Category: Kinesiology

Wolff brings hands-on approach to musculoskeletal anatomy course

May 22, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Many students majoring in HK want to pursue careers in occupational therapy, physical therapy and athletic training

Whitney Wolff was asked to develop a musculoskeletal anatomy course (Photo by Ethan Simmons)

Whitney Wolff had just completed a semester as an assistant professor at tiny Lakeland University in Sheboygan, Wisconsin, when the opportunity to work at an R1 university arose.

Wolff, who earned her Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2022, taught at Lakeland—student population approximately 2,500—that fall before applying to the Department of Health and Kinesiology in the College of Applied Health Sciences. As part of this process, the department asked her to develop a musculoskeletal anatomy course.

“Our HK faculty identified a need for a musculoskeletal anatomy course so the students could strengthen their understanding in an applied setting,” said Wolff, now a teaching assistant professor in Health and Kinesiology. 

Many students majoring in HK want to pursue careers in occupational therapy, physical therapy and athletic training, and those fields dovetail with Wolff’s experience.

“I was on the pre-physical therapy track for the first three years of my undergraduate degree. I went to a university that required a semester-long, 40-hour a week internship and an extensive practicum experience, both of which I spent in a physical therapy setting,” she said. “I had a lot of experience observing and shadowing physical therapists, and it just wasn’t for me. However, I was able to draw on those experiences while designing this course.”

Wolff’s academic journey began with a B.S. in Exercise Science and a Master of Education in Kinesiology from Bowling Green State University, followed by a Ph.D. in Movement Science from the University of Michigan.

When she saw a faculty position open at Illinois, she jumped at the chance.

“It was primarily Illinois’ strong kinesiology program and the opportunity to be a part of a department that values both research and teaching. I was also excited by the high caliber of students that I’d be able to teach and mentor,” she said as to why she chose to come to Illinois.

Wolff believes her knowledge of the field as well as her methods are beneficial to students.

“I really challenge my students to develop a set of practical skills that will benefit them in graduate school and beyond. This is why I emphasize hands-on experience and less of ‘Can I memorize this information and then ace an exam’?”

“My approach to this course has been shaped by my experiences as well as knowing that these students want to be successful in very challenging careers.”

Wolff wanted the course to be more experiential learning and not just “listening to me talk about anatomy.”

Since kinesiology-related careers often involve working with other people, it’s an important experience for the students so that they discover whether this is a good fit for them

Whitney Wolff

Teaching Assistant Professor, Health and Kinesiology

“I designed musculoskeletal anatomy to be a lab-based course where 90 percent of the students’ time in class is spent completing hands-on activities. They’re working through the process themselves, and I can really see them grow and improve rapidly. It has been a really fun class to develop.”

Wolff informed the course design by talking with friends and colleagues who went through our nation’s leading physical therapy programs, asking about how they prepare for patient-clinician interactions and what anatomy courses are like in those programs.

“In typical undergraduate anatomy courses, (students) learn to identify the muscles on an image or on a plasticized model, whereas you look at us, we’re covered in skin and subcutaneous fat. Kinesiologists need to be able to identify muscles and bony landmarks on a living, breathing person that moves and changes position.”

As much “hands-on” learning as there is, Wolff is more “hands-off,” allowing students to explore and practice without fear of making mistakes. 

And if students aren’t comfortable with being touched or touching others, Wolff will accommodate in class but did acknowledge that that could be a sign a student is in the wrong major.

“Since kinesiology-related careers often involve working with other people, it’s an important experience for the students so that they discover whether this is a good fit for them,” she said.

In addition to teaching, Wolff’s research focuses on the biomechanical presentation of idiopathic chronic neck pain in males and females. Her ultimate research goal is to design and implement workplace interventions aimed at preventing and treating idiopathic chronic neck pain. 

Wolff said part of that research will involve how to manipulate seated posture without the need for an expensive ergonomic chair.

“(Neck pain) is often linked with static work postures such as sitting at a computer, so (an intervention) could be movement-based or could include adjustments to shoulder, head and neck posture. If we can identify the seated posture that decreases musculoskeletal strain of the neck and shoulder while being comfortable enough that an individual can maintain the posture, that could potentially decrease the likelihood of developing idiopathic chronic neck pain,” she said.

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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Can a special diet promote children’s focus?

May 22, 2025 | Ethan Simmons

HK researchers found that the school children who more closely adhered to a special diet showed better control over their attention

A diet rich in fiber and antioxidants shows promise for children’s mental abilities, according to Shelby Keye’s research (Photo by Ethan Simmons)

A diet rich in fiber and antioxidants, low in fat and full of colorful berries and vegetables has shown a strong connection to slowed cognitive decline in older adults. This same Mediterranean-influenced diet shows promise for children’s mental abilities, too. 

