Dr. Richard Kreider, Professor and Department Head

332-A Blocker 
(979) 845-1333
rkreider@hlkn.tamu.edu.

Dr. Kreider serves as Professor, Department Head, and Thomas A. and Joan Read Endowed Chair for Disadvantaged Youth in the Department of Health & Kinesiology at Texas A&M University.  Dr. Kreider also directs the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab. Prior to coming to Texas A&M, Dr. Kreider served as Chair of the Department of Health, Human Performance & Recreation at Baylor University and Director of the Exercise & Sport Nutrition Lab and Center for Exercise, Nutrition and Preventive Health.  He also founded and directed the PhD program in Exercise, Nutrition, and Preventive Health that ranked 10th in the 2008 Academic Analytics Productivity Index.  Dr. Kreider has conducted numerous studies on nutrition and exercise and has published three books, more than 400 research articles and abstracts in scientific journals, and more than 150 articles for health and fitness magazines.  Dr. Kreider is a Fellow of the American College of Sport Medicine (ACSM); an active member of the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA); a founding board member and Fellow of the International Society of Sports Nutrition; and founding Editor-In-Chief of the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.  Dr. Kreider has received more than $10 million in external funding to support research related to the role of exercise and nutrition on health, disease, rehabilitation, and performance.

Dr. Susan Ward, Professor, Associate Department Head and Chair, Division of Health Education

322-A Blocker
(979) 862-1248
sward@hlkn.tamu.edu

Dr. Ward is the Chair of the Health Division, and Associate Head of the Department of Health and Kinesiology at Texas A&M University. Prior to coming to Texas A&M University, she was a partner in Espinoza Ward Solutions, a program evaluation firm, where she contracted with Texas Health and Human Services Commission and other agencies to conduct health program evaluations over a 5 year period of time.  Before initiating the evaluation firm, Dr. Ward was a full professor at Texas Woman’s University and served as the Chair of the Department of Health Studies. Dr. Ward has a strong understanding of the profession of health education. She was a participant in the initial focus groups at which the first MCHES responsibilities and subcompetencies were discussed and she led her department at Texas Woman’s University through two SABPAC approval cycles.  Dr. Ward has been very active in health education professional organizations. She served as the President of National Eta Sigma Gamma and most recently, as a member and subcommittee chair for the National SOPHE Annual Meeting Planning Committee.

Dr. David Wright, Professor, Associate Department Head and Chair, Division of Kinesiology

305-E Blocker 
(979) 845-5213
d-wright@hlkn.tamu.edu

Dr. David Wright was named Division Chair of Kinesiology in the Department of Health & Kinesiology at Texas A&M in June of 2008.  Dr. Wright's research is focused on the acquisition and rehabilitation of sequential behaviors common in everyday activities such as speech, handwriting, and other complex movement skills.  He has published more than 100 papers, book chapters and conference abstracts on these topics.  He also co-authored an introductory text book entitled, "An Introduction to Human Movement: The Sciences of Physical Education".  Dr. Wright is currently a co-investigator on an NIH funded project addressing aging and learning of novel fine motor tasks.  He was an invited visiting scholar at the Max Planck Institute for Psychological Research in Munich Germany, the recipient of the Research Writing Award from the AAHPERD research consortium, and a past recipient of the CEHD Outstanding New Faculty Award.               

Paul J. Batista, JD, Associate Professor, Associate Department Head and Chair , Division of Sport Management

342-BD Blocker 
(979) 845-2391
pbatista@hlkn.tamu.edu

Paul J. Batista was named Division Chair of Sport Management in 2010.  He has practiced law since 1976, primarily in Caldwell, Texas.  He has been admitted to practice before the United States Supreme Court, is licensed to appear in all courts in Texas including the Texas Supreme Court, and is a certified Mediator and Arbitrator.  Prof. Batista has also served as County Judge of Burleson County, Texas, handling the administrative duties of the county, as well as presiding over the County Court hearing civil, criminal, juvenile, probate, and other types of cases.  He has taught the Legal Aspects of Sport classes at Texas A&M since 1991, has received the Texas A&M Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Award in Teaching and the Student Led Award for Teaching Excellence, and has been named a Montague Center for Teaching Excellence Scholar.  Prof. Batista is a Past-President of the Sport and Recreation Law Association.  His primary research interest is sports related liability issues in school settings, with particular emphasis on First Amendment religion and free speech issues.  He has delivered invited and refereed research presentations at numerous conferences throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, China, Germany, Slovenia and South Korea. He also organizes and leads the summer Sport Business in Europe study abroad program to Germany, Austria and Switzerland.

Mr. Frank Thomas, Instructional Professor, Associate Department Head and Division Chair, Physical Education Activity Program

120-C G. Rollie White 
(979) 845-7430
fthomas@tamu.edu

Frank Thomas began his career at Texas A&M University as a graduate assistant in the Department of Health and Kinesiology in 1979, rising through the ranks to become the Associate Department Head and Chair of PEAP, a position he has held since 1997.  He is an internationally acclaimed archery coach, having served as head coach of the U.S. Men's Archery Team for the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Greece, as well as several World Championships and numerous other international competitions.  Mr. Thomas has done presentations for the Texas Association of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, as well as the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance.  He is the lead author on two textbooks used in walking and archery classes in the Activity Program.  Mr. Thomas has also been the recipient of the Emil Mamaliga Teaching Excellence Award.  As the Associate Department Head and Chair of PEAP, Mr. Thomas is responsible for the administration of KINE 198 and 199 and Visual and Performing Arts classes to over 30,000 students a year with a full-time faculty of more 40 instructors and 20 graduate assistants.  

Ms. Melinda Grant, Associate Instructional Professor and Associate Chair, Physical Education Activity Program

120-A G. Rollie White
(979) 845-1156
mlg@tamu.edu

A graduate of West Virginia University, Melinda Grant came to Texas A&M University in 1994 as a lecturer in the Physical Education Activity Program.  She became the Associate Chair of PEAP in 1997 and the aquatic coordinator in 2001.  Ms. Grant has been the recipient of the Emil Mamaliga Teaching Excellence Award, The Association of Former Students Distinguished Teaching Award, and the CEHD Advisory Council Extraordinary Service Award.  Her area of expertise is aquatics, particularly water safety and lifeguarding.  She has done consulting and judging for numerous lifeguarding competitions, including the Texas Super Guard Competition and the Texas State Lifeguarding Championships.  Ms. Grant is a member of the Aggie Honor Council, Faculty Senate, and a former Fish Camp namesake.  She is also responsible for the CPR training for the PEAP faculty and graduate assistants.

Dr. Charles Shea, Professor, Associate Department Head and Chair of Graduate Programs

305-F Blocker
(979) 845-5002
cshea@hlkn.tamu.edu

Dr. Shea is a Professor in the Division of Kinesiology and Associate Head of Graduate Programs in the Department of Health and Kinesiology.

Dr. Paul Keiper, Clinical Assistant Professor and Coordinator of Undergraduate Programs

342-BC Blocker
(979) 458-2724
pkeiper@hlkn.tamu.edu

Dr. Keiper is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Sport Management and Coordinator of the Undergraduate Programs in the Department of HLKN.