Dr. Kacey DiGiacinto receives Hally Beth Poindexter Young Scholar Award

Kesha Williams
March 25, 2014

Dr. Kacey DiGiacinto, an assistant professor in the Physical Education and Health Department, received the National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education’s (NAKHE) 2014 Hally Beth Poindexter Young Scholar Award. During the 2014 National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education’s Collaborative Congress, Dr. DiGiacinto presented her paper titled &quotDiversifying Kinesiology: Untapped Potential of Historically Black Colleges and Universities.&quot The National Association for Kinesiology in Higher Education is an organization for professionals in higher education. Its purpose is to provide a forum for interdisciplinary ideas, concepts, and issues related to the role of kinesiology subdisciplines in higher education with respect for social, cultural, and personal perspectives. Kinesiology is an academic discipline which involves the study of physical activity and its impact on health, society, and quality of life. It includes, but is not limited to, such areas of study as exercise science, sports management, athletic training and sports medicine, socio-cultural analyses of sports, sport and exercise psychology, fitness leadership, physical education-teacher education, and pre-professional training for physical therapy, occupational therapy, medicine and other health related fields. This is the first time an ECSU faculty member has won this award. This award is earned by a faculty member who has less than 5 years of post-graduate experience in the field of kinesiology. This is a very prestigious award in the field of Kinesiology and in the organization. In her report, DiGiacinto explores three related issues, first, how professionals in this field of study can attract quality African American physical education teacher education students to the field of kinesiology second, can they identify well prepared African American undergraduates who will thrive in graduate level coursework third, how can they recruit exceptional African American students to participate in professional organizations like NAKHE. Ultimately, the author will provide suggestions for recruiting African Americans to kinesiology and ideas for further involvement in NAKHE. &quotIt’s important to provide professional workshops for students, provide tips related to resume writing, job hunting, provide First Aid, and CPR training as well a variety of guest speakers,&quot DiGiacinto. Other plans she thinks would help are to take undergraduates to professional conferences where they will hear the presentations made by scholars in the field.