From Here to Health

App State Faculty Creating,

Disseminating & Advancing Knowledge

in the Science of Health

Summer 2024

Passing July the 4th does not technically take us half way through summer, but in the academic timeline it does. It will be no time at all before the fall frenzy hits in mid-August. The Appalachian State University Campus is always a bit quieter this time of year, but faculty are staying busy on and off campus with ongoing teaching and, more relevant to this newsletter, research. They are maximizing time during the summer months conducting research, writing up their research, submitting grant applications, and traveling around the globe presenting their work to others! I'm happy to bring you some recent updates on their scholarly endeavors.

The Faculty Spotlight this edition is on Dr. Alan Needle, an Associate Professor in the Departments of Rehabilitation Sciences and Public Health and Exercise Science. Alan is an athletic trainer with a research focus on understanding and assessing the neuromechanics of injuries to the body, such as ankle sprains and ACL tears, and examining potential improvements in rehabilitation. A brief introduction to his work is below along with a link to the podcast.

As always, we need volunteers to participate in research studies.

Many research projects conducted by faculty and their students involve human subjects/participants. Please take a look at some of the exciting research projects that are active right now and see if you qualify to participate at: https://healthsciences.appstate.edu/research/volunteers.

Or scan the QR Code you see in this section. Thank you for taking a look and for supporting the advancement of new knowledge that can impact health and wellness for many.

Hop on the path From Here to Health! Our faculty and students are highlighting the way. Enjoy this edition of our newsletter and podcast.

Gary H. McCullough

Associate Dean for Research & Graduate Education

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Faculty Spotlight

Alan Needle

Click to Listen

Dr. Alan Needle is a Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences and the Department of Public Health and Exercise Science at Appalachian State University. After earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Athletic Training from Boston University in 2007, Dr. Needle entered the Master of Science program at the University of Delaware with a concentration in Sports Medicine. There he began his research into the somatosensory aspects of ankle instability. After completing his thesis with Dr. Buz Swanik, he stayed on at Delaware and earned his PhD in Biomechanics and Movement Science. His dissertation focused on neuromechanical decoupling following ankle joint injury. Dr. Needle is a Fellow of the National Athletic Trainers’ Association and has received numerous awards for his work, including a Chancellor’s Award for Excellence, A Distinguished Graduate Faculty award, and a Board of Governors Teaching Award. His research has been funded by the National Center for Neuromodulation in Rehabilitation and The National Athletic Trainers’ Association, as well as through many university-based research funding mechanisms. He has published 53 peer-reviewed manuscripts in professional journals, a textbook chapter, and a large collection of abstracts. He has presented his work nationally and internationally from as close as this campus to as far away as Japan. He serves on a number of professional organizations and boards and has been an invaluable asset to the Appalachian Institute for Health and Wellness as it developed over the years.

Please take the time to listen to Dr. Needle discuss his work in our podcast (link above).

Recent Grants in Health Sciences

Dr. Maggie Sugg and colleagues were awarded just under one million dollars over three years from the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine for their project titled Assessing Mental Health Disparities in At-Risk Youth After Climate Disasters in Louisiana, USA. Evidence has shown increases in adolescent mental health issues and suicide events, especially among Black, Indigenous, Sexual and Gender Minorities, and People of Color. Despite the frequency of climate disasters in the Gulf Region, now occurring in the backdrop of an ongoing mental health crisis, little is known about the real-time mental health response in this at-risk group during and after a climate disaster. Youth may experience these impacts disproportionately due to their developmental stage, residence in hazard-prone communities, and limited adaptive capacity. Sugg and her colleagues' prior research has highlighted the promise of mobile crisis counseling services in measuring and monitoring youth mental health risks pre- and post-climate events such as hurricanes, wildfires, winter weather, and high temperatures. They will extend this research to Louisiana by examining the causal link between exposure to extreme weather and increased mental health vulnerability in at-risk youth by quantifying the impact of climate disasters on Louisiana’s youth mental health and identifying vulnerable subgroups in need of additional crisis support. The work involves a community-based participatory partnership with Louisiana’s Volunteer and Information Agency, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Chapters in Louisiana and Mississippi, and a mental health-climate research team at Appalachian State and North Carolina State University.

Dr. George Wofford, assistant professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, in collaboration with Dr. Jared Skinner, Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Health and Exercise Science, was awarded approximately $5,000 in funding from the Appalachian State University Research Council for his project, "Do motor synchrony games improve self-regulation for preschoolers?" Motor synchrony between a child and others is related to that child’s development of prosocial behaviors, self-regulation, and friendships. Self-regulation (SR) skills in early childhood predict later academic achievement and protect against developing internalizing and externalizing problems such as aggression or symptoms of depression. Our study seeks to implement a motor synchrony game protocol in mixed ability

preschool groups to target self-regulation. They will be conducting this work at the App State Child Development Center with Moriah Stegall and staff.

