Faculty & Staff
David J. Szymanski, Ph.D., CSCS*D, RSCC*E, FNSCA
Professor, Department Chair
Department of Kinesiology
Eva Cunningham Endowed Professorship in Education
Power Lift Sport Science Educational Board Member
Department of Kinesiology
Louisiana Tech University
Email: dszyman@latech.edu
Biography:
Dr. David Szymanski is a Professor of Kinesiology, with an emphasis in exercise physiology focusing on how to enhance sports performance and was formerly (2006 - 2014) the Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the baseball team at Louisiana Tech University. At LaTech, he has been awarded the Virgil Orr Undergraduate Teaching Award as well as the University Senate Chair Award. He is one of the Power Lift Sport Science Educational Board Members. One of his roles is to write evidence-based articles that relate to the strength and conditioning field (www.power-lift.com) . He is a former member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) Board of Directors having served two, three year terms (2011-14 and 2014-17), is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach with Distinction, Registered Strength and Conditioning Coach Emeritus, and a Fellow of the NSCA, as well as is an Associate Editor for the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research and Strength and Conditioning Journal.
Dr. Szymanski was formerly the Exercise Physiologist for the Auburn University baseball team for five years and a volunteer assistant baseball coach for two years. Before attending Auburn University, where he earned a Doctorate degree in Exercise Physiology, Szymanski was the Assistant Baseball Coach and Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for the baseball team at Texas Lutheran University for five years. He has been involved in over 20 research studies involving high school and college baseball players and has published numerous baseball research and training articles.
Classes Taught:
KINE 407: Exercise Prescription
KINE 408: Exercise Physiology
KINE 418: Strength and Conditioning
KINE 509: Tests and Measurement
KINE 526: Physiology of Exercise I
KINE 536: Physiology of Exercise II
KINE 546: Physiology of Strength & Conditioning
Research Interests:
Baseball & Softball Performance
Sports Performance
Strength & Conditioning
Jordan Blazo, Ph.D., NASPSPA, LACUE
Assistant Professor
Department of Kinesiology
Louisiana Tech University
Email: jblazo@latech.edu
Biography:
Jordan Blazo is an Assistant Professor of Psychosocial Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity in the Department of Kinesiology. Dr. Blazo has earned his Doctrate degree in Kinesiology (Specialization: Psychosocial Aspects of Sport and Physical Activity) from Michigan State University. He is also a member of North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA), and Louisiana Association of Computer Using Educators (LACUE)
Dr. Blazo is interested in studying family and child relationships in physical activity contexts. Specifically, Dr. Blazo is focused on studying the ways that sibling influence and shape one another’s physical activity experiences. Currently, he is investigating the role of siblings in developing perceptions of ability in sport, the correlates of sibling relationship qualities in sport, and how sibling relationships inform our peer interactions in the physical domain. His previous research experience has included a NIH-funded project examining the effects (i.e., cognitive, behavioral, and social) associated with a before-school activity program for children with ADHD symptoms.
In addition to Dr. Blazo’s research pursuits, he has worked with athletes, teams, and coaches on mental conditioning for performance enhancement. Example topics have included: mental toughness, confidence, performance anxiety, team building, leadership development, and motivation.
ClassesTaught:
KINE 202: Foundations of Kinesiology
KINE 316: Exercise and Sport Psychology
KINE 333: Motor Learning
KINE 420: Sports and Society
KINE 508: Research Methods in Kinesiology
KINE 531: Youth Sport and Exercise Psychology
KINE 538: Motivation in Physical Activity
KINE 539: Sport Psychology
KINE 540: Sport Impact on Society
Research Interests:
Youth Sport
Family Dynamics
Sibling Relationships
Drew Parks, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Kinesiology
Louisiana Tech University
Email: parksac@latech.edu
Biography:
Dr. Drew Parks is an Assistant Professor of Sport & Exercise Psychology in the Department of Kinesiology, with research interests in health behaviors, cognitive health, developmental disabilities, and human development. Dr. Parks earned his Ph.D. in Kinesiology from Michigan State University, with a concentration in Cognitive & Motor Neuroscience and an interdisciplinary specialization in Cognitive Science. His primary research interests include the examining the influence of health behaviors on cognitive performance in preadolescent children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. In addition to this work, he also pursues research examining the long-term impact and persistence of sports-related concussions on cognitive performance in adolescents and young adults, and work examining the role of physical activity in relation to various aspect of mental health. Congruent with his research endeavors, Dr. Parks served as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Michigan (2017-2019) and maintains active memberships with the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) and the Society for Psychophysiological Research (SPR). While much of the research he conducts is laboratory based, Dr. Parks also strives to foster relationships with organizations and local groups through volunteer efforts that may strengthen the research focus, but more importantly benefit the community.
