Beth Lewis, Assistant Professor in the School of Kinesiology, received a Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement (CAREI) grant for $3,738. The title of the grant is “Kilocalorie Expenditure for Standing Desks vs. Traditional Desks in Elementary Schools."
Dr. John Ratey of Harvard University and author of /SPARK/, a book that puts forth many of the positive effects of moderate and vigorous physical activity with respect to its effect on the brain, will be speaking in Hopkins and Minnetonka on Monday, February 16, and Tuesday, February 17, respectively. He will be presenting the adult perspective at The Marsh from 7-8:30 on the 16th. He will be presenting at Arts on 7 next to Minnetonka HS for the community at large (focusing on students and families) at 7 pm on the 17th.
USA Today has several stories related to the academic performance of student-athletes at Division I schools. A related (and feature) story involves a nationally recognized and highly-praised task force at the U of M co-chaired by Mary Jo Kane. Check it out here.
Ulf Bronas, graduate in exercise physiology under Dr. Art Leon, is also featured In the current issue of the University's Department of Recreational Sports Wellness Works magazine. Bronas, now in the U of M's School of Nursing, is featured in the "In the Works" section on page 23 regarding his peripheral arterial disease (PAD) research with Dr. Leon.
Moira Petit has been awarded an Obesity Consortium of Minnesota Pilot & Feasibility Award for her project titled “Bone and cardiovascular health in obese adolescents following bariatric surgery.� The proposal went through a highly competitive review process. The grant is in the amount of $50,000 over a two-year span.
In the current issue of the University's Department of Recreational Sports Wellness Works magazine now in your mailbox, the School of Kinesiology and the Tucker Center are highly visible: Dr. Beth Lewis has the feature article on pages 3-5 and Dr. Maureen Weiss' The First Tee project is featured on page 21. In addition, Dr. Weiss is featured as a "Face of Wellness" on page 8. Congratulations to both our faculty.
We have been notified by the Office of the VP for Research that Dr. Nicole LaVoi’s work in the Tucker Center will be featured in the University's upcoming Research Annual Report. Congratulations, Dr. LaVoi!
Kristy Popp, School of Kinesiology PhD student (advisor, Moira Petit), is the Principal Investigator on a just-awarded $2,500 National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) survey project award titled "Bone Geometry Strength and Biomechanical Changes."
The School's Affordance Perception-Action Laboratory (APAL) is co-sponsoring "Body Expression of Emotion," a lecture given by Marina Fridin of the Weizmann Institute of Science Robotics Laboratory in Rehovot, Israel. The lecture will be given Wednesday, November 12, at 11:00 AM in Peik Hall, Room 315.
Dr. Carol Leitschuh, research associate in Kinesiology, was invited to present in September at the Universita Degli Sudi Roma "La Sapienza," Dipartimento di Psicologia (Psychology Department) on "Movement of Babies Born Premature." In addition, productive meetings were held with graduate faculty and students on the progress of their research on assessing infants, toddlers, and preschoolers using Dr. Leitschuh's tool for monitoring movement skill development at these very young ages.
Kristen Pickett, a Kinesiology doctoral candidate in the Human Sensorimotor Control Laboratory, is the lead author of an upcoming article on measuring kinaesthetic sensitivity in typically developing children. The manuscript has been accepted for publication in the journal Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, which is one of the top three international journals in pediatric neurology. This is Kristen's fourth publication originating from her work in the lab. It is her first as a lead author. The senior author is Dr. Juergen Konczak. Congratulations, Kristen! For more information go to http:\\hsc.umn.edu.
Prof. Beth Lewis, assistant professor in exercise physiology, was quoted in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in an article about stand-up desks for elementary students. See the full story at: http://www.twincities.com/ci_10716630?source=most_emailed
Maureen Weiss, professor and co-director of the Tucker Center for Research on Girls & Women in Sport in the School of Kinesiology, gave a distinguished research lecture—the Margaret Jo Safrit Lecture in Kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison on October 3. Dr. Weiss’ lecture, “The Jo Chronicles: Tribute to a Difference Maker in Kinesiology,� honored Professor Emerita Margaret Jo Safrit, a pioneer in measurement in kinesiology and who served at UW-Madison for 21 years. Among her many achievements, Dr. Safrit developed the first health-related physical fitness test in the world, served as president of American Association of Kinesiology and Physical Education (AAKPE), and received the prestigious Luther Halsey Gulick Award, the highest award bestowed by the American Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (AAHPERD).
Dr. Arthur S. Leon, M.D. and exercise physiology professor, has been invited and accepted participation as a member of the "People to People Citizen Ambassador's Cardiovascular Health Delegation," which will visit Vietnam and Cambodia this November for the purpose of exchanging information on prevention, management, and rehabilitation of heart disease. Dr. Leon has previously been part of similar delegations to Cuba, China, and Egypt.
Dr. Leon is director of the Laboratory of Physiological Hygiene and Exercise Science.