A recent study led by University of Illinois Health and Kinesiology Assistant Professor Shelby Keye compared elementary school kids’ food intake to this specific diet pattern—fittingly called the MIND diet—and measured how those kids performed on a task designed to challenge their attention span. 

Keye and a team of researchers, including Health and Kinesiology Associate Professor Naiman Khan and Illinois Nutritional Sciences Ph.D. candidate Tori Holthaus, found that the school children who more closely adhered to this special diet showed better control over their attention. 

“When we see something in older adults, we’re like, ‘I wonder if we’re going to see that same thing with kids?’” Keye said. “That was the question: will the MIND diet be related to children’s cognitive skills?’”

The MIND diet is short for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay. It’s a combination of the popular Mediterranean diet—which prioritizes beans, leafy vegetables, berries, seafood and olive oil—and the DASH diet, originally built to combat hypertension. 

Researchers at Rush University in Chicago combined elements of these two diets and found certain components were related to better cognitive health in older adults. 

To investigate whether the MIND diet had positive effects for kids’ brain health, the research team decided to study a pressing skill for any school-age child: paying attention. 

In early life, the human brain is developing all of its cognitive skills simultaneously. But in certain phases of development, specific skills are growing faster and are more sensitive to a person’s changes in health, Keye said. 

“Attention and inhibition around that elementary age is a particularly sensitive skill to health behaviors,” Keye said. “It may be because you have started school. And now, you’re in this environment where you have to inhibit, you have to prevent yourself from turning around and talking to your friend or even inhibit yourself from listening to internal thoughts.” 

Their study marks the first time the MIND diet has been analyzed in a population this young. The diet’s connection to attention control opens the gates for more specific, involved research into the diet’s potential effects.

“With us finding this relationship with the MIND diet, that means that those foods that are important for older adults could be just as important for children,” Keye said. 

To answer their question, the research team collected a week’s worth of dietary records for 129 local children, ages 7 to 11 years old. Parents of the child participants were tasked with recording everything their kid ate or drank for seven days, in close consultation with their children. 

The children’s diets were scored on their proximity to the MIND diet pattern versus the most recent Healthy Eating Index, a set of dietary guidelines developed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The two diets are similar but emphasize different food groups: The MIND diet encourages more berries and olive oil, for example. 

Before gathering their diet records, the researchers collected the children’s demographic and anthropometric data—height, weight, age and the like. And each participant completed a cognitive test designed to challenge their focus, called the Eriksen-Flanker task. 

The task asks participants to look at a series of rapidly flashing arrows pointing in different directions on a computer screen, and mark which direction the arrow in the center of the image was pointing. (For kids, the arrows are replaced with pictures of fish.) 

The children who ate foods closer to the MIND diet scored more accurately on the attention task. The positive relationship did not show significant differences based on the children’s overall caloric intake, sex or household income. 

No significant relationship was found with the kids’ scores on the Healthy Eating Index guidelines. 

The children who ate foods closer to the MIND diet scored more accurately on the attention task.

“This is one study, and it’s one of the first,” Keye said. “But because we found a relationship, there is most likely something there.” 

As for why the diet had a relationship to attention control, Keye said a few possibilities are worth further research. 

Many of the dark green vegetables and berries present in the MIND diet are rich in antioxidants, which have an anti-inflammatory effect that helps with brain development and function, she said. 

Weight could also play a role. A separate study found that children who followed the MIND diet had a lower weight status on average—a higher weight status can relate to greater levels of inflammation and poorer cognitive performance. 

Also, physical activity and diet quality tend to go together in people, Keye said. It could be that the kids who ate more MIND diet foods focused better because of a healthier, more active lifestyle.  

Is the evidence enough to start changing children’s diets? More research is needed into the potential cause-and-effect, but if the benefits interest you, “I would not stray away,” Keye said. 

“I always try to just keep it simple while doing this type of work. Sometimes I find that people will read about this and say, ‘I’ve got to change all these things about my life,’” Keye said. “I study behavior change a little bit, and I find that it’s easier to start simple and do one thing.”

If the MIND diet’s potential benefits seem compelling, try adding in some berries and smoothies into your meal plan, or cooking with olive oil instead of butter for a week, Keye suggested. 

For now, the results from this study present a few next steps. Future studies can run diet interventions, where researchers control participants’ food intake to fit the MIND diet and observe any effects. Researchers could also make the same analysis of diet and attention control in an even younger group of child participants, or with a wider range of socioeconomic status. 

“We’re just excited to be doing the work and excited to have some interesting results,” Keye said. “And hopefully, one day, we can get a good intervention.”

To contact Shelby Keye, email skeye2@illinois.edu 

The paper, “MIND Diet Pattern Is Associated with Attentional Control in School-Aged Children,” was published in the Journal of Cognitive Enhancement in January 2025. It is available online.