Classes Taught:
KINE 292: Preventive Health and Wellness
KINE 509: Test & Measurements
KINE 518: Recent Literature & Research in Kinesiology
KINE 520: Motor Development & Learning
KINE 528: Ethics in Kinesiology & Sport
Research Interests:
Health-related behaviors
Cognitive & physical health
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Sport-related concussions
Mu Qiao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Department of Kinesiology
Louisiana Tech University
Email: mqiao@latech.edu
Biography:
Dr. Qiao is an assistant professor in the department of kinesiology with research interests in biomechanics, movement science, and human motor control. He holds a Ph.D. degree from the kinesiology program at the Arizona State University in 2012. During his Ph.D., he studied the control of human walking and running during unsteady state. His research is to understand the mechanism of reducing injury in daily activities and improving sports performance. He was a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (2012-2014), Penn State University (2014-2016), and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2016-2018). He has been serving as reviewers for Journal of Biomechanics, Gait and Posture, and Journal of Clinical Biomechanics.
Classes Taught
KINE 333: Motor Learning
KINE 423: Biomechanics
KINE 520: Motor Development & Learning
KINE 532: Lab Techniques in Sport Performance
KINE 534: Advanced Biomechanics
KINE 542: Mechanisms of Sports Injury & Rehab
Research Interests
The visual-motor control of human locomotion
Control of human walking and running during unsteady state
Modeling and simulation in biomechanics
Human motor control
Alison Reichter, Ph.D., NBC-HWC
Assistant Professor
Department of Kinesiology
Louisiana Tech University
Email: reichter@latech.edu
Biography
Dr. Alison Reichter is an Assistant Professor of Sport and Exercise Psychology in the Department of Kinesiology, with research interests in positive youth development through physical activity, and motivation and social influence in physical activity and other performance domains. Dr. Reichter earned her Doctorate degree in Kinesiology (specialization: sport and exercise psychology) from the University of Minnesota and is a national board certified health and wellness coach. Dr. Reichter is a member of North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity (NASPSPA) and the Institute of Coaching.
Classes Taught:
KINE 528: Ethics in Kinesiology & Sport
KINE 541: Exercise Psychology
Research Interests:
Positive Youth Development
Motivation
Health Coaching
Physical Activity Promotion
Mr. Vishesh Singh, MS (Sport Performance)
Instructor, Director of Human Performance Laboratories
Department of Kinesiology
Louisiana Tech University
Biography
Mr. Vishesh Singh is an instructor in department of kinesiology and Director of Human Performance lab (2016- present). He has two Bachelor Degrees. One is in Bachelor of Physical therapy (India) and other one is in Bachelor of Science (Botany and Chemistry). He has done his Masters in Kinesiology with concentration in Sport Performance. As a part of his Masters degree, he did his internship as Strength and condition intern with Louisiana Tech football team. Before He came to Louisiana Tech University, he had worked as a physical therapist for a year in India.
Classes Taught:
KINE 292: Preventive health and wellness
KINE 326: Functional Anatomy
KINE 408: Exercise Physiology
Research Interest
Biomechanics of Human Movement.
Sport Performance
Junhai Xu, Ph.D., CSCS, CES, USAW-1, USATF-1
Assistant Professor
Department of Kinesiology
Louisiana Tech University
Email: jxu@latech.edu
Dr. Junhai Xu (Hai) is an Assistant Professor of Kinesiology, with an emphasis in exercise physiology. Dr. Xu has earned his Doctorate degree in Kinesiology from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, LA, his Master’s degree from University of Houston-Clear Lake in Houston, TX. Dr. Xu served as a post-Doctoral Researcher at LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans (2021-2022) before joined in Louisiana Tech University. Previously, he was a Head Strength and Conditioning Coach for Chinese National under 17, 18, 19 girls’ & boys’, and women’s basketball teams (2011-2014), a volunteer Strength and Conditioning Coach of LSU football (2015-2016), also, he completed his Strength & Conditioning internship at NBA Houston Rockets (2010). Dr. Xu is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (National Strength and Conditioning Association), Corrective Exercise Specialist (National Academy of Sports Medicine), USA Weightlifting and USA Track & Field Level 1 Coach.
Class taught:
KIN 526: Exercise Physiology
Research Interests:
Cardiovascular response to resistance exercise
Cardiovascular response to nutraceuticals
Sports Performance
Strength & Conditioning