Dr. Stephen Ross, School of Kinesiology marketing professor, is quoted in "Brewers struck fast on merchandising," in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Through most of September, as the Milwaukee Brewers were looking more like a team heading home for October, the business side of the organization was making plans for a playoff run. “As long as the team is winning, it’s good,� said Dr. Ross. “They have all of these designs done ahead of time with the printer. The turnaround time is quick. But if the Brewers go three and out, people are going to be a little less willing to buy them or wear them.�
Elizabeth Spletzer, Kinesiology education specialist and coordinator of the PE initial licensure program, was awarded the prestigious Eloise M. Jaeger Award by the University of Minnesota Women's Physical Education Alumnae Association at their annual breakfast September 27.
The award was presented in recognition of Liz Spletzer's outstanding contributions to the physical education profession through teaching, advising and supervising students preparing for teaching licensure and advanced degrees in physical education, and honored her "exceptional level of dedication, leadership, and service" to her students and colleagues.
Eloise Jaeger, who passed away in 2007, was a leading advocate for women’s physical education and women’s intercollegiate athletics at the University of Minnesota, and was instrumental in increasing girls’ and women’s participation in sport and physical activity. Congratulations, Liz!
Dr. Stephen Ross, assistant professor in Kinesiology/Sport Management, was interviewed for WCCO-TV's "Good Question" program last night on whether naming rights for sporting venues are worth the cost to the brand. See Jason DeRusha interview Dr. Ross and read the story at this link: http://wcco.com/goodquestion/stadium.naming.rights.2.818310.html
Jürgen Konczak, professor in Kinesiology/Biomechanics, has just published two journal articles:
"Increased basal=ganglia activation performing a non-dystonia-related task in focal dystonia" was published in European Journal of Neurology, 2008, vol. 15, pp. 831-838. Authors are M.Obermann, O.Yaldizi, A. de Greiff, J. Konczak, M.L. Lachenmayer, F. Tumczak, A.R. Buhl, N. Putzki, J. Vollmer-Haase, E.R. Gizewski, H.-C. Diener and M. Maschke.
"Haptic perception of object curvature in Parkinson's Disease" was published in Public Library of Science ONE , 2008. Authors are Jürgen Konczak, Kuan-yi Li, Paul J. Tuite, and Howard Poizner. Kuan-yi Li is a student of Dr. Konczak (Ph.D. 2008).
Beth Lewis, assistant professor in Kinesiology, was quoted today in an article in the Star Tribune on an innovative classroom for elementary students in Marine on St. Croix. Kids in this classroom have "stand-up workstations" where they can stand or sit on high stools. Dr. Lewis will be studying how many more calories students will burn at their workstations compared to being seated at traditional desks. Read more at:
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/28138414.html?page=1&c=y
September 4, 2008 - The American Society of Neuroscience has chosen a poster presentation by Prof. Jürgen Konczak, Heidi Vander Velden, and L Jaeger to be included in the media materials of their upcoming Annual Conference, November 15-19 in Washington, DC. The title of the presentation is "Learning to play the violin: motor control by freezing, not freeing degrees of freedom."
Neuroscience 2008 is the largest neuroscience conference in the world with 25,000 attendees. The conference receives close to 18,000 submissions and chooses about 500 to include in their lay language summary because they are deemed to be of special interest to the public.
Heidi Vander Velden, an advisee of Dr. Konczak, received her M.A. in Kinesiology in 2006.
August 21, 2008 - Diane Wiese-Bjornstal, associate professor in Kinesiology, was elected to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Science Advisory Board for 2009-2012. The board's activities include review and input on the long-standing President's Challenge program as well as many other initiatives related to physical activity and health across the lifespan. The board includes ten scholars who are selected because of their significant contributions to the research and science of physical activity, fitness, health, and sports.
August 20, 2008 - Professor Don Dengel, has recently published an article in Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology with three of his former graduate students: Andrea Thelen (M.A., 2006), Aaron Kelly (Ph.D., 2004) and Eric Williamson (M.Ed., 2002). The article is based on Ms. Thelen's thesis. See complete listing below:
Thelen, A.M., Kelly, A.S., Williamson, E.B., and Dengel, D.R. (2008) Examining the time course of endothelium -independent dilation by nitroglycerin. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, Vol. 34, No. 8, pp. 1217–1220.
August 18, 2008 - Beth Lewis, assistant professor of kinesiology, appears on WCCO-TV's Good Question: Do Treadmill Calorie Counts Work? Dr. Lewis was interviewed yesterday by WCCO's Jason DeRusha on the topic of how many calories are used when exercising on a treadmill or elliptical machine.
August 9, 2008 - Exercise physiologist Don Dengel, professor in the School of Kinesiology, is quoted in an August 9 New York Times article covering Olympic boxing, "Boxer Collapses While Trying to Make Weight." Dengel talks about the dangers of fluid loss as a measure for rapidly losing weight.