DOI: 10.1007/s41465-025-00318-4

Editor’s note:

To reach Ethan Simmons, email ecsimmon@illinois.edu.
 

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A passion for teaching

May 22, 2025 | Anna Flanagan

Responsibility for teaching many courses offered by the department is also borne by another group of highly qualified individuals known as specialized faculty

Kristen DiFilippo was one of five Illinois faculty awarded for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching this year (Photo by Ethan Simmons)

Like the University of Illinois and the College of Applied Health Sciences, the Department of Health and Kinesiology pursues a three-pronged mission of leadership in research, teaching and service. It is the primary responsibility of tenure-track faculty to advance the research mission by successfully securing grants to support their work and by publishing extensively in the leading journals in their areas of expertise. 

Tenure-track faculty also teach, of course, but responsibility for teaching many courses offered by the department is also borne by another group of highly qualified individuals known as specialized faculty. More than 75% of the department’s specialized faculty hold doctoral degrees in such fields as kinesiology, community health, nutritional science, sociology and education.

“These are individuals who really enjoy teaching, who enjoy interacting with students and helping them along their educational journey,” said Health and Kinesiology Department Head Kim Graber. “They’re passionate about teaching and having an impact on the lives of undergraduate and graduate students.”

“Passion” is the word both Kristen DiFilippo and Kristin Carlson use when talking about teaching. Both hold positions as teaching assistant professors. Carlson was in a tenure-track position at another university when she realized she wasn’t as interested in doing research as she was in working with students. The teaching position at Illinois better aligned with her personal goals, she said, and she seized the opportunity to join the teaching faculty. That the decision was a good one is evidenced by Carlson receiving the 2023 Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award: Specialized Faculty from the College of Applied Health Sciences.

“The university is known for its research—and it attracts a lot of students—but they are deeply concerned about the education they are receiving here,” she said. “We are able to provide a high-quality educational experience to our students, and we develop relationships with them as we see them time and again in the various classes we teach.” 

DiFilippo, who was one of five Illinois faculty awarded for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching this year,  shares Carlson’s enthusiasm for her primary role.

“My first love is the classroom, and teaching is valued here,” she said. “Specialized faculty play a significant role in the teaching mission and making sure that there is quality education being provided for our students. We are excited to be in the classroom.”

Some of their responsibilities straddle the line between teaching and service. Carlson, for example, oversees the department’s physical education teacher licensure program. She also serves as an assistant department head with a focus on curriculum. DiFilippo guides students in the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences degree program through their required internship experiences as a teacher of the 400-level internship course. She also is the lead teacher for the Interdisciplinary Health Sciences’ annual study abroad experience in Greece. 

These are individuals who really enjoy teaching, who enjoy interacting with students and helping them along their educational journey.

Kim Graber

HK Department head

While the lion’s share of their responsibilities relate to teaching, DiFilippo, Carlson and other members of the teaching faculty also are expected to contribute to the department’s research mission. DiFilippo applies her background in nutritional science to investigations of chronic disease prevention and management through the use of nutrition education and behavior change. She is a principal investigator on a seven-figure grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture that supports OneOp, a collaboration with the Department of Defense and Cooperative Extension that provides continuing education opportunities to health care providers who work with military-connected individuals. Carlson, a member of the Pedagogical Kinesiology Lab, focuses her research on incorporating academics into K-12 physical education and enhancing the fitness activities used in physical education classes. 

Although they are not eligible for tenure, DiFilippo and Carlson can apply for promotions similar to tenure-track faculty, from teaching assistant professor to teaching associate professor to teaching professor. Unlike tenure-track faculty, who must apply for tenure after five years or lose their positions, members of the teaching faculty may choose not to submit paperwork for promotion indefinitely, as long as their annual contracts are renewed. 

Graber said the teaching faculty are highly valued by the department and across campus.

“They step up in so many ways that enable the tenure-track faculty to focus on their research,” she said. “We wouldn’t be able to offer as many undergraduate and graduate classes as we do with the high quality that we are known for without our professionals who are devoted to teaching. They are a godsend.” 

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HK spring 2025 department head message

May 21, 2025

Kim Graber, Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan professor and head, Department of Health and Kinesiology (Photo by Craig Pessman)

Hello, Health and Kinesiology family,

Welcome to the spring 2025 edition of our newsletter! This marks our first spring semester under our new department name, officially changed last August. We have exciting updates to share and plenty to celebrate.

Inside, you’ll learn about the importance of specialized faculty, how digital-voice assistants support older adults and read about innovative research and a prestigious honor for our faculty. I hope this edition leaves you inspired by our collective impact and the momentum we’re building together.

Wishing you a successful and fulfilling semester!


