NASPSPA President Election

My name is Nancy Getchell, and NASPSPA has been a cornerstone of my academic and personal journey since 1988, when I attended my first conference as a master’s student in Vancouver, BC. Over the years, this community has shaped my career, and in 2021, I was honored to present the Motor Development Senior Lecture—bringing my NASPSPA experience full circle.  Now, I believe it is the right time to step into a leadership role and run for president. While I’ve contributed in various capacities, I have not yet pursued a formal leadership position in NASPSPA. However, my experience leading professional organizations—including the International Motor Development Research Consortium and the Federation of International Societies of Sport, Physical Activity, and Kinesiology—has prepared me well. Additionally, my tenure as Faculty Senate President at the University of Delaware has strengthened my ability to guide organizations effectively.

With a background in Motor Development, I earned my MS and PhD from the University of Wisconsin and have spent nearly 25 years as a professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Applied Physiology at the University of Delaware. My research spans motor coordination and control in children, both typically and atypically developing, and more recently, brain-behavior relationships using functional near-infrared spectroscopy.

NASPSPA has been my academic home, and if elected, I will work to expand its reach and engagement, ensuring it remains a vital hub for researchers at all career stages.

For 50+ years, NASPSPA have been a leading scholarly society for the dissemination of knowledge, incubation of ideas, and encouragement of students. I have been a NASPSPA member for 22 of those years, affording me the opportunity to cut my teeth alongside academic giants. My professional journey has been elevated via my connection to NASPSPA, leading to my current role as the Associate Dean for Research & Innovation at Old Dominion University. I’ve had the opportunity to give back to our Society over the years (e.g., Student Representative, Communications Director, and NASPSPA Mentoring Program). My goal as President would be to help strengthen NASPSPA for the next half century and beyond.

With an eye to the future, I ask how we may broaden our Society’s connections? While we are the NORTH AMERICAN…SPSPA, most of our representation is from the USA and Canada. We have had very little representation from faculty/students in Mexico over the years, which represents a significant opportunity to enhance our Society. Welcoming our Mexican and other North American colleagues through thoughtful and inclusive interactions that are mutually beneficial will strengthen our Society by offering diverse viewpoints, theoretical models, and applied research opportunities. This could be accomplished, for example, by inviting a North American scholar from outside the USA and Canada to be a featured conference speaker and hosting virtual meet-and-greets—which could lead to scholarly collaborations and student exchanges. It would be an honor to serve as your President to support these and other initiatives to strengthen our Society.

NASPSPA Communication Director Election

I would like to express my enthusiasm and gratitude for the opportunity to run for Communications Director and, if elected, serve NASPSPA on the Board of Directors. I sincerely value the academic and professional opportunities and experiences that NASPSPA has provided since my first conference in 2009 (Austin, TX) when I was a doctoral student at the University of Minnesota. I have attended and presented research at nearly all meetings since 2009. At the 2011 conference (Burlington, VT), I was awarded the NASPSPA Student Research Grant for my dissertation study, which subsequently earned the 2012 NASPSPA Outstanding Student Paper Award (Honolulu, HI). I am serving on this year’s NASPSPA Program Committee for sport and exercise psychology, I also served on the 2020 Program Committee, and I’ve moderated verbal sessions at several meetings.

I am currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at Texas State University. My research focuses on positive youth development through sport and physical activity, with an emphasis on coach and peer influences, self-perceptions, and well-being. Other professional service roles include current Editorial Board member for Pediatric Exercise Science and past Section Editor for Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science. If elected as Communications Director, I would be honored to continue the tradition of facilitating timely and accurate communication with members through a variety of modalities, including the NASPSPA newsletter and social media outlets. I would joyfully welcome this opportunity to serve the organization and its members.

