordan Glenn, Dr. Braden Romer, Dean Don Schillinger and Mrs. Lindsey Keith-Vincent. We also want to send a special thanks to Mrs. Cathi Cox-Boniol for her support of the UTT iniative through purchasing lunch through Project ACHIEVE, Joanne Hood at AE Phillips for the STEM day space and SciTEC in the COE for materials and support! Pictured are students from the Kinesiology training and the UTeachTech STEM Day.

COE Faculty Submit Research Proposal Requests Totaling More than 3 Million Dollars!

The College of Education has a history of submitting and being awarded millions of dollars in grant funding from a variety of sources to pursue unique research opportunities ranging from studies in biomechanics, curriculum development, informal learning, literacy, health, STEM, psychology, to studies of students with visual impairments and more. This past quarter has been particularly successful for our College of Education as a significant amount of funding has been awarded to COE faculty on a variety of proposals. Fourteen COE faculty were awarded or proposed research funding as leads or in collaboration with campus colleagues between July 2015 and December 2015 according to the OUR Breeze, a publication of Louisiana Tech University ( http://research.latech.edu/files/documents/winter_2015-16_breeze_newsletter.pdf) .
Some of the active COE researchers and PIs noted in the most recent Breeze included the following: Dr. Eddie Bell, Dr. Bryan McCoy, Dr. Braden Romer, Mrs. Lindsey Keith-Vincent, Dr. Carolyn Talton, Dr. Frank Igou, Dr. Mitzi Apter-Desselles, Dr. Steven Toaddy, Dr. Jordan Glenn, Dr. David Szymanski, Dr. Tammy Schilling, Dr. Kimberly Kimbell - Lopez, Dr. Carrice Cummins, and Dr. Libby Manning.  The total amount of new grants awarded with COE involvement was just at $600,000.00 from July 2015- December 2015. The total amount of new funds requested or proposed by a COE principal investigator or collaborator during the same period totals just at  3,100,000.00. The 3.1 million total requested included a 1.25 million dollar proposal by Dr. Eddie Bell for scholarships for teachers of students who are blind. Plus, additional grant funds were provided to COE collaborators for existing awards from July 2015- December 2015 that totaled almost $200,000.00! Great work, and thanks for all you do. We are looking forward to hearing about the pending proposals and to see what other great ideas and explorations/experiments you devise!

Kinesiology Professor Partners with Local School for Body Walk Event

Dr. Tammy Schilling, Melvin McCann Endowed Associate Professor in Education in the COE's Department of Kinesiology,  and undergraduate Kinesiology students will bring information about nutrition, biology, and healthy living to more than 550 3rd through 5th grade students in Lincoln Parish. More than 50 of the Louisiana Tech COE Kinesiology students from four classes will be running 11 stations from 8 am to 2pm on January 14. Cypress Springs teachers and students will participate not only in the activities on the 14th, but also have opportunities to use complimentary resources and activities before and after the special event. Students will also leave with a free activity book to share with their parents, explaining many of the concepts learned during the exciting event. As noted by Dr. Schilling, " There's no better way to start off a new year than with a collaborative project focused on health and nutrition that highlights the strong partnerships involving Louisiana Tech, Lincoln Parish, and community organizations!" Coach Jay Seal at Cypress Springs Elementary and partners at the LSU Ag Center have been instrumental in making this educational experience a reality. It will no doubt be an engaging, exciting, and informative experience. To learn more about The Body Walk, you can check out the following link: http://smartbodies.org/smart-bodies/louisiana-bodywalk .

COE Scholarship Deadline Extended

Don't forget that the COE deadline for scholarship application submission has been extended this year from December 31 to January 15 at 5 pm central.  We are very fortunate in our College of Education to have a large group of donors and supporters that want to help our students be successful! You have approximately one week left to complete and submit your applications. If you have questions, please don't hesitate to ask. Below are just a few of the many scholarships and endowments from our generous donors and friends in the COE that make these opportunities possible. A link to the webpage outlining the requirements for each scholarships follows: http://education.latech.edu/students/scholarships/list.php . Best of luck on your submissions!