Warmly,
Kim Graber
Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor and Head, Department of Health and Kinesiology

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AHS students present diverse projects for Undergrad Research Week

May 01, 2024 | Ethan Simmons

Students, faculty and staff got a taste of the findings from AHS’ budding student researchers during the AHS Undergraduate Research Expo

Kinesiology juniors Elizabeth Martinez, center, and Aubrey Cervantes, left, present their research at the AHS Undergrad Research Expo (Photo by Ethan Simmons)

For a freshman at the College of Applied Health Sciences, Saiesha Bollapragada’s research portfolio is impressive. 

At last week’s Undergraduate Research Symposium, the I-Health major got to present the results from her first research project, “Public Health Preparedness Among UIUC Students During Extreme Heat Conditions,” where she examined students’ awareness and handling of severe heat in the spring semester. 

She completed her study with a push from Students Pursuing Applications, Research and Knowledge, or SPARK, an AHS program that jump-starts incoming undergraduate students research experiences by pairing them with professors in the college. Bollapragada was placed with Recreation, Sport, and Tourism Associate Professor Mariela Fernandez, whose experience with urban environmental injustices fit her research topic perfectly. 

“Professor Fernandez motivated me to start this project on my own,” Bollapragada said. “There’s a lot more reading involved than I thought there was, it was a lot of work preparing for the symposium, but if it’s something you’re interested in it’s a fun process.” 

Students, faculty and staff got a taste of the findings from AHS’ budding student researchers during the AHS Undergraduate Research Expo at Huff Hall on Wednesday, April 24, where a roster of undergraduates gave poster presentations on a diverse range of research topics.

Many students spearheaded their own research projects with significant support and guidance from faculty and graduate students. Others, like a group of Speech and Hearing Science students from the Intellectual DisAbilities Communication Lab led by Associate Professor Marie Moore Channell, provided updates on long-range research projects they’ve assisted with on campus. 

Three SHS seniors, Emma Mueller, Abigail Keasler and Liz Gremer, presented initial findings from their glimpse into the Speech Accessibility Project, an ongoing research endeavor looking to make voice recognition software—such as Apple’s Siri or Amazon’s Alexa—more accessible for people with different speech patterns.

Each of the students has helped recruit participants with Down syndrome or aided vocal transcriptions from the samples they’ve collected. Under the leadership of Channell, the lab hopes to collect 240,000 voice samples from 400 participants. 

“Our poster looked into the recruiting process with that population and took a look at patterns of articulation differences exhibited by individuals with Down syndrome,” said Mueller, who transcribed vocal samples for the project. 

All three of the students met in Channell’s lab, and immediately found research responsibilities once the Down syndrome portion of the project came under Channell’s purview. 

“It’s been very rewarding, very interesting and very impactful,” Keasler said. “A lot of families in meetings or over the phone say, ‘Siri doesn’t really understand what we’re trying to say,’ so this is very important and I can’t wait to see the results of it.” 

Coming to a project affiliated with SHS with “so much publicity and so much money coming in is encouraging,” said Gremer, who has helped recruit participants and set up their first meetings for collecting voice samples. 

AHS student programs, such as the first-generation focused Mannie L. Jackson Illinois Academic Enrichment and Leadership Program (I-LEAP), were well represented in the research symposium. I-LEAP juniors Elizabeth Martinez and Aubrey Cervantes, both studying kinesiology, brought results from their research collaboration on high-intensity interval training. 

Working within KCH Professor Steve Petruzzello’s Exercise Psychophysiology Lab, the pair analyzed 25 participants’ emotional responses to high-intensity exercise, compared with their scores and symptoms of several mental health qualities: namely anxiety, depression and neuroticism. 

“We were looking at exercise adherence—how can we get more people to get more active—and we were really interested in HIIT exercise, so we put it all together in one research project,” Cervantes said. 

What they found: Participants with more symptoms of depression reported more negative affect responses during the HIIT exercise, while anxiety and neuroticism didn’t show significant predictive power, they said.

“This is my first hands-on [study] that I can call my own and Aubrey’s,” said Martinez, who’s applying to physical therapy schools. “My favorite part is meeting with the participants. It’s so fun getting to know everyone, even if there’s a lot more hours behind the desk just plugging and chugging data.” 

Editor’s note:

To reach Ethan Simmons, email ecsimmon@illinois.edu.
 

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Global opportunities

April 03, 2024 | Anna Flanagan

The College of Applied Health Sciences boasts a diverse student body in which 33 percent of the students belong to historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and 149 students are from other countries

Jemimah Bakare, right, Emmanuel Dubure and Byron Juma, left, are parts of a growing contingent of Illinois students from Africa (Photo by Michelle Hassel)

The Republic of Ghana has the second-largest population in West Africa. Until recently, Emmanuel Dubure was one of its more than 32 million inhabitants. He said the part of the country where he grew up faces many health challenges, and he wanted to develop the expertise to make a difference. He chose to study in the United States, he said, because “the U.S. has the best educational system at the graduate level and is a hub for research and experts in many fields.”

