Minds In Motion Lab

Congratulations Hannah! Today Hannah signed to become a 2026-2027 Graduate Research Fellow in the Global Strike National Security Fellowship Program. This program, partnered with the Louisiana Tech Applied Research Corporation & Air Force Global Strike Command, will see Hannah working on a holistic human performance optimization program alongside her project champion (Dr. Tucker Readdy) and Faculty Advisor (Dr. Drew Parks).

Hannah is a 1st year Master's Student studying Sport & Exercise Psychology, and is currently interested in health coaching, cognitive performance, performance psychology, and treatment of PTSD in members of the armed forces.

Congratulations Jacob on being named a 2026 National Master's Scholar Award Winner by the American Kinesiology Association!

This award recognizes student's who have presented with academic excellence and demonstrated dedication the field. Jacob is 1 of 2 Master's students to receive this award at the National Level.

Jacob is a 2nd year Master's student studying Sport & Exercise Psychology, and is currently working to complete research studies examining the impact of physical activity on long-term memory recall, the influence of guided meditation on attention, and the examination of the sport experience for recreational athletes with ADHD.

Check out a great write up by the Aspen Institute Sports & Society on recent work in the MiML from the 2024 Project Play Survey conducted by Drs. Jordan Blazo (LaTech) & Travis Dorsch (Utah State University)!

Containing engaging stories, impactful narratives, evaluation and insight by our team, stakeholders, and Dr. Andrew Parks (Latech) - this work is helping to highlight a growing need for opportunity in sport for children with disabilities and the unique benefits this environment provides.

Read more below!

Project Play survey: Youth with disabilities need sports more but play less - Project Play Among children who play sports, those with disabilities annually participate almost one month less in practices or competitions than their peers without disabilities. The lack of play can be impactful – parents of children with disabilities are more likely to believe their child’s health worsene...

Congratulations Emily!

Emily is a current Research Assistant & Health Coaching Intern in the MiML supporting both an international health study with pre-k children and a campus-wide health and wellness initiative.

Bringing it Home! 2nd year graduate student, Alyssa Twist (mentored by Drs. Reichter & Blazo) presents on her directed research study examining the impact of "Voluntary vs. Academic Credit Participation in College Student's Exercise Motivation and Psychological Outcomes.

Student's are often encouraged to engage in exercise classes at the university level, with some choosing to engage in these classes voluntarily while others sign-up for course credit. As an exercise instructor for both scenarios, Alyssa is seeking to better understand how these approaches to participation may influence an individuals motivations to engage in physical activity, and their perceptions of self.

Third times the charm! Undergraduate student Jacob Brown (mentored by Dr. Parks) presents on his proposed qualitative study investigating the "Influence of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder on Collegiate Athlete Experiences in Sport".

With more than 10% of all college student's participating in club athletics, Jacob (a club volleyball team member himself) seeks to explore how an ADHD diagnosis may influence the experiences these athletes have within sport.

Next Up! Undergraduate student Nick Tibi (mentored by Dr. Blazo), presents his proposal study exploring "How Twin Relationships Affect Self-Determined Motivations in Sport".

As one of our earliest members of the MiML, Nick has been invested in examining the unique aspects of twin relationships, in hopes of understanding how sport provides a distinct environment known to impact these connections and individual motivations in many ways.

Daniel Johnson recently graduated (Winter 2024) from the Sport & Exercise Psychology program here at LaTech, during which time he was able to intern with Barksdale Airforce Base aiding with a comprehensive health initiative unique to the base, and our M.S. program.

Don't let it be said that internships can't turn into something more! Daniel (and his family) are heading to Georgia to begin work with the U.S. Army at Fort Moore, providing his expertise and unique experiences to a new team.

We in the MiML are all wishing you the best of luck, and look forward to hearing all about this new adventure!

First Up! Graduate student Alma Cedefors (mentored by Dr. Reichter) presented her project proposal examining "Social Goal Orientation Among Female Collegiate Soccer Players".

As a former D-I soccer player Alma's work explores the integration of social factors influencing motivation within the framework of Achievement Goal Theory.

This past weekend, 10 graduate and undergraduate students from the MiML attended (and 4 presented) at the AASP South Central Regional Conference at the University of North Texas in Denton, TX.

The students got to meet with and hear from experts & researchers working with the U.S. Women's National Gymnastics Team, Division-I Football programs, and other leading professionals in Sport Psychology!

Be on the lookout for more in the coming days on the AMAZING presentations given!