Alex Laney Endowment
Ann Marilyn Melton Memorial Endowed Scholarship
Bessie Purdy Scholarship
Betty Edwards Owens Endowed Scholarship
Causey-Tanner Scholarship
Erma Flesher Memorial Scholarship
Elizabeth Morris Odom Endowed Scholarship
Emmons, Morelle and Trissielee Endowed Scholarship
Estelle Harris Memorial Scholarship
Evelyn Swihart Endowed Scholarship
F. Elizabeth Bethea Endowment
George Madden Lomax Scholarship
Gertie M. H.  & Eldrice H. Green Scholarship
Enid Gladden Butler Graduate Scholarship
James and Janis Pierce Endowed Scholarship
John Cawthon Scholarship
Knotts Memorial Scholarship
Lanette Southall Fisher Memorial Scholarship
Lu Iman Allen and Ann McCraw Stokes Scholarship in Education
Lucille Pierce Folk Endowed Scholarship
Mary Ann Smalling Scholarship (Kalil Scholarship)
Mary Ross Higginbotham Scholarship
Mary Wilson Scholarship
Miriam Davis Hogan Endowment
Pipes Memorial Scholarship
Ruston Sunrise Kiwanis Scholarship
Thomas Gaston and Hessie Gaston Watson Endowed Scholarship
Wilbur Bergeron Memorial Scholarship

 

PEK Welcomes New Kinesiology Leaders

 On Thursday, Dec 10th 6:00 pm a new member initiation ceremony was held for Phi Epsilon Kappa Honor Fraternity in Kinesiology in the College of Education. There were 17 inductees that joined. The La Tech Chapter is Eta Eta, established in 2012.  The ceremony was conducted by President Erin Nevala, Secretary Stephanie Smart, and Vice President Lainie LeGrande.   Many faculty, friends, and family of new members joined the new PEK students, as well as members of the ESPE organization. For more information about  PEK, check out the link orgsync.com/PhiEpsilonKappa . Mrs. Smiley Reeves, one of the PEK advisors, submitted this exciting story and provided a personal message of congratulations. She stated, "We are proud of students who qualify for the honor fraternity. They have achieved a GPA of 3.0 or better and have demonstrated excellence. Congratulations! "

Thankful for a Great Fall Quarter and a Record-Breaking Number of Students

Our COE is grateful for a wonderful fall quarter and a record-breaking enrollment for Louisiana Tech University for 2015! We are thankful that the COE was able to contribute significantly to both the graduate and undergraduate enrollment of Louisiana Tech University which totaled 12414 students. Our three departments, Kinesiology, Psychology, and CIL  had a total of  1345 undergraduate students enrolled for the fall, according to data from Mrs. Lori Theis. Of the 1345, more than 450 enrolled from our rapidly growing Department of Kinesiology alone. The total number of graduate students for the entire University totaled 1718. Of the 1718 students, 935 graduate students were enrolled in our College of Education. That is over 1/2 of the total university graduate enrollment for fall 2015!

