University Of Massachusetts Amherst Expert Elected Fellow Of National Academy Of Kinesiology

Sofiya Alhassan, professor of kinesiology, has been elected as a fellow to the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK) – one of the highest honors in the field. To be selected, an individual must meet rigorous criteria for scientific research, professional scholarship, leadership experience and service to the discipline. Academy membership is limited to 200 active Fellows.

“Dr. Alhassan has been a leading researcher developing and implementing community-based physical activity interventions designed to mitigate childhood obesity and other negative health consequences of low activity in underserved communities of color,” says Richard van Emmerik, professor and chair of the Department of Kinesiology. “This focus is both a critical topic and an essential ongoing need in our society. Her work is unique in that she includes in her study designs and assessments factors such as the environment, culture, family unit and policies that may influence her outcomes and the health of the children she studies. Dr. Alhassan also has provided exemplary leadership to the Department of Kinesiology, School of Public Health and Health Sciences, the campus community and her profession. These leadership skills have recently been acknowledged through her appointment as associate dean in the Office of Inclusion and Engagement at the UMass Amherst Graduate School.”

Since joining the UMass Amherst faculty in 2007, Alhassan has served as kinesiology graduate program director, an ADVANCE faculty fellow and a scholar for the Center for Research on Families. Nationally, she has served on the board of trustees of the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), is a member of several committees within the ACSM organization and was previously a leadership and diversity fellow. Alhassan serves as editor of the Journal of Physical Activity and Health. She continues to mentor several students and faculty of color across the UMass campus.

Alhassan will be inducted into the academy in September at its annual meeting in Newport Beach, California. She will join her UMass kinesiology colleagues van Emmerik and Jane Kent, as well as emeriti faculty Patty Freedson and Joseph Hamill, as fellows of the academy.