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A Lasting Legacy: Celebrating the Career and Contributions of School of Kinesiology Director, Dr. Melinda Solmon
Culminating more than 10 years of leadership and 29 years of service to LSU, the LSU School of Kinesiology bids farewell to a visionary leader, Dr. Melinda Solmon, who recently retired from her role as Director. With her unwavering dedication, profound expertise, and exemplary leadership, Dr. Solmon has left an indelible mark on the field of Kinesiology and the LSU community.
A Trailblazing Career Her work significantly contributed to the advancement of the field of Kinesiology; whether it was through the more than 60 collegiate courses she taught over her career, her work for organizations like the Louisiana Special Olympics and the National Senior Games, or her membership on the Louisiana Council on Obesity Prevention and Management, Dr. Solmon showcased the vital impact of kinesiology on everyday life.
Read more regarding Dr. Solmon's incredible career and contributions to the LSU School of Kinesiology below.
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Dr. Alex Garn to Serve as Interim Director
We are excited to announce that Alex Garn, PhD, has accepted the position of Interim Director of the School of Kinesiology. Kinesiology has consistently been one of the fastest growing majors at LSU. Dr. Garn will keep a sharp focus on serving our students while furthering our important scholarship and research. Read more about Dr. Garn below.
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| Back Home: Huey P. Long Field House Phase I Renovations Complete
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We are thrilled to announce that the School of Kinesiology has moved back into the newly renovated Huey P. Long Field House! This remarkable transformation features student-centered spaces to foster community and collaboration, and cutting-edge laboratories and classrooms to provide our faculty and students with the tools they need to generate ground-breaking research.
Along with common spaces like outdoor plazas and learning spaces, the terrace and promenade overlooking the college lawn, and the ballroom, School of Kinesiology faculty and students will utilize specific spaces for our programs and research, including:
- Kinesiology Director’s Administrative Suite
- Ochsner Wellness Center includes multipurpose instructional activity space/regulation half-court, weight training, cardio training and dance studio, and more (final touches being made for opening in early fall)
- Dr. Monroe J. Rathbone & Mrs. Barbara F. Rathbone Human Anatomy & Cadaver Laboratory
- Classrooms primarily used by the School of Kinesiology include a 60-seat classroom and a 150-seat auditorium (over 400 additional seats of classrooms coming in Phase 2!)
- Dedicated conference room and library for our Sport Management program
- State-of-the-art laboratories, including the Exercise Physiology Research Suite; the Pedagogy & Psychological Sciences Research Group Labs; and an Athletic Training Suite.
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Lt. Vaughn La
Lt. Vaughn La, an LSU School of Kinesiology graduate and Air Force officer, shares his incredible college journey and future plans. LSU was a game-changer for him, providing unparalleled opportunities and an education he cherishes. Studying Kinesiology opened his eyes to the bigger picture of improving lives through health promotion. Read more about Lt. La here.
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Event Recap| 11th Annual Louisiana Parkinson's Conference
The 11th Annual Louisiana Parkinson's Conference took place Saturday, July 15, 2023 at the C. B. Pennington Jr. Conference Center here in Baton Rouge. This year's event was a great success, bringing together Persons with Parkinson's, caregivers, and researchers for an enriching program. The conference featured inspirational speakers, informative healthcare professionals, and impactful organizations, all present to give attendees the tools they need to live well with Parkinson's disease. We hope everyone who attended left inspired and equipped with new strategies and resources, and we'll see you next year!
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Alumni in the News
Take a look at all the exciting news from LSU School of Kinesiology alumni!
SOK post-doc and doctoral alumna, Eunhan Cho, PhD, was awarded the LSU Alumni Association 2023 Distinguished Dissertation Award. This is the second time a Kinesiology student has won the university award, and the only time in Science, Engineering, and Technology.
SOK alumna (MS: Sport Management, '08) Alexis Rather named WGCA Assistant Golf Coach of the Year.
Khirey Walker graduated with his PhD in Sport Management from LSU and has now taken on the role of professor at his former alma mater, Elon University.