Dubure aspires to work at the community level to improve health back home. He learned of Illinois on LinkedIn and liked the idea of obtaining his master’s degree in community health from a well-ranked Research 1 university. 

“Most importantly, I chose to come here because the College of Applied Health Sciences had faculty doing good research in my area of interest, which is the use of nutrition education to improve health, particularly in relation to chronic conditions,” he said.

Dubure described his experience at Illinois as “amazing” and said he would strongly recommend it to other international students.

“I have met a lot of wonderful people, both students and professors. The environment here is very stimulating and supportive of learning,” he said. “AHS is very multicultural, which gives you an opportunity to learn about different cultures. It also helps you feel at home because you meet other people from your home country.”

A common sense of humanity

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign boasts one of the largest international student populations among public institutions in the United States. According to the university’s Vision 2030 Global Strategy document, the first international students arrived on campus just four years after the university was founded. In 1907, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign became the first university in the nation to create the position of international student advisor, an early recognition of the benefits of worldwide perspectives in education and scholarship. 

Marta Schneider, associate director for global communication at Illinois International, said the university’s global strategy puts a high priority on intentional engagement in Global South countries. 

“The number of students from the African continent have indeed been increasing, with Nigeria being among the top 10 represented countries at Illinois in 2021 and 2022,” she said. “The university also is committing resources to increasing ties with Latin America and underrepresented parts of Asia.”

Bill Stewart, interim head of the Department of Recreation, Sport and Tourism, thinks encouraging international enrollments is a good idea.

“A world-class university needs a world-class student body to prepare future professionals for careers that will involve advancing relationships across international and cultural boundaries,” he said. “International students elevate class discussions and activities and research programs by sharing insights and cultural values.”

As a result, he adds, domestic students often better understand cultural differences and similarities and reflect on their own cultural heritage. International students can increase understanding of a common sense of humanity.

This has certainly been the case for Sandraluz Lara-Cinisomo, associate professor of kinesiology and community health. Her research addresses disparities in the mental health of women and mothers in different racial, ethnic and immigrant groups and the military. In her Laboratory for Emotion and Stress Assessment, she has graduate students from Nigeria, Ethiopia and The Republic of The Gambia. She said the insights that international students provide on perinatal mental health disparities are critical for addressing the diverse needs of mothers not only globally but also within the United States.

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a prestigious institution, and I am extremely proud of being a student here. I wouldn’t want other international students to miss out on these crucial opportunities.

MaryEllen Mendy

Doctoral candidate, Community Health

“International students have lived experiences that are valuable when considering risk factors for perinatal mental health, barriers to care and innovative strategies that respect diverse communities’ cultural and linguistic needs,” Lara-Cinisomo said. 

Domestic students also benefit from learning, she added, that while public health crises abroad may appear identical to ones in the United States, they may actually involve layers of complex cultural and political systems that aren’t observed here.

One of Lara-Cinisomo’s mentees, Mary Ellen Mendy, hails from the smallest country within mainland Africa, the Republic of The Gambia. Women in The Gambia face many challenges to their physical and mental health. After completing her Ph.D. in community health, Mendy hopes to apply all that she has learned from this program and her Master of Public Health program at the University of Illinois Springfield to making a difference back home.

“The skills I am developing are already paving the way for my future career as a researcher,” Mendy said. “I have received so much training in the Laboratory for Emotion and Stress Assessment lab, which I greatly value.”

Mendy said she already has recommended the program to friends back in The Gambia: “The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a prestigious institution, and I am extremely proud of being a student here. I wouldn’t want other international students to miss out on these crucial opportunities.”

A wholehearted recommendation

Like their domestic colleagues, international students also benefit from the exposure to different cultures. Kenyan student Byron Juma said he has seen the months fly by as he’s grown “leaps and bounds” from his interactions with students from different parts of the world.

“I have taken classes from different departments and appreciated the opportunities to interact with students from diverse academic and social backgrounds and nationalities,” he said. “Such interactions have enriched my academic life and allowed me to view my research from different perspectives. Furthermore, these interactions have allowed me to learn and appreciate other cultures, thus building my emotional and social intelligence.”

Juma, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in recreation, sport and tourism, has researched doping in sport in Africa and Europe. The unique closed-league system and heavy commercialization of sport in the United States offered an exciting new perspective for his research. The possibility of studying with RST Assistant Professor Julian Woolf, one of the world’s leading scholars on the topic, was also enticing. 

“I firmly believe that AHS has some of the best faculty in the country,” Juma said. “Getting a degree in the college counts as a prestigious achievement.” 

