Lacy Alexander’s research utilizes the human cutaneous circulation to examine the underlying signaling mechanisms mediating microvascular dysfunction in diseases, as well as the influence of drug-interventions.
Associate Teaching Professor
HHD Faculty Senate Council Chair 2023-24
Summary Statement
Jonna Belanger is a National Paralympic Athletics Classifier, and her research interests have been focused on increasing sport opportunities for youth with disabilities within interscholastic sports.
Danielle specializes in physical activity and health promotion across the lifespan with focuses in Physical Education and Health Education Pedagogy and Curriculum Design.
George has been teaching and guiding Fly Fishing since age 18. He has coached the US Youth and Adult Fly Fishing Teams, written several best-selling fly-fishing books, and is a frequent contributor to Fly Fisherman Magazine and other national fly-fishing publications.
Distinguished Professor of Kinesiology and Physiology
Summary Statement
Mary Jane De Souza specializes in the etiology of and treatment of the Female Athlete Triad, skeletal health in exercising women and athletes, reproductive endocrinology of menstrual disorders in exercising women, and RCTs of increased food intake in exercising women.
Professor of Kinesiology
Graduate Program Director
Summary Statement
Jonathan Dingwell focuses on the biomechanics, dynamics and neuromuscular control processes that govern complex adaptive human movements with a primary emphasis on improving human health.
Professor of Kinesiology and Obstetrics & Gynecology
Summary Statement
Danielle Downs researches the motivational determinants of exercise among women and children, application of the Theory of Planned Behavior to exercise, and lifestyle interventions for women (preconceptional, pregnant, gestational diabetes).
Professor of Kinesiology, Affiliate Professor of History
Director of Research and Educational Programs for the Penn State Center for the Study of Sports in Society
Summary Statement
Mark Dyreson specializes in history of sport, social and cultural dynamics of human movement, race, ethnicity, and gender in sport.
Professor of Developmental Genetics and Evolutionary Morphology
Summary Statement
Robert Eckhardt's research is focused on the interaction of genetic and environmental influences on growth and development in human populations; musculo-skeletal structures are of primary interest.
Paul Hefty specializes in Coaching and Leadership and the Principles and Ethics of Coaching. Examining the challenges of today’s coaching profession through societal norms and expectations from the past and present to develop quality coaches, teachers, and leaders.
Dorothy Foehr Huck and J. Lloyd Huck Chair in Neurorehabilitation
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Kinesiology, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Huck Institutes of Life Sciences
Center for Neural Engineering
Professor of Physiology, Kinesiology
and Marie Underhill Noll Chair in Human Performance
Summary Statement
W Larry Kenney specializes in control of human skin blood flow with an emphasis on aging, physiology and biophysics of heat exchange between humans and the environment, and thermoregulation during exercise and in extreme environments.
Assistant Research Professor of Kinesiology and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Summary Statement
Taewon (Tay) Kim employs behavioral and non-invasive brain stimulation techniques to investigate the neural mechanisms underlying human motor skill learning, memory consolidation, and rehabilitation following unilateral impairments.
Professor of Physiology and Kinesiology, Chair Intercollege Program in Physiology
Summary Statement
Donna Korzick's research focuses on aging and cardiovascular disease risk using animal models; effects of estrogen deficiency on mitochondrial regulation of cell survival during myocardial infarction; PKC-dependent mechanism and oxidant stress.
Scott Kretchmar's research interests include the metaphysics and ethics of games, play, and sport anthropological philosophy, in particular, the role of games and play in human evolution and theory of mind and the intellectual requirements of sporting activity.
Mark L. Latash's field of research interest is motor control defined as an area of natural science exploring how the nervous system interacts with other body parts and the environment to produce purposeful, coordinated actions.
Associate Professor of Kinesiology, Philosophy, and Bioethics
Summary Statement
Francisco Javier López Frías researches sports ethics and human enhancement, but is also interested in political philosophy, normative ethics, and applied ethics.
