From the Chair - Fall 2026
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We are now well into our fall 2026 semester and it is a great pleasure to report many great happenings in the Department of Kinesiology! Our talented and collegial faculty and staff continue to do great work, ensuring our students’ success as well as our excellence in research.
In this newsletter you will again see some of the wonderful and exciting activities that our students, staff and faculty have been involved in. Our success is across the board, with Judi LaBranche receiving the 2026 Manning Prize for Excellence in Teaching. This award celebrates extraordinary educators across the five UMass campuses, and Judi was this year’s UMass Amherst recipient. Ned Debold was the recipient of a $1.6 million grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) in support of a new optical tweezers system (informally known as the ‘laser trap’), one of world’s most sophisticated systems that will allow Ned to dive even deeper into the mysteries of muscle function. And our doctoral student Zoe Smith, working in Professor Jane Kent’s lab, earned first prize in the American College of Sports Medicine President’s Cup competition held during the organization’s 2026 annual meeting in Utah.
This year we also welcome two new faculty members; Abby Salvadore will be joining our teaching faculty in the area of biomechanics, and Fasih Rahman will join our Tenure track faculty in the area of muscle physiology. Both will start in the spring 2027 semester. You will also find information in this newsletter on our exciting new 4+1 program in Human Performance!
In June we hosted a highly successful Kinesiology 60th Anniversary Graduate Alumni celebration and conference in the new School of Public Health and Health Sciences Hub. We had over 100 attendees including former faculty Patty Freedosn, Joseph Hamill and Gary Kamen; many old friends reconnecting, excellent presentations, and alumni from as far back as 1979.
The department has several important scholarships supporting undergraduate and graduate students. These include the Patty Freedson Undergraduate Health and Wellness Scholarship, the Frank Rife Undergraduate Scholarship in Kinesiology supporting student internships, and the Priscilla Clarkson Graduate Scholarship in Kinesiology, supporting dissertation research. Support for these scholarships contribute in very important ways to our students’ success and career opportunities. I am also excited to let you know that the Department is establishing an endowed lectureship in honor of Dr. Joseph Hamill, one of the most influential scholars in the field of biomechanics.
I hope you enjoy catching up with the happenings in the Department of Kinesiology. We have lots of great news to report and hope that you consider submitting newsworthy items to include in our future newsletters. We would love to hear from you!
Richard van Emmerik, PhD, FNAK
Professor and Chair, Director of Motor Control Laboratory
Department of Kinesiology