Nancy Williams begins term as president of the American Kinesiology Association

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Nancy Williams, professor and head of the Department of Kinesiology at Penn State, has been elected president of the American Kinesiology Association (AKA). Her term, which began Feb. 1, will focus on advancing the academic field of kinesiology and planning an annual meeting devoted to promotion of physical activity through teaching and outreach. 

The American Kinesiology Association is dedicated to promoting kinesiology as a unified field of study and advancing its many applications. It supports its more than 200 member departments by providing resource materials and leadership and educational opportunities for university administrators in kinesiology. 

“I am looking forward to working with the AKA’s committees to improve and expand the reach of the organization, and the benefits to member organizations,” Williams said. 

Williams, along with the AKA board of directors, plan to move the organization forward as per its mission to promote the academic discipline of kinesiology as a central contributor to the understanding of human health and performance; as well as disseminate essential information and emerging trends in kinesiology to academic units; provide professional development and support activities for kinesiology academic units and professionals in human health and performance; and strengthen connections and engagement with kinesiology academic units and professional organizations.

“Working with the members and leadership of AKA will help me keep abreast of what is going on in the field of kinesiology and in particular, the opportunities and challenges encountered by our kinesiology academic units,” Williams said. “Serving as president is an outstanding opportunity to contribute to moving the field forward. I learn a lot from leaders of kinesiology units all across the country and this enriches my perspective on issues I face on my own campus.”

In addition to advancing the overall mission of the AKA, Williams will plan and organize the organization’s annual meeting in 2020, which will take place in Tampa, Florida, in January 2020.

“The theme of the annual meeting will be promoting ‘Physical activity through Kinesiology Teaching and Outreach: An Eye Toward the Future.’ Pre-meeting workshops will focus on undergraduate recruitment, retention and career trajectories, and, secondly, strategies for promoting and facilitating research in kinesiology departments,” Williams said.

Williams has served as head of the Department of Kinesiology since 2012. She joined the faculty as an assistant professor in 1997. She became an associate professor in 2003 and a professor in 2009. She co-directs the Women’s Health and Exercise Laboratory in the Department of Kinesiology. Her research is centered on physiological and behavioral underpinnings of interactions between energy balance, reproductive function, bone health and exercise performance. 

She earned her doctorate in anatomy and physiology from Boston University in 1992 and then completed postdoctoral work in reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. 

Williams is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and of the National Academy of Kinesiology. She has served as president of the Female Athlete Triad Coalition and is a member of several professional organizations. 

For more information on the American Kinesiology Association, visit americankinesiology.org. For more information on the Penn State Department of Kinesiology, visit hhd.psu.edu/kines.