Honors Announced, $90,000 Donation Made at 2009 Alderson Lecture - May 6th, 2009

The Alderson Lecture, hosted by the College of Education's Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, has become a spring tradition during which faculty and students are celebrated, a noted national scholar delivers the keynote address and Hall of Honor inductees are announced.

This year's lecture included a welcome addition to the evening's schedule, with Play Golf America presenting a $90,000 check to the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education's golf program. Professional golfer Justin Leonard contributed $90,000 to Play Golf America, and The University of Texas at Austin's student golf program was selected to receive the very generous donation.

"It's such an honor to get this kind of support for our golf program," said Dr. John Ivy, chair of the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education. "We have a wonderful program here at The University of Texas at Austin. Our students can take specific courses to learn how to teach and run golf programs at golf courses, for example, or country clubs. This money will help us a great deal as we continually strive to improve."

The 2009 Alderson Lecture keynote speaker was Dr. Jack Berryman, a nationally acclaimed sport historian and sports medicine expert from the University of Washington Medical School. His talk was titled "Exercise as Medicine" and included a historical overview of the role of exercise in overall health.

"At the beginning of the 20th century," said Berryman, "people became focused on 'sick care,' but that wasn't always the case. Before that, throughout history, it was standard procedure to focus on good health and prevention of illness. This prevention focus started with Hippocrates and Galen and emphasized the uses and abuses of six 'non-natural' things: air; food and drink; sleep and wake; motion and rest; evacuation and repletion; and passions of the mind.

"Exercise was considered by medical experts to be part of health care. The responsibility for disease and health was with every person - you had a personal responsibility for your health, and people understood that you died by the way you lived. Now, in the 21st century, we're getting back to that notion and trying to reverse the epidemic of type 2 diabetes and soaring rates of obesity, for example, by teaching people how to prevent these health problems."

The evening also featured the announcement and presentation of the 2009 President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports Science Honor Award. Rear Admiral Penelope Slade-Sawyer, U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health, Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and acting director for the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sport, bestowed the prestigious honor on kinesiology and health education professor Dr. Waneen Spirduso, congratulating Spirduso on over 40 years as an advocate of exercise as a key to overall good health and longevity.

Among Spirduso's considerable achievements, she is a former Department of Kinesiology and Health Education chair and was interim dean for the College of Education. She was the Oscar and Anne Mauzy Regents Professor for Educational Research and Development, twice served as chair of the Faculty Senate, founded the Institute for Gerontology and was president of the North American Society of the Psychology of Sport. She was the first chair of The University of Texas at Austin Women's Athletics Council, chaired the Men's Athletics Council and has authored four books and 11 book chapters. Spirduso's primary area of expertise is the effects of aging on information processing that initiates and controls movement.

In addition to receiving a national honor at the Alderson Lecture, Spirduso also had the privilege of announcing the 2009 Department of Kinesiology and Health Education Hall of Honor inductees. Hall of Honor members are chosen from former students and faculty members, community members and individuals in professional fields who have made significant, long-term contributions to the fields of kinesiology, sport, rehabilitation, fitness and health education.

This year's inductees were Dr. Teresa Lozano Long and Colonel Barbara Springer.

Dr. Lozano Long is the first Mexican American to earn a doctorate in physical education from The University of Texas at Austin and is known statewide for her considerable support of public education, the arts and issues relating to Latin American culture. Locally, she and her husband Joe Long have been applauded for their role in the renovation of the Lester E. Palmer Auditorium, which was renamed the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long Center for the Performing Arts. The Long Foundation, established in 1990, provides support for Texas programs that offer opportunities for children and young adults. A distinguished alumna of The University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Lozano Long has continued to support the university by donating time and funds to the Latin American Studies Department, now the Teresa Lozano Long Institute of Latin American Studies. Additionally, she supports education by serving as a board member for the University of Texas Interscholastic League, the College of Education's Education Foundation Advisory Council and the University of Texas Press Advisory Council.

"Dr. Long has lived a lifetime of giving back," said Spirduso, "and has been a guardian of diversity and children everywhere."

Col. Barbara A. Springer, also inducted into the Hall of Honor, received her doctorate in health education and health promotion from The University of Texas at Austin's College of Education in 2002 and is director of the U.S. Army's Proponency Office for Rehabilitation and Reintegration. She is a board certified clinical specialist in orthopedic and sports physical therapy, a White House physical therapy consultant, a Certified First Responder and winner of the 2001 Karl Klein Award. She is a scholar and expert in the areas of abdominal muscle function, psychosomatic medicine, normal single limb stance times and amputee outcome measures. She also has spoken nationally on the topics of physical therapy evaluation and treatment of severely injured service members from initial care on the battlefield to preparation for an independent life. Prior to her current position, Col. Springer was chief of the Integrated Physical Therapy Service at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and the National Naval Medical Center.

Dr. Lozano Long and Col. Springer were presented Hall of Honor plaques. The Hall of Honor is located in the H.J. Lutcher Stark Center for Physical Culture and Sports at The University of Texas in Austin.

In addition to celebrating the contributions of faculty, community leaders and national scholars, graduate and undergraduate scholarships also were announced during the Alderson Lecture. Scholarships went to students from health promotion and fitness, sport management, general kinesiology and all level teacher certification.

Richard Hogeda, award-winning kinesiology and health education undergraduate sponsor and sponsor for the Kinesiology Club, also announced the winner of the Dr. Lynn McCraw Award. The McCraw Award went to Kinesiology Club president Sean Hill. Hogeda also announced the winner of a new scholarship established in honor of former faculty member Charles Craven, who served as a mentor and supporter of the Kinesiology Club for many years. The first winner of the Charles Craven Scholarship was Nick Garcia, Jr. The Kinesiology Club established and funds both scholarships.

As is tradition, faculty, students, parents and distinguished guests were treated to a reception after the lecture.

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

Related Sites:

• Department of Kenesiology and Health Education