Our graduate numbers for new students also soared with 513 new graduate students students being officially admitted and enrolled for the 2015 fall quarter by the ninth class day.  In fact, of the 695 total new graduate student enrollment for the University, according to data from the LATECH Graduate School, 74% were enrolled through the COE. Of the 513 new students admitted and enrolled in the college, 387 students were enrolled through the Office of Professional Education Outreach (OPEO) in the Science and Technology Education Center (SciTEC) .  The LLLE and LLL COE combined enrollment total for new and returning students for the University for the quarter equaled 446, just over 1/4 of total University graduate enrollment.
New collaborative extension efforts were critical to the success of our College of Education this  quarter and included projects in Caldwell, Morehouse, Livingston, Caddo, Ouachita and Bossier parishes, to name a few. Even teachers in Michigan engaged in the online opportunities through coursework on the MOODLE platform. Doctoral cohorts were also established  through the TLLI program, processed through the OPEO unit, and lead by the Department of Curriculum Instruction and Leadership. Leaders in the extension efforts for the 2015 included  Mr. Jody Purvis, Drs. Randy Parker, Mr. Randy Moore, Dr. David Gullatt, and Dr. Carolyn Talton, with each enrolling between 30-80 students each for the custom coursework. Interdisciplinary partnerships with faculty and staff in biomedical engineering as well as local and national agencies including the Department of Natural Resources also contributed to the figures and served as foundational partnerships for new large-scale efforts planned for the academic year.

The continued success of the COE is also a direct result of the outstanding caliber of students we have and currently served. Psychology boasts the highest number of graduate teaching students who continually deliver high quality instruction and research to supplement the efforts of the outstanding faculty. The competitive positions are sought nationally.  Innovative programs such as, orientation and mobility through PDRIB, and custom professional development courses through AE Phillips, one of the highest ranked K-8 schools in the state of Louisiana, also are integral factors in annual enrollment success. While all faculty, staff, students, administrators, and alums in our College of Education are responsible for the high quality programing, strong reputation, and numerous successes in our division; we wanted to highlight a few of the key contributors that lead the way in terms of program development, enrollment, and outreach for the 2015 quarter. During this season of thanks, we plan to share a few of their stories and successes! Thanks to you for your contribution to the success of the College of Education. We wish you and your loved ones a very Happy Thanksgiving!

COE Kinesiology Student Named 2015 Outstanding Young Professional of the Year!

Our COE Department of Kinesiology was well represented in early November at the Louisiana Association of Heath, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance! Ms. Kimberly Paker, Ms. Smiley Reeves, Dr. Lanie Dornier, Dr. Tammy Schilling, Dr. Jean Chen and Ms. Victoria Arnold attended the event and celebrated Ms. Parker's being named as the Louisiana Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance Outstanding Young Professional of the Year for 2015, a prestigious statewide honor!

Bulldogs from Birth: Five Generations of the Brooks-Crowder-Frizzell Louisiana Tech University Students

A recent story written by Amanda Cauley is titled, Born to be a Bulldog.
Ms. Kellie Frizzell certainly was born to be a Bulldog as a fifth generation Louisiana Tech University graduate and a recent enrollee in the Masters of Arts in Teaching program in the College of Education! Ms. Frizzell and her sister Lauren Frizzell graduated in 2010 and 2011 respectively.  Lauren finished her Associate's of Nursing Degree, and Kellie received a Bachelor's Degree in General Studies with a Minor in Family and Child Studies from the College of Applied and Natural Sciences.

Their mother, Rita Frizzell and Aunt Debra Green were are COE graduates, both serving as teachers in Louisiana. Their father, Larry Frizzell,received a Bachelors and  Masters degree in Geosciences from Louisiana Tech. Their grandparents, James and Rita Crowder, and Kellie's great aunt, Harriet Crowder, graduated in the 1950's. The girls' grandmother graduated in Physical Education, their grandfather in Liberal Arts, and their Great Aunt in Music.

Ms. Frizzell's great grandmother, Frances Brooks, was also a Louisiana Tech Graduate finishing in Music in 1924.She was preceded by Ms. Frizzell's great, great grandparents, James Brooks, a graduate in Electrical Engineering and Hattie Bell, a graduate of Home Economics. We in the College of Education are very proud to welcome Ms. Frizzell back to work on her Masters degree and to continue the Louisiana Tech legacy that her family began over 100 years ago. We are grateful that her family is part of our College of Education and Louisiana Tech University family! 