Jena Lucas-Ward is a Kinesiology Academic Adviser who works with students concerning their academic plans and progress, academic schedule, post-graduate plans and a broad range of academic matters.
Head of Coaching and Player Development
Assistant Teaching Professor
Summary Statement
Dan is the Head of Coaching and Player Development in the Golf Teaching and Research Center. He also teaches a general education requirement golf courses for KINES.
Sarah, as the lead adviser for kinesiology, assists students in understanding college procedures and policies and helps connect students to campus resources. Her goal is to help undergraduate students achieve their academic, personal and career goals.
Gustavo Nader researches skeletal muscle growth control and adaptations to exercise. Ribosome biogenesis, transcriptional and epigenetic regulation of RNA Polymerase I.
Supervisor for the Center for Fitness and Wellness
Summary Statement
Jennifer has been conducting exercise testing for ten years and has four years of experience as the lead Exercise Physiologist for a Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation facility. She is currently pursuing her Ph. D. in Health and Human Performance.
James A. Pawelczyk's research is focused on neural control of circulation, particularly skeletal muscle blood flow, as it is affected by exercise or spaceflight.
David N. Proctor studies the physiology of aging and exercise; cardiovascular responses to exercise; regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow; skeletal muscle adaptation; vascular adaptation.
Assistant Teaching Professor
Director, Center for Fitness and Wellness
Summary Statement
Melissa Rodgers is a clinical exercise physiologist with experience leading cardiac rehabilitation, community fitness programming, clinical instruction, exercise testing, and research projects. She is a certified member of ACSM, active at the regional and national levels.
Jonas Rubenson's research aim is to identify the fundamental principles underlying muscle function during locomotion- in particular in vivo function during movement and the relationship between muscle mechanics and locomotor energetics.
Assistant Teaching Professor of Kinesiology
Assistant Teaching Professor of Theater
Summary Statement
Dr. Rudavsky holds a clinical, teaching and research position. She runs a physical therapy clinic for the students in the School of Theatre and teaches in the athletic training program.
Dorothy F. and J. Lloyd Huck Distinguished Chair in Kinesiology and Neurology
Director of the Center for Movement Science and Technology
Professor of Kinesiology and of Neurology
Summary Statement
Sainburg’s research is fundamentally translational, focusing on understanding movement control, coordination, and learning, and translating this information to clinical rehabilitation.
Julia is a Kinesiology Academic Adviser who works with students concerning their academic plans and progress, academic schedule, post-graduate plans and a broad range of academic matters.
Tarkesh Singh uses a systems neuroscience approach to study the neural basis of sensorimotor integration, eye-hand coordination, and limb postural control in healthy individuals and patients with neurological disorders.
Sam Slobounov's research is focused on the neural basis of human movements with special emphasis on rehabilitation medicine, psychology and neurophysiology, including traumatic brain injuries.
Dr. Smith's focus in teaching, clinical and research activities is on the intersection of emergency medicine, sports medicine and public health with emphasis on patient safety, patient centered care, and health care policy and leadership.
Teaching Professor
Clinical Associate Professor of Kinesiology, and Orthopaedics & Rehabilitation
Director, Professional Athletic Training Program
Director, Sports Medicine Clinical Research
Summary Statement
John L Vairo's research agenda incorporates an interdisciplinary approach to sports medicine focusing on health-related quality of life and human performance in physically active persons.
John specializes in health and wellness promotion across the lifespan and he has experience working with a diverse group of clientele, from collegiate athletes seeking to enhance sport performance and prevent injury, to senior citizens working to improve functionality.
Head of Department, Kinesiology
Professor of Kinesiology and Physiology
Summary Statement
Nancy I. Williams' research is centered on physiological and behavioral underpinnings of interactions between energy balance, reproductive function, bone health and exercise performance.
Nathan Zechman specializes in strength and conditioning as a certified member of the NSCA with focuses in physical education and applied exercise and health.