Juma also noted that the outstanding diversity of the student body in AHS, where 33 percent of the students belong to historically underrepresented racial and ethnic groups and 149 students are from other countries, makes it easy to feel at home.
Nigerian student Jemimah Bakare, who is pursuing a master’s degree in community health, agrees.

“The campus’ commitment to diversity and inclusion makes it an attractive choice for an international student,” she said. “The sense of belonging and the opportunities for cultural exchange are enriching aspects of the university experience that I believe are essential for personal growth and academic success.”

Bakare’s interests focus on the management of type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease in older adults. She was drawn to the strong academic and research reputation of the campus and the college as well as the student body diversity. 

“The academic rigor and quality of instruction have exceeded my expectations,” she said. “Furthermore, the university’s emphasis on research and practical application of knowledge has provided me with valuable hands-on experiences that will undoubtedly contribute to my future career in community health.”

Because of this combination of academic excellence, diversity and translational research opportunities, Bakare would “wholeheartedly” recommend the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the College of Applied Health Sciences to other Nigerian students. In addition, she said, the support services and resources available to international students at the university help to ensure a smooth transition to life in the United States.

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AHS makes additional programs globally accessible

Jan. 15, 2024 | Anna Flanagan

The College of Applied Health Sciences featured students in its annual magazine, Moving Forward: Emmanuel Dubure, left, Byron Juma and Jemimah Bakare, right. (Photo by Michelle Hassel)

In its 2020-2025 strategic plan, the College of Applied Health Sciences makes a commitment to improving the access and affordability of its programs and reducing barriers that have historically limited individual opportunity.

For international students, the prospect of pursuing degrees in the United States can be both alluring and daunting. While the U.S. system of higher education is widely regarded as among the best in the world, the expense of moving overseas, securing required visas, learning a new language in some cases and adapting to a new culture can be overwhelming. One way to increase educational opportunities for both international and U.S.-based students is to offer degree programs and professional certificates online. 

Currently, AHS offers a master’s degree and professional certificate in recreation, sport and tourism online, as well as a certificate of professional development in information accessibility design and policy. Efforts are underway to create two new online degree programs in the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, the Master of Public Health and the Master of Health Administration. In addition, the online master’s degree in RST will be restructured into three specialized degrees. Each new program also will offer online certificates that focus on professional skills that are in demand. For example, non-degree students and other professionals can take advantage of the college’s expertise in public health and health administration by pursuing certificates in epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, physical activity and health, health promotion, health finance, healthcare quality and health informatics.

Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, dean of AHS, said the college is always happy to welcome students to campus but recognizes the challenge residential learning poses for many. 

“We have incredible, internationally renowned scholars on our faculty and degree and research programs that are exceptional and visionary,” she said. “We want to continue our leadership in health and health-related education by sharing our outstanding resources with a global audience.”

According to the Investment for Growth proposal submitted by the college, the online MPH program could begin enrolling students by year three of the process, while the MHA program is expected to enroll students by the fourth year. As far as the RST plan, following two years of redesign, the department plans to enroll students by year three.

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AHS honors four outstanding alumni

Jan. 15, 2024 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

In 2023, the College of Applied Health Sciences chose four AHS graduates to receive alumni awards. These awards serve as a testament to the unwavering dedication and great contributions of our graduates.

Dean Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, left, stands with alumni award winners Michael Leach, Saul Morse and Walter Johnson. William Haskell was unable to attend the ceremony. (Photo by Jerry Thompson)

Young Alumni Award
Michael Leach
Recreation, Sport and Tourism

Michael Leach was appointed as the first-ever chief diversity and inclusion director for the White House in January of 2021. Leach, who earned his bachelor’s degree from RST in 2009, spent more than five years working for the National Football League on the NFL Management Council and later worked for the Chicago Bears and Miami Dolphins.

“I am truly humbled and honored to receive the 2023 Young Alumni Award from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign,” Leach said. “My time in the College of Applied Health Sciences, and the institution more broadly, was nothing short of transformative.”

Harold Scharper Award
Saul Morse
Disability Resources and Educational Services

Saul Morse earned his bachelor’s degree (1969) and law degree (1972) at the University of Illinois and since has focused his practice on legislative matters, health law, insurance and municipal law. In 2010, with the passage of the Affordable Care Act, Morse was asked by the Illinois Department of Insurance to establish and manage an insurance pool for individuals with pre-existing health conditions.

“The Harold Scharper award is of great importance to me,” Morse said. “I came to the University of Illinois as a 17-year-old freshman. At the time, no other university in this country had a program which fully included students with a disability in all aspects of campus life, from academics to housing to activities. Most of what I have been able to do personally, professionally and within the broader community is due to the DRES program of the college.”

Distinguished Alumni Award
William Haskell
Kinesiology and Community Health

William Haskell is an internationally renowned researcher and emeritus professor of medicine at Stanford University. Haskell earned his Ph.D. in exercise physiology from the University of Illinois in 1966, and his work and achievements have clearly fulfilled the Illinois mission.

