Faculty

Our award-winning faculty share a belief in the value of physical activity, sport and recreation in improving the health and well-being of society. We encourage interdisciplinary and international teaching and research opportunities. Our faculty are involved in the community and are having a direct impact working with students, seniors and vulnerable populations.

Continue reading to explore the research interests of our faculty, or check out our Faculty Moments video series.

Dean


Dean – Dr. Anne Marie Sullivan, B.Rec. Dalhousie, MA Waterloo, PhD Guelph

Research:

  • Advancing the profession of therapeutic recreation
  • Pedagogy and student preparation
  • Recreation therapy and recovery

 


Associate Deans



Associate Dean Graduate Studies and Research - Dr. Duane Button, B.Kin. Memorial, MPE Memorial, PhD University of Manitoba, Certified Exercise Physiologist

Cross-appointed to the Faculty of Medicine, Division of Biomedical Services

Research:

  • Nervous system adaptations to chronically increased and decreased activity

Visit the Human Neurophysiology Lab's website or Facebook page.


Acting Associate Dean Undergraduate Studies - Dr. Kevin Power, B.Kin. Memorial, MPE Memorial, PhD Manitoba, CSEP-CEP

Research:

My NSERC funded research program is aimed and understanding how the brain and spinal cord produce complex movements and whether or not exercise influences that process.

Connect with Dr. Power on Twitter, or check out his blog and publications.

You can also visit the Human Neurophysiology Lab's website or Facebook page.



Professors


Dr. David Behm, BPE, B.Ed. Ottawa, MS McMaster, PhD McGill

  • Honour Award for the Strength and Conditioning Society 2020
  • Memorial University of Newfoundland's President's Award for Outstanding Research, 2006
  • MUN University Research Professor Award
  • MUN School of Graduate Studies Service Award
  • National Strength and Conditioning Association Outstanding Sport Scientist Award
  • Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology Honour Award
  • Fellow of the European College of Sport Sciences

Research:

  • Neuromuscular responses to acute and chronic activity

Read more on Dr. Behm's website, check out his Research Gate profile, or view his Google Scholar account.  

 


Dr. TA Loeffler, BA Prescott College, MS Mankato State, PhD Minnesota

  • Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, 2013
  • 3M National Teaching Fellowship, 2008
  • Minnesota State University Mankato Distinguished Alumni Award, 2008
  • Memorial University of Newfoundland Faculty Volunteer of the Year Award, 2008
  • Association of Experiential Education Karl Rhonke Creativity Award, 2007
  • Association of Atlantic Universities Distinguished Teacher Award, 2006
  • Memorial University of Newfoundland President's Award for Distinguished Teaching, 2005

Research:

  • The role of nature in health and physical activity
  • The phenomenology of the outdoor experience
  • Women's participation in outdoor leadership and physical activity

Dr. Loeffler's website


Associate Professors


Dr. Fabien Basset, BPE, M.Sc., PhD Laval

Research:

  • Cardiorespiratory responses to exercise
  • Muscle fatigue and human performance
  • Metabolic responses to environmental factors

Dr. Basset's website


Dr. Jeannette Byrne, B.Sc. (PT) Dalhousie, M.Sc. Waterloo, PhD Waterloo

Research:

  • Factors influencing joint and muscle function in both healthy and injured populations.
  • Biomechanical modelling.
  • Knee function following total knee arthroplasty.
  • Physiotherapy interventions aimed at optimizing joint and muscle function.

Dr. David Hancock, B.A. (Hons), M.A. Laurentian, PhD Ottawa

Research:

  • Sport officiating (group processes, decision-making, mental health, recruitment/retention, and female officials)
  • Youth sport (relative age and birthplace effects)

Dr. Hancock's website


Dr. Angela Loucks-Atkinson, BA, MA Waterloo, PhD Georgia

Research:

  • Health and well-being
  • Chronic illnesses and disabilities
  • Health and social psychology
  • Active lifestyle
  • Valued life activities
  • Constraints
  • Chronic pain and fatigue
  • Lifespan
  • Methodological, measurement and statistical issues

Dr. Loucks-Atkinson's website


Dr. Erin McGowan, B.Sc.(Hons) Ottawa, M.Sc. Memorial, PhD Western

Research:

  • Exploring the effects of physical activity on managing treatment side effects and improving overall quality of life
  • Health behaviour change in cancer survivors.

