Nationally Recognized Faculty: Students in the program will receive training and mentorship from faculty who are nationally and internationally recognized  for their work in adapted physical education and disability sport, Instructional innovation in research online teaching and learning in physical education, assessment and use of AI in teaching and learning in physical education.

Practical and Research Experience: Students work one-on-one in a supportive mentoring relationship with a faculty member. Students gain experience writing papers for publication, presenting research at regional, national, and international conferences, presenting professional development workshops to inservice health and physical education teachers, and practicum opportunities teaching and coaching in K-12 school settings.

College Teaching Experience: Students gain experience as the instructor of record developing course content, teaching, creating assignments and assessing students in undergraduate classes. Our students also will supervise student teachers in elementary and secondary school placements supporting the professional development of pre-service teachers.

Professional Service: Our students assume leadership positions within the Department of Kinesiology and Health, the College of Education and Human Development, the community, as peer reviewers of manuscripts submitted for publication to professional journals, and in leadership positions with national professional organizations.

Time to Degree Completion:  Our program is designed to take four years. Students are engaged in research and/or teaching starting their first semester in the program. While research expectations are ongoing, the first two years are primarily spent completing coursework within HPE, statistics and measurement, and a minor area of the student’s interest. Upon completion of the coursework, students will present and submit two original student-initiated research papers for their qualifying exams for peer review. The dissertation concludes the program.

Job Placement: Our students find positions as assistant professors in universities, in federal departments of education, and in private industry across the USA and internationally (see the Alumni section).

Deborah Shapiro
Professor
Undergraduate program coordinator Health and Physical Education program

Research Focus:

• Professional preparation for teachers on inclusion of students with disabilities
• Professional preparation for coaching athletes with disabilities
• Infusion of disability sport in sport management curriculum

Awards:

• Hollis Fait Scholarly Contribution Award,
• William A. Hillman Distinguished Service Award
• ASPIRE award for advocacy

Xiaolu Liu
Assistant Professor of Health and Physical Education

Research Focus:

• Physical education teacher preparation for assessment literacy
• Integrating computational thinking and artificial intelligence (AI) literacy into teacher preparation
• Prepare effective and digitally competent physical educators

Awards:

• ICSPAH Outstanding Early Career Research Award

Rachel Gurvitch
Associate Professor
Graduate program coordinator of the Health and Physical Education program

Research Focus:

• Teaching effectiveness across different instructional modalities
• Examinations of instructors’ intentions and students’ perceptions towards learning within online instructional settings
• Examination of LMS design and implementation data
• The implication of Cognitive Load Theory on the instructional and learning process
• Examines the impact of teachers’ wellness programs on their instructional effectiveness in school

Andrew Corbett is a doctoral student in the Psychology of Physical Activity concentration. Andrew works as an Exercise Physiologist at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, Georgia.  Andrew’s research focuses on adaptive sports and sport, exercise, and performance psychology.  He is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association and a Certified Mental Performance Consult (CMPC) with the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.

Wellington deLuna is a doctoral student in the PETE concentration with a specialization in adapted physical education. Wellington is a former high school physical education teacher in Puerto Rico and head coach of the Puerto Rican men’s goalball team.  Wellington’s research line focuses on social-emotional learning and children with disabilities. Wellington has his Master’s degree in Special Education from a university in Puerto Rico and is funded to pursue a Ph.D. through a doctoral training grant by the U.S. Department of Education Office of Special Education and Rehabilitation Services.

Angela Carmon is a doctoral student in the Physical Education Teacher Education concentration. Angela also teaches as a clinical instructor in the program.  Angela’s area of research focuses on the use of AI in teacher preparation. Angela is a certified K-12 health and physical education teacher in Georgia with 24 years of K-12 teaching experience at the elementary, middle and secondary level in health and physical education.

Gicheol Kim, PhD –  Assistant Professor, University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse

Andy Yao – Assistant Professor; San Francisco State University

Marcel Lima – Clinical Assistant Professor, Georgia State University

Myungha Sur – Assistant Professor; University of Wisconsin- Whitewater

Hyokju Maeng – Assistant Professor: Eastern New Mexico University