'04 MS: Sport Management alum, Larry Cordaro, accepted a position as Director of Basketball Operations at Troy University in Alabama.
Dr. Kristi L. Anderson, BS: Kinesiology, is named UL Lafayette’s new chief strategy officer. She is the first person to hold the newly created position.
Kinesiology alumni Andrew Schwartz co-authored a published paper, Evaluation of Alternative Colony Hybridization Methods for Pathogenic Vibrios, for his ground-breaking research on methods to better measure vibrios bacteria.
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Faculty Research News & Accolades
Our faculty are the cornerstone of the incredible success of the School of Kinesiology, and we are therefore excited to announce the following promotions. Well done!
- Janene Grodesky, PhD - promoted to Assistant Professor of Professional Practice
- Dee Jacobsen, PhD - promoted to Associate Professor of Professional Practice
- Neil Johannsen, PhD - promoted to Professor
- Melissa Thompson, PhD - Promoted to Associate Professor of Professional Practice
More news from the LSU School of Kinesiology Faculty:
- Amanda Benson, PhD, received the Southeastern Athletic Trainers Association Education and Administration Award.
- LSU Professor Senlin Chen Awarded LDH Research Grant to Address Health Equity in Louisiana.
- Hyun Kim, PhD, received a Summer Stipend Award from ORED.
- Claire Zvosec, PhD, selected as finalist for the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics N4A Gerald S. Gurney Research Award.
- Senlin Chen, PhD, receives LSU Distinguished Faculty Award for excellence in teaching, research, and service.
- Sport Management faculty Per Svensson, PhD, received the Sport Management Association of Australia and New Zealand’s (SMAANZ) Best Research Paper Award at the 28th annual conference held in Melbourne, Australia.
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SOK Student News
Congratulations to the following PhD students for their successful doctoral defenses:
- Nathan Baer - Sport Management, “Why we play the game”: An exploration of sport employees’ conceptualizations of meaningful work
- Kelley Burger - Exercise Physiology, The Effectiveness of Eye-Hand Coordination Training in Virtual Reality
- Brett Davis - Exercise Physiology, Muscle Activation with Acute Bouts of Low Load Blood Flow Restricted Resistance Exercise Compared to High Load Resistance Exercise in Trained Versus Untrained Adults
- Tiffany Demiris - Sport Management, A History of the Construction and Financing of Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and Ivy League Stadia: An Ideal-Type of Financial Modernization
- Stacy Imagbe - Pedagogy & Psychological Sciences, Culturally Relevant Physical Education for Optimizing Physical Activity Opportunities
- Jessica Stroope - Pedagogy & Psychological Sciences, Active Transportation, Context, and Community Participation: Engaged citizens and destination-based walking and biking
- Zheng Wang - Motor Behavior, The effect of high fraction of inspired oxygen on human motor learning processes
Exercise Physiology doctoral candidate, James Stampley, was selected as one of five students to represent LSU as a 2023 SEC Emerging Scholar.
Four students from the School of Kinesiology were recognized by the American Kinesiology Association (AKA):
- Simone Mixon, 2023 AKA Undergraduate Scholar Award
- Sydney Martin, 2023 AKA Master’s Scholar Award
- Stacy Imagbe, 2023 AKA Doctoral Scholar Award
- Jessica Stroope, 2023 AKA Graduate Student Writing Award
Athletic Training master's graduate Erika Clarke received both the Southeast Athletic Trainers' Association Memorial Scholarship and the NBA Commissioner David Stern Memorial Scholarship from the National Basketball Athletic Trainers’ Association.
Three Kinesiology students received honors at the 2023 LSU Discover Day, including a second-place honor in the STEM division and 1st place in the CHSE Monetary Winners category for Mary LoGuidice's poster presentation. Jill Meyer and Ethan Abbenante won 2nd and 3rd place respectively in the CHSE Monetary Winners category.
Athletic Training master's student Sara McKensie Faulk was the inaugural winner for the Murray T. Burch Memorial Athletic Training Student Scholarship.
Sport Administration junior and LSU gymnast, Elena Arenas, was named to the 2023 College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District Team.
For additional student awards and details, click here.
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