“It is truly an honor to receive the Distinguished Alumni award,” Haskell said. “Attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offered me the opportunity to study and work with a large range of outstanding faculty and students, many of whom became exceptional leaders in exercise science research and teaching, as well as lifelong colleagues and friends.”

Walter Johnson
Recreation, Sport and Tourism

Walt Johnson was born in Watseka, Ill., and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1958 with an undergraduate degree from the RST program. Later he entered the graduate program in RST and had the privilege of learning from both Professor Charles Brightbill and Dr. Alan Sapora. Upon graduation from the RST master’s program in 1962, Johnson moved immediately into a career in parks and recreation, where he served in a number of key leadership positions.

“The University of Illinois has always been the reason for my success and the lifestyle I live today,” Johnson said. “It gave me knowledge, hope and encouragement. Growing up on a farm and spending hours on a John Deere tractor since age 8, and milking cows, planting, cultivating and raising cattle and pigs, I determined I did not want to be a farmer.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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Graber honored as Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor in Applied Health Sciences

April 29, 2025 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Anyone who has been fortunate enough to work with Kim Graber should be thankful she wasn’t a very good cook.

Kim Graber was appointed as the Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor in AHS on April 22 (Photo by Craig Pessman)

Graber, the head of the Department of Health and Kinesiology in the College of Applied Health Sciences, was appointed as the Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor in AHS on April 22. 

In a heartfelt ceremony attended by university leadership, colleagues, students and alumni, Graber was recognized for her outstanding contributions to research, education and service over a career spanning more than three decades.

Graber, who grew up in Barrington, Illinois, said she did not think about becoming a professor because, at that time, “Career opportunities for women were limited, and girls were taught to dream about a career in teaching, nursing, or secretarial work.”

So, when she started college at Valparaiso University, she began as a student in home economics. 

“That, however, lasted only a year because I didn’t enjoy cooking and wasn’t very good at it, as my family will attest,” she said during her investiture ceremony.

The event was opened by Cheryl Hanley-Maxwell, dean of the College of Applied Health Sciences, who highlighted the significance of an endowed professorship. 

“Endowed professorships enable us to recognize, reward and retain outstanding scholars whose work brings renown not only to them but also to the college and the university,” Hanley-Maxwell said.

Hanley-Maxwell emphasized that such honors are reserved for faculty members at the pinnacle of their fields, affirming Graber’s well-deserved recognition.

The investiture ceremony also paid tribute to Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan, whose philanthropy made the professorship possible. Hanley-Maxwell recounted the Khans’ inspiring journey from their days as University of Illinois students to becoming leading entrepreneurs and philanthropists. Shad Khan’s story, from washing dishes for $1.20 an hour to leading a multi-billion-dollar global enterprise, was shared as a testament to resilience, innovation and community spirit.

Today, the Khans’ support extends across the university, including significant contributions to the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts, the College of Business, the College of Veterinary Medicine and the Khan Annex to Huff Hall.

Following remarks from University Provost John Coleman, the ceremony turned its focus to Graber’s achievements. After Valparaiso, she transferred to the University of Iowa to study physical education, setting her on her current path.

Graber’s academic journey took her to Columbia University for a master’s degree in movement sciences, an experience she describes as “the best year of my life.”

Graber embraced New York and would have continued for her doctorate at Columbia if not for the fact that the university didn’t offer teaching assistantships, and the accumulation of debt. So, she pursued her doctorate at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, developing a passion for understanding how individuals learn and socialize into teaching professions.

“It’s where I learned to understand research, write like a scholar and think like an academic,” she said.

It’s where I learned to understand research, write like a scholar and think like an academic.

Kim Graber

Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan Professor

Graber’s research, grounded in teacher socialization theory, has significantly influenced how scholars and practitioners view learning and professional development in education, particularly within physical education.

Graber’s work has been widely published in leading journals such as Teaching and Teacher Education, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Quest, and Kinesiology Review. She has been a leading voice in examining how undergraduate education shapes future educators, and her later work has expanded to issues such as legislative policy in schools, children’s wellness, curriculum design, and the demographics of teacher educators.

Beyond her research, Graber is a well-recognized as an educator and mentor. Her devotion to undergraduate education has earned her prestigious awards, including the University of Illinois’ Distinguished Teacher/Scholar Award and the college’s Phyllis J. Hill Award for Exemplary Mentoring. 

She emphasized the joy of teaching, saying, “To play a small role in preparing individuals to make a better future for others is very satisfying.”

Her service contributions are equally significant. As department head of Health and Kinesiology, Graber assumed leadership just as the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded. Undeterred by unprecedented challenges, she spearheaded efforts to revitalize the department through strategic planning, curriculum redesign and faculty expansion. Under her leadership, the department saw a substantial decrease in the student-to-faculty ratio, bolstering its academic standing.