Kinesiology and Agricultural Sciences Students Demonstrate Quality Collaborative Skills to Beautify Tech Campus

On Friday, October 2, 2015 the Department of Kinesiology hosted a Plant & Trim Memorial Gym workday. Kinesiology volunteers partnered with La Tech Green house staff and Greenscape students to plant a beautiful new plant/flower bed in front of the Scotty Robertson Memorial Gym building. Kinesiology sponsors two student organizations, ESPE - Exercise Sciences and Physical Education, and, PEK - the Phi Epsilon Kappa Honor Fraternity Eta Eta. Members of these two student organizations partnered for this event with the Agricultural Sciences student organization, Greenscape, Plants were provided by Jacob Reichley and his Greenhouse staff  located on the south campus. This collaborative effort made for a fun filled day and provided a much needed "haircut" to the overgrown shrubs around the building. Dean Schillinger (College of Education) noted, "the interdisciplinary nature of this unique collaboration has led to the beautification of our campus and a new partnership that may lead to other worthwhile initiatives. It brings me great joy to see students and faculty working together, engaged in transformative and exciting activities that enhance the culture and environment of our University." The new bed will be maintained by the student organizations. We hope this effort will serve as another reminder of the collaborative nature and Tech Spirit students continue to exemplify through volunteerism. All the co-laborers enjoyed music, pizza, and a great time. Many students walking through the area on their way to classes stopped to say "Thank you" to the volunteers. This project is one more reason we areproud of our students and our campus! go Bulldogs!

This story was submitted by Ms. Smiley Reeves of the Department of Kinesiology. Pictured above are a few of the amazing students, faculty, and administrators who helped with project.

Kinesiology's Dr. David Szymanski Serves Little League Players and Leads the Boys to a World Series Title!

A team of 11 and 12 year old boys who played in the regular spring season of Dixie O Zone Baseball were selected as All Stars for the 2015 season and competed in some pretty exciting  post-season play. On Sunday, July 26, the team beat McComb, MS  with a 4 to 2 score and won the World Series Championship title! As one player's mom, Jessica Szymanski wrote, " There were so many exciting things that happened during that game...lots of hustling in the outfield, double plays in the infield, diving catches in the infield, great fielding by our, clutch hitting in the 4th and 5th innings and great pitching!! Our coaches and players deserved every bit of that excitement!! Of course, we parents loved every minute of it as well!! The team ran on the field and made a dog pile close to the mound! It was pure excitement!!!" 

The games were hosted in Hattiesburg, MS. Team members and coaches are listed below:

Ruston World Series Champions include Brandon Carter, Jordan Gilmore, Will Harris, Josh Miller, Dyllon Nimmers, Jacob Palacios, Dmitry Payne, Caleb Phillips, Kyle Russell, Dawson Szymanski, Landry Tucker and Lucas Wick. Coaches included the COE's own, Dr. David Szymanski,Gregg Phillips, Jamie Tucker,  and Jason Carter who are picturedwith the Championship trophy.

Congratulations, boys, on representing Ruston well! 

Tech Admissions Recruiters Visit Memorial Gym and the Department of Kinesiology

This week, the Louisiana Tech University Admissions Staff had an opportunity to visit our College of Education and tour our amazing facilities, centers, and classrooms.  Dr. Lanie Dornier, Department Head of Kinesiology took the students on a private tour of Memorial Gym and provided each visitor with a list of potential careers that incoming freshman could explore should they opt to make Kinesiology their focus of study. In addition, our VIP guests explored the new state-of-the-art Sports Motion and Science Laboratory under the direction of Drs. Braden Roemer and David Szymanski and discussed the new student collaborative space being established in the former Memorial Gym lobby. Great things are happening in the COE! It is our hope that the activity will be a magnet for amazing new College of Education students and graduates !

