First Winner of the Dorothy J. Lovett Distinguished Alumni Award Named - October 2, 2007

Dr. Deborah Rohm Young, professor and interim chair in the Department of Kinesiology at the University of Maryland-College Park, was the guest speaker at the Sept. 28 McCraw Lecture and is the first recipient of the newly established Dr. Dorothy J. Lovett Distinguished Alumni Award.

Young’s presentation was titled “Physical Activity Interventions for Adolescent Girls: Lessons Learned and Next Steps” and covered a recent study that she conducted on behavioral skills intervention in physical education classes to increase overall physical activity in high school girls. Young’s research interests include physical activity behavior and its association with cardiovascular disease prevention, and she has conducted studies on developing and evaluating community-based physical interventions. Much of her research focuses on women and minority subgroups.

The Lovett Distinguished Alumni Award, which was established this year by kinesiology and health education professor Dr. Mary Steinhardt, was created to honor distinguished alumni of the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education and to recognize the contributions to society that active, successful, committed graduates achieve. The award will be given annually. Winners of the award receive a plaque and a check for $1,000.

Dr. Dorothy J. Lovett, whose name the award bears, is a former Department of Kinesiology and Health Education chair and has been a friend, mentor and instructor to many students, faculty and staff.

The McCraw Lecture Series is named after Dr. Lynn W. McCraw, who was a professor and chair in the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education from 1958 to 1973. The considerable scholarly achievements of McCraw as well as his professionalism, integrity and intellectual rigor have been recognized with numerous honors, including the lecture series, the Lynn W. McCraw Excellence Award for outstanding kinesiology and health education students, the Lynn McCraw Fellowship and the Lynn McCraw Scholarship.

The next lecture in the series is on Oct. 26 and features Dr. David R. Bassett, Jr., a professor in the Department of Exercise, Sport and Leisure Studies at the University of Tennessee–Knoxville. Noting that the world hour record in cycling has increased dramatically in recent years, Bassett conducted a study designed to compare the performances of former/current record holders, after adjusting for differences in aerodynamic equipment and altitude. Bassett will present a lecture titled “The Cycling World Hour Record,” at which he will discuss his findings. The talk is free and open to the public.

For more information on the McCraw Lecture Series please visit the McCraw Lecture Series Schedule page or contact Dr. Hiro Tanaka at htanaka@mail.utexas.edu.

—Kay Randall, University Communications, 512-232-3910

Related Links:

• Department of Kinesiology
• McCraw Lecture Series