Congratulations to our Spring 2021 graduating cohort of Kinesiology Honors students. On Friday, May 7th, students presented their Honors Thesis on Zoom. From exercise physiology to active transportation, our students examined a variety of kinesiological topics, all while adapting their projects due to COVID-19 limitations. We are especially proud of this adaptable and resilient group of students!

Danielle Livingstone: Effect of Oral Contraceptives on Heart Rate Variability Compared to Naturally Menstruating Women

Please join us in celebrating our Kinesiology students graduating with their Masters of Arts in Kinesiology and Doctor of Philosophy in Kinesiology this May. Congratulations!

Monica Nelson, MA: Weighing the Body: Olympic Weightlifters' Negotiations of Weight Class and Body Ideals

Faculty Advisor: Dr. Shannon Jette

Kirsten Peterman, MA: The Impact of COVID-19 on Anxiety within NCAA Student Athletes Compared to Non-Athlete University Students

On Wednesday, May 12, faculty, staff and SPH leaders convened for the virtual spring assembly where faculty and staff were honored for their outstanding service and commitment to the school.

View the PowerPoint slides from the 2021 SPH Spring Assembly.

Last week, the University of Maryland School of Public Health virtually inducted 23 members into the Delta Omega Honorary Society in Public Health. Inductees included students, faculty, alumni and this year's honorary inductee, Dr. Carlton Green, the director of diversity training and education in the University of Maryland Office of Diversity and Inclusion.

The School of Public Health held its annual Dean’s Recognition Ceremony on April 30. The virtual event served to showcase and honor members of the school’s community with the Distinguished Terrapin Award and the inaugural Early Career Award. 

Near the end of each academic year, School of Public Health faculty, staff, students, families and friends look forward to honoring our outstanding students through the SPH Convocation.

Congratulations to Kirsten Peterman, a Master of Arts in Kinesiology student studying Cognitive Motor Neuroscience, for her second place finish in the Public Health Research Day Poster Presentation. Her poster is titled "Will There Be a Season? The Impact of COVID-19 on Anxiety Within NCAA Student-Athletes and Non-Athlete University Students."

Congratulations to Anna Posbergh, a kinesiology doctoral student in the physical cultural studies group who is advised by Dr. Shannon Jette, for receiving the American Association of University Women (AAUW) American Fellowship! Posbergh's research interests include sex testing, the ethics of policy, and women in sports. 

Congratulations to Dr. David Andrews for receiving a 2021 Graduate Mentor of the Year Award from the Graduate School. Recipients of this award are selected based on student nominations.  As outlined on The Graduate School website, "The Graduate Faculty Mentor of the Year Award serves the dual purposes of recognizing outstanding mentoring provided by individual faculty and of reminding the university community of the importance of mentoring to graduate studies."

More than a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, most of us have experienced varying degrees of depression or anxiety related to the challenges of this unusual and trying time. 

Yet some people have weathered the stressors better than others. What factors predicted better mental health during the pandemic and what can this teach us about protecting against depression and anxiety during other difficult times?