In her speech, Graber expressed profound thanks to Shahid and Ann Carlson Khan for their support, to her mentors and collaborators such as Tom Templin and Amy Woods, and to her colleagues, students and family. She also shared touching stories of the relationships that sustained her through her academic life, including the pivotal support of her mother, now 95 years old, whose wisdom and encouragement made her achievements possible.

“She and my dad are the reason I attended college,” Graber said. “It was a family expectation that has served me well. As she will tell you, I’ve always been fiercely independent and determined, and she had the wisdom to set me free. That freedom has led to a very rich life and fulfilling career. Thanks, mom.”

In closing, Graber thanked for Khans for their “many contributions to the greatness of the University of Illinois.

“You are role models for sharing your success with others, and that is no small feat. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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Kraay: NPIs, Boosters work to battle COVID-19

Oct. 22, 2022 | Vince Lara-Cinisomo

Alicia Kraay’s study shows getting vaccine boosters and using non-pharmaceutical interventions can reduce cumulative deaths from COVID-19.

In a recent publication, Kinesiology and Community Health assistant professor Alicia Kraay and her collaborators write that combining boosters and non-pharmaceutical interventions results in a 30 percent decrease in cumulative deaths due to COVID-19, with potential for greater impacts if variant-adapted boosters are used.

Non-pharmaceutical interventions, or NPIs, include wearing a mask and social distancing, but also “surface decontamination and improved hygiene,” said Kraay.

According to Kraay’s publication, “The role of booster vaccination and ongoing viral evolution in seasonal circulation of SARS-CoV-2” in the journal The Royal Society, a rise in COVID-19 infection rates are expected this fall as the use of NPIs is relaxed.

“This year, we expect a fall surge, in part because we expect the transmission rate to be seasonal,” she said. “And we’ve also seen people have relaxed NPIs.”

Kraay attributed the decrease in NPIs in part to pandemic fatigue.

“Also, people’s different perception of safety now that vaccination is more widespread,” she said. “Some of the initial strategies that were proposed are simply not sustainable in the long term. It’s not really possible for elementary schools to do virtual learning only for the next 10 years. And there are issues with feasibility in certain contexts like elementary schools, with adequately distancing young children and getting perfect mask compliance.”

But Kraay wanted to emphasize that the important thing about NPIs is they’re not all or nothing.

“You don’t just tell people, ‘Oh, you need to stay at home now because cases might be increasing, and you should do nothing. That’s, I think, what happened at first early in the pandemic,” she said “You’re not going to get high compliance if you make recommendations like that. And it’s also not scientifically appropriate because not every type of interaction has the same level of risk. I think in order to get NPI compliant, it’s being clear about when NPIs are needed and when they’re not and what type is the most effective.”

Kraay, an infectious disease epidemiologist who did her undergraduate work at North Carolina-Chapel Hill and got her Ph.D. at Michigan, recommends wearing a mask in crowded situations you cannot avoid, and limiting appearances at large gatherings.

In terms of boosters, Kraay said ongoing safety studies will be important to ease concerns about vaccine safety, especially among parents.

“It’s going to be important to understand more about the impact of boosters,” she said. “In my paper, we assumed that boosters could reduce risk of infection. But the booster data hasn’t been fully analyzed yet. Seeing what happens with these variant-specific boosters and are there impacts in reducing transmission, and really quantifying how much it can help if you get boosted … at the population level, I think it could be useful.”

One thing Kraay remains uncertain about is whether the current pandemic has made the United States, and the world, for that matter, better prepared to handle the next global health crisis.

“I think we definitely have a better public health infrastructure, [but] I think there are still challenges from the health care access perspective. We know that there’s been a lot of new sources of funding that have been created to allow researchers to respond quickly to emergent priorities. We also know the way that vaccine development was streamlined is a major achievement.

“We have a better capacity to forecast infectious disease patterns over time. And we have new positions that have been created in pandemic preparedness at academic institutions throughout the country. There are challenges with health care access that I think still need to be worked out, [such as] health care access for marginalized populations. I do think we are in a better position just in terms of being able to respond from a public health and testing perspective, hopefully being able to respond more quickly from a vaccination perspective. The challenge still remaining of how to treat the people who do get sick is what I see going forward.”

And although President Biden declared the pandemic over in September 2022, Kraay isn’t as certain.

“COVID as we knew it in February and March 2020 is over,” she says. “I think that it’s true that our experience of COVID-19 has dramatically changed now. But I don’t think that we’re all the way to the point that it’s just in the background. It’s something that we definitely need to monitor. And we’re just not there yet.”

Editor’s note:

To reach Vince Lara-Cinisomo, email vinlara@illinois.edu.
 

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