Kinesiology's Ann-Marie Sylvia Named Doctoral Hooding Ceremony Student Speaker
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Ann-Marie Sylvia, who will be graduating with a doctorate in kinesiology, has been selected as the student speaker for the UMass Amherst Doctoral Hooding Ceremony being held Friday, May 16 at 9 a.m. in the Mullins Center.
Sylvia, who also completed a Master of Public Health in epidemiology during the first two-and-a-half years of her doctoral program, joined UMass Amherst’s kinesiology department due to its commitment to inclusion, a key concept and belief within her own work, which centers on the intersection of physical activity, neurodiversity and the human-animal bond. Her dissertation examined the role of physical activity in equine-assisted adaptive riding for neurodivergent children and adolescents. She presented her findings to the International Society for Physical Activity and Health in Paris in the fall of 2024.
Her academic interests in neurodiversity and dedication to inclusivity extend to her approach to teaching. At UMass, Sylvia designed and facilitated a workshop for faculty and instructors to better understand the needs of neurodivergent students and redesign their curricula to be more neurodivergent-friendly. Thanks to her resolve in creating an open and positive environment for her students, she was nominated for the 2024–25 Distinguished Teaching Award.
Sylvia has accepted a faculty position at UMass Amherst and will be joining the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology in the School of Public Health and Health Sciences, where she will be teaching and conducting small-scale research.