Our College of Education Represented Well at the Lincoln Parish Schools Community Volunteers Appreciation Luncheon

Volunteer of the Year Nominee, Dr. Amy Massey Vessel

On Tuesday, May 5, 2015, a number of Louisiana Tech University faculty and staff as well as community and corporate leaders were on hand to celebrate volunteerism and support of Lincoln Parish Schools. The event, hosted by Lincoln Parish ACHIEVE, included presentations from Ms. Cathi Cox-Boniol, Ms. Lisa Bastion, Superintendent Danny Bell, Mr. Jeremy Jones and Mr. David Darland. Recognized were faculty and staff from the Department of Kinesiology including Drs. Tammy Schilling, Jean Chen, and Lanie Dornier, for their work with students in elementary and early grades. In addition, Dr. Amy Massey Vessel, of the Department of Curriculum,  Instruction, and Leadership, was selected as a finalist for the Volunteer of the Year Award. In addition to the outstanding Louisiana Tech University representation, also celebrated were the efforts of many others including Ruston Rotary, Ruston Kiwanis, Goodwill Lunching, Lincoln Rotary, Blue Bell Creameries, Super 1 Foods, and many more! Thanks to Cathi Cox-Boniol, Project ACHIEVE, and Lincoln Parish School Board for a wonderful celebration of volunteerism and student success!

Pictured are recipients of the 2014-2015 Keep Encouraging Youth to Succeed (KEYS) Champions Awards. COE's Dr. Tammy Schilling is third from the left on the top row.

Kinesiology SMSL Lab Opens as the College and Community Celebrate

Dr. David Szymanski readies equipment for research.

Friday, April 17, 2015, was a great day in the College of Education for a number of reasons. The Department of Kinesiology under the leadership of Chair, Dr. Lanie Dornier, hosted the grand opening of the new Sport and Movement Science Laboratory (SMSL), a 2,000 square feet interdisciplinary research and teaching space that will house research and education in sport and movement science. Dr. David Szymanski, the Eva Cunningham Endowed Associate Professor of Education, and Dr. Braden Romer, assistant professor of kinesiology, serve as the primary investigators for the project and lab, though other kinesiology faculty are also associated with research within the SMSL. Guests for the open house included Louisiana Tech University faculty and administrators, students, local news staff, and community leaders. The link to the news story from myarklamiss.com and additional images are provided. The new lab will help support graduate and undergraduate work as well as professional development and community outreach efforts focused on health, wellness, and performance. Romer stated to the press that, "One of our real hopes is to work with the collegiate athletes at Louisiana Tech or high school athletes in the surrounding area to understand performance, to further the science, and to enhance those individuals". The SMSL will be an outstanding resource for Louisiana Tech University, Ruston, and our region.

Dr. Romer shares his perspective on the SMSL.

In other news associated with the kinesiology department, announcements were made recently by the Board of Regents that four of the nine proposal for professional development funding that made the cut for the final round of reviews were from Louisiana Tech University. One of the four proposal submissions was led by Dr. Romer. The proposal serves as one of many that will be strengthened by access to an innovative and well equipped learning and instructional environment. Congratulations to the Department of Kinesiology and Drs. Szymanski and Romer.


http://www.myarklamiss.com/story/d/story/louisiana-tech-home-to-cutting-edge-kinesiology-la/15462/aNYMKxuvfUG9HYTEASXw9g

Kinesiology Program Helps Move Community Forward

Recently the Department of Kinesiology received the Keep Encouraging Youth to Succeed (KEYS) Champion Award from Lincoln Parish for volunteer work with Ruston Junior High students. Since 2003 the department has evolved to prepare students in broader human movement and health careers. Lanie Dornier, department head, said in an interview with The Ruston Daily Leader that “in kinesiology, we study human movement from a variety of perspectives—biomechanical, physiological, and sociological, across all those disciplines.” Their three prong program includes allied health, physical education, and wellness and fitness. Community service and engagement is also an important part of the program and the development of graduates. For example, Rhonda Boyd an instructor in the department, recently hosted a Winter Games service learning project in which students provided local senior citizens with an opportunity for entertainment and exercise through activities such as hula hooping and tossing beanbags.