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Kinesiology graduate students awarded ACSM Leadership and Diversity Training Program Fellowships

Six graduate students in the Department of Kinesiology have been awarded Leadership and Diversity Training Program (LDTP) fellowship awards by the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM).

Founded in 2008, the LDTP promotes the successful careers of underrepresented minority members through mentoring and professional growth. The program provides one-on-one mentorship and offers students a chance to be involved with ACSM at both regional and national meetings, with ACSM committees, and provides funding for students to attend ACSM and to visit their mentor during the fellowship year.

Top row (left to right): Marcos Amalbert-Birriel, Melanna Cox, Joseph Gordon. Bottom row: Skylar Holmes, Timothy Joseph, and Nehemiah Wilson.
Top row (left to right): Marcos Amalbert-Birriel, Melanna Cox, Joseph Gordon. Bottom row: Skylar Holmes, Timothy Joseph, and Nehemiah Wilson.

“Students for this very competitive program are selected based not just on their interest in the field of kinesiology, but their potential to succeed in academia and in ACSM,” says Sofiya Alhassan, professor of kinesiology, who also serves as the department’s graduate program director. “All the students that received the award have demonstrated excellent scholarly potential and leadership skills.”

“These awards reflect the emphasis in the department in creating a diverse graduate student body and culture in the graduate program that welcomes students from all backgrounds,” adds Richard van Emmerik, professor and chair of kinesiology. “Most importantly, these students are successful and the ACSM awards that our students of color are obtaining are a testament to our approach, faculty mentorship, and commitment of the department that students from all backgrounds succeed in our program.”

The ACSM Leadership and Diversity Training Program fellowship recipients are:

Level 2 Awardees (Doctoral Level Students)

Marcos Amalbert-Birriel, a doctoral student working in the Physical Activity and Health Lab under the supervision of Associate Professor John Sirard

Melanna Cox, a doctoral student working in the Physical Activity and Health Lab under the supervision of Associate Professor John Sirard

Joseph Gordon III, a doctoral student working in the Muscle Physiology Lab under the supervision of Professor Jane Kent

Skylar Holmes, a doctoral student working in the Musculoskeletal Orthopedic Biomechanics Lab under the supervision of Associate Professor Katherine Boyer

Level 1 Awardees (Master’s Level Students)

Timothy Joseph, a master’s student working in the Pediatric Physical Activity Lab under the supervision of Professor Sofiya Alhassan

Nehemiah Wilson, a master’s student working in the Pediatric Physical Activity Lab under the supervision of Professor Sofiya Alhassan