NASPSPA’s focus on rigorous science and student development aligns to what excites me most in my role as an Associate Professor at East Carolina University (Department of Kinesiology). I have embraced NASPSPA as my scholarly touchstone by presenting 9 consecutive years (2016-2024) and mentoring 15 students to present at our conferences. To contribute to our Society’s advancement and well-being, I have served on the Conference Program committee (2019-2021; Sport and Exercise Psychology) and moderated several conference sessions (2021, 2022).

I earned my master’s from Florida State University (USA) and my PhD from the University of Stirling (UK), indicating I would bring an international perspective to this role. The advantage of my research focus (team dynamics and efficacy beliefs) is that I work well with others and prioritize effective communication. My direction and involvement in international and interdisciplinary research teams exemplifies my ability to navigate challenges associated with coordination of people and information in a timely manner. To date, I have roughly $770,000 in funding,  20 peer-reviewed papers/chapters, and 40 international presentations. I also have experience co-leading sport diplomacy via international cultural exchanges and am co-director of a new Tactical Athlete Clinic at my university.

If elected as Communication Director, I would (a) continue timely and clear communication via emails/newsletters, (b) ensure that internal and external messaging aligns with our values and vision, (c) maintain the website and associated materials (e.g., virtual workshop/seminar series) and (d) strategically build our social media and digital marketing aligned to our organizational and conference goals.

NASPSPA Student Representative Election

My name is Jesse Hansen. I am a first-year doctoral student, under the supervision of Dr. Breanna Studenka, in the Disability Disciplines program with an emphasis in Pathokinesiology at Utah State University. My research has looked at how individuals plan and execute movements to accomplish goal-oriented tasks (motor planning). For my doctoral research I’m interested in how motor behavior effects social interaction, especially in the autistic population. My motivation and passion for this special interest comes from my personal connection with having two children with autism. My family has been my best support in my pursuit for success, which may look differently compared to others. I believe in creating a community as strong as a family. In order to do this, there are three key principles that makes a family: Trust, Respect, and Support. I’ve developed a passion for mentoring others and found that these three principles create the optimal environment for others to find their own definition of success. I enjoy learning from others, every person has unique information/knowledge that can be shared. I’m thankful to be nominated as a NASPSPA 2025-2026 Student Representative which is a position that has limitless doors to open. I want to create a community that puts trust in each other, that respects the findings and successes of others, and finally a community that supports each other in their pursuit of individual greatness. This will be done through active collaboration, monthly sharing of research pursuits and sharing of experiences from conferences/lectures and through research.

My name is Makayla Hutchinson and I am honored to be running as a candidate in the election for student representative! This fall, I will be attending Vanderbilt University as a graduate in the biomedical sciences masters program where I will have the opportunity to enhance my research background before attending medical school.

At the start of my senior year, I had minimal experience in participating in research, but a curiosity created from personal experience about how to make better doctors and healthcare providers led me to start a project for my last undergraduate semester at Merrimack College. At that time, I never would have imagined the involvement and interest.

Four years ago, I tore my ACL, and eight months after having it reconstructed, I tore it again. I was in physical therapy for years for the injury and multiple areas of pain and learned the importance of exercise and proper recovery. From there, I began my work as a technician in a PT clinic for two years where I had the opportunity to work under experienced physical therapists and create relationships with patient’s and learn about their experiences. Since then I started working at Boston Children’s Hospital where I witness the research advancements of medicine every shift and work with some of the best providers in the nation. I have had the privilege of working with Dr. Nicholas Santabarbara on his project covering HIV care providers’ perceptions of exercise as a form of treatment for HIV smokers and what would keep them from implementing it in a treatment plan. Understanding the benefits of exercise as treatment has become evident to me and the issue of where it gets left out in treatment plans.

If elected, I plan to host educational events and workshops offering professional development opportunities. I would also love to host networking events for students looking to advance within their fields and collaborate with others with similar interests. My goal as representative would be to help as many people as possible create opportunities to grow and learn with others and make advancements in research and their own experiences.

Thank you for your consideration!