Faculty & Staff Updates

DR. ELEANNA VARANGIS BURNS

joins our school this fall as an assistant professor of Movement Science. She is also a Michigan Concussion Center faculty member. Burns earned her PhD from University of North Carolina–Chapel Hill, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship in the Columbia University Department of Neurology. A cognitive neuroscientist, Burns uses the tools used to explore relationships between brain function and cognitive outcomes to probe mechanisms by which concussive injury may affect brain and cognitive function long-term. DR. ERIN GILES joins our school this fall as an assistant professor of Movement Science. She earned her PhD from McMaster University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Colorado Nutrition Obesity Research Center at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Before coming to U-M, Giles was an assistant professor at Texas A&M University. Her research is focused on determining how inflammation in the breast adipose and tumor microenvironment link menopausal weight gain and subsequent breast cancer risk, and using exercise, diet, and pharmacological interventions to decrease these obesity-associated comorbidities after menopause.

DR. ALEXANDRA DEJONG

LEMPKE joins our school this fall as a clinical assistant professor of Applied Exercise Science. She is also an Exercise & Sport Science Initiative faculty member. Lempke earned her PhD from the University of Virginia, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Micheli Center for Sports Injury Prevention through Boston Children’s Hospital. Lempke’s research interests include quantifying gait biomechanics using wearable technology for youth runners, and exploring musculoskeletal and other physical factors as they relate to injury. DR. LAURA RICHARDSON joined our school in January as a clinical associate professor of Applied Exercise Science and Movement Science. She earned her PhD from the University of Akron, where she taught in the College of Health Professions before coming to U-M. Richardson is a certified clinical exercise physiologist with extensive experience using exercise as a mode of therapeutic intervention for patients diagnosed with immunological, metabolic, pulmonary, neuromuscular, cardiovascular, and orthopedic disorders.

DR. NARI SHIN

joins our school this fall as an assistant professor of Sport Management. She earned her PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at the Institute for Peace and Conflict at Texas Tech University. Before coming to U-M, Shin was an assistant professor at Texas Tech University and the University of Connecticut. Her research interests include sport and physical activity participation by people of color, minorities, and immigrants; sport as a global civic movement; and the impact of transnational diaspora and globalization on the management and development of sport and physical activity.

Congratulations

Dr. Pete Bodary, clinical associate professor of Applied Exercise Science and Movement Science, is our new associate dean for undergraduate student affairs. Dr. Kathy Babiak, professor of Sport Management, is our new associate dean for faculty affairs. They began their terms this July after approval from the U-M Board of Regents. Dr. David Lipps, Dr. Pete Bodary, Dr. Adam Lepley, and Josh Mergos were promoted this fall after approval from the U-M Board of Regents. Read more on p. 36.

We also welcomed these new staff, lecturers, and postdocs:

IN MEMORIAM

CHAUNA BLACK, administrative assistant intermediate TINA CHEN, Michigan Concussion Center managing director FIDDY DAVIS JAIHIND JOTHIKARAN, postdoctoral research fellow JORDAN KARTES, laboratory coordinator TREVOR KILGORE, student engagement coordinator and academic advisor EMILY KLINKMAN, research associate ANNA LAMPORT, clinical subjects associate LANDON LEMPKE, postdoctoral research fellow JENNA MCCORMICK, admissions coordinator AMANDA MELVIN, research project manager LISA MICHELIN, associate director of operations SUSHOVITA MUKHERJEE, research lab specialist DOO JAE PARK, lecturer III SAMUEL REED, research specialist ASHLEY RETTMANN, research tech intermediate JENNIFER RICHARDS, adjunct lecturer SUSAN RINALDI, Exercise & Sport Science Initiative program officer MARY ROBERTS, adjunct lecturer TANNAZ SABETFAKHRI, research coordinator MARIA SANTIAGO-RODRIGUEZ, research area specialist associate JACKIE SHEEHAN, financial specialist intermediate OLIVIA STUMP, research specialist BETHANY WILLISTON, student services specialist SUSANN WOLFRAM, postdoctoral research fellow AARON WOOD, research data manager DANIEL YANG, lecturer I

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR EMERITA JOYCE LINDEMAN

passed away on September 8, 2021, at the age of 88. Lindeman joined the University of Michigan Department of Physical Education in 1967 as an assistant professor. Her career in what would later become the Division of Kinesiology included a distinguished record of teaching and service. She was promoted to associate professor in 1973, served as chair of the Department of Sport Management and Communication from 1989 to 2000, and also served as associate director of curriculum and instruction from 1991 to 2000. In 1990, Lindeman was recognized by the State of Michigan’s Teaching Excellence Fund and the University of Michigan for her outstanding teaching.

In addition to her academic and administrative positions, Lindeman also established the University of Michigan Varsity Synchronized Swim Team in 1972 and served as its coach until 1983. During that time, the team produced outstanding international athletes and consistently ranked among the top three teams in the nation. Additionally, Lindeman served as coach or team manager for a number of US teams that competed or gave clinics abroad, served on two International Olympic Committees and the United States Synchronized Swimming Incorporated (USSSI) Board of Governors, and acted as the USSSI executive vice president for ten years. She was also instrumental in crafting the original USSSI Coaches’ Certification Program.

PROFESSOR EMERITUS DEE EDINGTON passed away on June 21, 2022, at the age of 84. For 22 years, he inspired students and colleagues as director of the Division of Kinesiology. Read more about Edington on p. 5.