Dr. McGowan's website


Assistant Professors


Dr. Jeff Crane, B.Kin., B.Ed. Acadia University, M.Sc. (Kin.) Texas Woman's University, PhD. University of Victoria

Dr. Crane is cross-appointed with the Faculty of Education. 

Research:

  • Promotion of physical activity engagement across the lifespan for all individuals.
  • Prevention against sedentary behaviours across the lifespan for all individuals.
  • Internal and external influences that contribute to either an active or sedentary lifestyle.
  • The role of an educator (preservice and service) as a contributor to motor development.
  • Exploring schools and community as key players to engagement in physical pursuits.
  • Creating opportunities for individuals with disabilities or special needs and at-risk populations.
  • Physical and health literacy.

Dr. Crane's website


Dr. Kim Cullen, BSc (Kinesiology) Waterloo, MSc (Rehabilitation Science) McMaster, PhD (Biophysics) Guelph

Cross-appointed to the Faculty of Medicine, Community Health and Humanities.

Research:

  • Examining workplace hazards and risk factors for musculoskeletal and mental health conditions.
  • Identifying meaningful thresholds of change for outcome measures in work and health research.
  • Using evidence synthesis approaches to evaluate effective workplace policies and program innovation in work disability prevention.

Dr. Cullen's website


Dr. Stephanie Field, BA, MSc (Kinesiology), PhD (Kinesiology), University of Victoria

Twitter: @stephcfield
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stephanie-Field-3

Research:

  • children’s perceived and actual water competence
  • physical literacy in aquatic environments
  • the impact of water safety programs on drowning prevention
  • physical, cognitive, and social factors that influence children’s recreation and leisure participation
  • the role of perceived and actual motor competence on physical activity participation

Dr. Field's website


Dr. Gregory Pearcey, B.Kin. (Hons.) - Memorial, M.Sc. (Exercise Physiology) - Memorial, Ph.D. (Neuroscience) - University of Victoria; Postdoc (Physiology, & Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation) - Northwestern University, CSEP-CEP

Research:

Dr. Pearcey studies how movement, sensory input, physical training, and novel therapeutic interventions can improve human abilities and capacities in both healthy and impaired humans. His research lends evidence from basic cellular and molecular neuroscience with the goal of understanding how humans control movement and improve human motor function after injury/disease. He studies the neurophysiology of human movement via dynamometry, kinematics, spinal reflexes, and human motor unit behaviour using state-of-the-art high-density surface electromyography techniques.

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.ca/citations?hl=en&tzom=210&user=EepAdkEAAAAJ
ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Gregory-Pearcey
Twitter: @gregorypearcey


Dr. Kyle PushkarenkoBSc (Kinesiology); BA (Psychology) University of Saskatchewan, MA McGill University, PhD University of Alberta

Research:

  • Inclusive physical literacy theory and practice.
  • Developmental disabilities and adapted physical activity theory and practice.
  • Community stakeholder perspectives of adapted physical activity programming.
  • Barriers and facilitators to participation and engagement in adapted physical activity.
  • Ableism in adapted physical activity practice.
  • Experiential accounts of adapted physical activity practice and programming.
  • Adapted physical activity program development and curriculum design.

Dr. Pushkarenko's website


Dr. Katie Wadden, B.Kin (Hons.) MUN, M.Sc. (Kinesiology) MUN, Ph.D. (Rehabilitation Sciences) University of British Columbia, Certified Kinesiologist

Research:

Dr. Wadden investigates the effects of movement-based interventions on novel brain-body measures in clinical populations. Specifically, Dr. Wadden studies individuals with stroke and multiple sclerosis and patients in the preconception and postpartum phases of reproduction.

The methodological approaches Dr. Wadden uses to evaluate the effect of movement-based interventions, understand the impact of movement dysfunction and predict human movement behaviours include (1) neuroimaging: TMS and MRI, (2) motor learning tasks and (3) cardiorespiratory exercise testing.


Connect with Dr. Wadden on Twitter (@kwadden) or check out her publications. You can also visit The Wadden Lab website: https://www.waddenlab.com/


Professor Emeritus


Dr. C. Higgs, B.Sc. Oregon, M.Sc. Oregon, M.Ed. Oregon, PhD Oregon