Current Doctoral Students
M. Ally Keene
Ally is a doctoral student in health and sport pedagogy. She graduated with a B.S. in Kinesiology from James Madison University in 2012 and a M.S. in Kinesiology and Rehabilitation Science with a focus in Adapted Physical Activity from the University of Hawai’i in 2018. She taught Adapted and General Physical Education in Beaufort, South Carolina for 3 years before returning to school to work on her PhD. Ally has worked at Camp Spark, through the Northwest Association for Blind Athletes, every summer since 2016 and enjoys coaching swimming in her spare time. Her research interests include amplifying the voices of disabled people and improving the physical education experience for all students.
Lindsey A. Nowland
Lindsey is a doctoral student in health and sport pedagogy. She graduated with a B.S. in Sport and Health Education from Radford University in 2019 and a M.Ed. in Kinesiology for Individuals with Disabilities with a focus in Adapted Physical Education from the University of Virginia in 2020. She taught Health and Physical Education in Spotsylvania, Virginia for one year and traveled to Alaska to volunteer as a coach at Camp Webber, a sports camp for children with blind or visual impairments. Lindsey’s research interests include APE implementation with a focus on changes that could be made to general physical education to enhance inclusion.
TikTok: @now.lin
Instagram: @now.physed
Shelly Beaver
Shelly Beaver, MS, CTRS is a doctoral student in health and sport pedagogy. She earned her B.S. in Kinesiology and M.S. in Leisure Studies from Penn State University and is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS). Shelly has over ten years of clinical experience in long term care, mental health, physical rehabilitation, and community settings and over ten years of teaching experience in higher education. Currently, Shelly is a Senior Lecturer in Park, Recreation and Tourism Studies at Old Dominion University where she teaches courses in recreational therapy and recreation programming. She has received several awards recognizing her outstanding teaching, service, and advocacy for individuals with disabilities. Shelly is interested in phenomenological research focused on the reciprocal relationships between disability experiences and leisure experiences as well as how the therapeutic recreation environment impacts clients’ response to disability.
Lindsay E. Ball
Lindsay is a doctoral student in Health and sport pedagogy. She graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Maine at Farmington in 2013, a B.S. in Physical Education Teacher Education in 2019 and a M.S.Ed. in Adapted Physical Education in 2021 both from the State University of New York College at Brockport. Lindsay is a 2014 Paralympian in Alpine Skiing. She has been a board member for the Maine Organization of Blind Athletic and Leadership Education and volunteer for the organization’s sports education camps for youth with visual impairments since 2015. Her research interests include exploring the experiences and self-determination of individuals with visual impairments in physical education, physical activity and sports settings.
Monica Klock
Monica is a doctoral student in health and sport pedagogy. She graduated with a B.S. in Kinesiology from James Madison University in 2016, a M.S. in Adapted Physical Activity from Slippery Rock University in 2017, and a MPS in Sports Industry Management from Georgetown University in 2019. She has worked for several disability sport nonprofit organizations including Special Olympics International, ENVISION Blind Sports, Hockey Sticks Together, and Overcoming Barriers, and served five years in the United States Army. Currently, Monica is the Adapted Program Specialist at Fairfax County Park Authority.
Sheyla Martinez Rivera
Sheyla is a doctoral student in Health & Sport Pedagogy. She graduated with a B.A. in Special & Elementary Physical Education from the University of Puerto Rico at Bayamon in 2014 and a M.S.Ed. in Adapted Physical Education in 2016 from the State University of New York College at Brockport. She taught Adapted and Physical Education in Denver, Colorado for 4 years before returning to school to work on her PhD. Sheyla enjoys coaching as a personal trainer and utilizes her skills to support people with all types of abilities. She enjoys playing competitive sports, like sand volleyball and basketball. Some of her research interests are inclusion, program opportunities for adults with disabilities, cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder and multiple sclerosis.
Recent Doctoral Student Research
Haegele, J.A., Ball, L.E., Zhu, X., Keene, M.A., & Nowland, L.A. (2022). Absent, incapable, and ‘normal’: Understanding the inclusiveness of visually impaired students’ experiences in integrated physical education. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 39(4), 424-445. https://doi.org/10.1123/apaq.2022-0014
Wilson, W.J., Haegele, J.A., Holland, S.K., & Richards, K.A.R. (2021). Co-curricular service-learning through a camp for athletes with visual impairments. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 40(2), 190-198. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2019-0109
Wilson, W.J., Holland, S.K., Haegele, J.A., & Richards, K.A.R. (2021). Workplace experiences of adapted physical educators: A comparison of educators with and without national certification. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 40(2), 267-275. https://doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2019-0239
Holland, K., Haegele, J.A., & Zhu, X. (2020). “My eyes have nothing to do with how my legs move”: Individuals with visual impairments’ experiences with learning to run. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 37(3), 253-259. doi:10.1123/apaq.2019-0098
Holland, S.K., & Haegele, J.A. (2020). Socialization experiences of first year adapted physical education teachers with a master’s degree. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 37(3), 304-323. doi:10.1123/apaq.2019-0126
Holland, K., Haegele, J.A., Zhu, X., & Brady, E. (2020). Experiences in physical education with Bardet-Biedl Syndrome: An interpretative phenomenological analysis case study. Journal of Blindness Innovation and Research, 10(2), doi:10.5241/10-185
Haegele, J.A., Hodge, S.R., Zhu, X., Holland, S.K., & Wilson, W.J. (2020). Understanding the inclusiveness of integrated physical education from the perspectives of adults with visual impairments. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 37(2), 141-159. doi:10.1123/apaq.2019-0094
Yessick, A.B., Haegele, J.A., Zhu, X., & Bobzien, J. (2020). Experiences of children with ASD in self-contained physical education: An electronic-scrapbooking study. Advances in Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 4(1), 51-58. doi:10.1007/s41252-019-00139-5
Haegele, J.A., Zhu, X., & Holland, S.K. (2020). School-based bullying experiences as reflected by adults with visual impairments. Psychology in the Schools, 57, 296-309. doi:10.1002/pits.22314
Richards, K.A.R., Wilson, W.J., Holland, S.K., & Haegele, J.A. (2020). The relationships among perceived organizational support, resilience, perceived mattering, emotional exhaustion, and job satisfaction in adapted physical educators. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 37(1), 90-111. doi:10.1123/apaq.2019-0053
Holland, S.K., Holland, K., Haegele, J.A., & Morgan, S. (2019). Making it stick: Teaching students with autism to generalize physical education skills. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation, & Dance, 90(6), 32-39. doi:10.1080/07303084.2019.1614120
Holland, K., & Haegele, J.A. (2019). Walking with purpose: Creating a fitness walking program for self-contained physical education classes. Palaestra, 33(3), 55-60.
Haegele, J.A., Zhu, X., & Holland, K. (2019). Exploring the intersection between disability and overweightness in physical education among females with visual impairments. Research Quarterly for Exercise & Sport, 90(3), 344-354. doi:10.1080/02701367.2019.1600652