Health Sciences Internal Research Awards

Each spring semester the Beaver College of Health Sciences and the Appalachian Institute for Health & Wellness host a competition for interdisciplinary research funding. Faculty working together across disciplines can apply for the funding. Here are this springs awardees.

Dr. Bhuwan Thapa, Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography & Planning, and Dr. Erik Rabinowitz, Professor in the Department of Recreation Management & Physical Education, will be conducting a study titled "Air Pollution Exposure and Health Impacts among Rural Cyclists and E-Bike Users: A Study in the Appalachian Region.

Dr. Caroline Smith, Associate Professor of Exercise Science, will be working with her colleagues at Indiana University, Dr. Zachary Sclader & Dr. Marta Venier in environmental physiology and analytical chemistry to conduct their study, "Optimization of Methods to Assess Dermal Contaminant Absorption."

Dr. Manan Roy, Associate Professor of Health Care Management, and Dr. Lubna Nafees, Associate Professor in Digital Marketing, will be investigating, "Integrating Digital Wellness: Enhancing Mental Health Among University Students with a Focus on Digital Consumption

HERE’S TO HEALTH PUBS

Kudos to these faculty for disseminating their research to the broader community of scholars through publications in some top-tiered journals. We did a bit of altering from the traditional referencing formats to highlight the names of our faculty.

Bob Kowalsky, Herman van Werkhoven, Marco Meucci, Quinn, Tyler D., Stoner, Lee, Hearon, Christopher M., & Barone Gibbs. Bethany. (2024). Distinguishing Passive and Active Standing Behaviors From Accelerometry. Journal for the Measurement of Physical Behaviour. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1123/jmpb.2024-0004.

Krasniuk, S., Lemke, M.K., Hassoun, A., Adam Hege, Crizzle, A.M. (2024 – In Press). Improving the truck stop environment for long-haul truck drivers: A scoping review. Transportation Research Part A: Policy and Practice.

Bob Kowalsky, GJ Grosicki, Marco Meucci, ED Hanson, JB Moore, L Stoner. Unseating the Sedentary Threat: A Vital Strategy for Curbing Cardiovascular Disease in Young Adults. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 2023; 1 (aop), 1-3.

Falcioni L., Gallotta MC, Baldari C, Cardinali C, Campanella M, Ferrari D, Guidetti L, Marco Meucci. Influence of training status on cardiac and vascular functioning in young recreational and competitive male rowers. Frontiers in Pediatrics; 2023; 11, 1-8.

Gary McCullough, Powers K, Watts-Isley J, Brown P, Smith S, Vaughn JT. (2024) Interprofessional Education at the University Level: Evidence, Models, and Future Directions. North Carolina Medical Journal 5(3), 169-172.

West, S., Wu, X., Liechty, T., Son, J., Jill Juris, Janke, M., Wong, J.D., & Chen, G. (2024). Today's Older Adults: Strategies of Facilitating Sport Participation. Journal of Park and Recreation Administration. https://doi.org/10.18666/JPRA-2024-12066

Jarrott, S.E., Jill Juris, & Turner, S.G. (2024) The intergenerational program evaluation tool: Results of a Delphi study. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1080/15350770.2024.2349927

Keath, A., Brooke Towner, & Wyant, J. D. (2024). ChatGPE: Does artificial intelligence have a place in the physical education setting? Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 95(2), 59-61. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2023.2292941 Towner, B. C., Keath, A., & Wyant, J. D. (2023). Where do I look? Finding Meaningful Resources for Assessment in Physical Education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, 94(9), 24-28. https://doi.org/10.1080/07303084.2023.2252860

Wyant, J. D., Olsen, E., Brooke Towner, Keath, A., Huang, J., Meeteer, W., Tsuda, E., & Burneisen, L. (2023). A qualitative inquiry of the elementary physical education teachers’ experiences during the pandemic. European Physical Education Review. https://doi.org/10.1177/1356336X231205466

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ON THE ROAD IN THE AIR

From Boone to Boston to Bloomington to Beijing, our faculty have been hitting all the "B" cities they can and more. Here are some of their recent presentations.

With funding from Oak Ridge Associated Universities, App State faculty (Adam Hege, Martie Thompson, Jennifer Tyson, Maggie Sugg, and Manana Roy) hosted a conference at Leon Levine Hall on Advancing Health Equity in Rural Communities May 20-21, 2024. Over 40 participants attended with representation from App State (AIHW, Public Health, Healthcare Management, Nutrition, Social Work, and Geography), Virginia Tech, East Tennessee State University, Wake Forest University, and other government and non-profit organizations. The event consisted of keynote and panel presentations from Oak Ridge Associated Universities, Dogwood Health Trust, and faculty at App State, as well as 16 round table presentations and numerous posters.

Gavin Colquitt was an invited speaker in June at the International Chinese Society for Physical Activities and Health (ICSPAH) at the Beijing Sport University in Beijing, China.

Caroline J. Smith presented her research on Dermal Toxicant Exposure and Absorption in Firefighters at the Fire Industry Education Resource Organization in March.

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