Prof. Nancy I. Williams
Professor of Kinesiology and Physiology.
Head of Department of Kinesiology, Penn State University, USA.
Nancy I. Williams is a distinguished professor and the Head of the Kinesiology Department at The Pennsylvania State University, USA. Her research delves into the intricate connections of human physiology components such as energy equilibrium, reproductive processes, skeletal health, and physical performance. She has a keen interest in exploring the effects of nutrition, physical activity, and stress on women’s well-being, particularly female athletes.
One of Nancy’s prominent investigations involves scrutinizing how a woman’s menstrual cycle can be impacted by her energy equilibrium and exercise regimen. She has secured funding to delve into subjects like exercise physiology, the repercussions of diet and physical activity on menstrual cycles, and the association between stress and reproductive processes. Nancy leads the Women’s Health & Exercise Lab at Penn State, which was established in 2007, with a focus on exploring the interplay between energy consumption, energy expenditure, reproductive processes, and skeletal health in female athletes and active women. The lab utilizes methodological approaches such as urine and blood sample collection for hormone analysis, resting metabolic rate assessments, aerobic fitness evaluations, and bone density and structure examinations.
Nancy Williams is widely acknowledged for her proficiency in women’s health and exercise, illuminating how human bodies react to various lifestyle choices. With a research career spanning back to 1992, she has conducted investigations related to health promotion, performance optimization, menstrual irregularities, and skeletal health in postmenopausal women. She has disseminated her research findings through publications in esteemed scientific repositories and currently maintains a High Index of 44 and climbing.
One of Nancy’s significant endeavors is a clinical trial concentrating on low-grade lymphatic complications, which obtained funding from the National Center for Research Resources. Her research on the effects of prune consumption on the well-being of postmenopausal women has been featured in prestigious journals like the Journal of Nutrition and Osteoporosis International. She is also affiliated to the Female Athlete Triad Coalition, the American Kinesiology Association, and the Center for Reproductive Biology and Health. Recently, she was bestowed with the 2023-24 Jerry R. Thomas Distinguished Leadership Award from the American Kinesiology Association (AKA) for her exceptional administrative and leadership accomplishments at AKA member institution and her contributions to the organization’s strategic goals.
In alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Nancy’s collaborations and research initiatives over the past five years have extended to partnerships with institutions across various states and countries. Essentially, Nancy Williams’ research is dedicated to enhancing health outcomes through tailored interventions involving nutrition, physical activity, and targeted strategies, with a particular focus on women’s health and skeletal density. Her exemplary work in kinesiology has broad implications for public health and the promotion of sustainable development goals.
Prof. Xiaojie Tian
Associate Professor
Institute of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan
Xiaojie TIAN is an Associate Professor in the Institute of Sport and Health Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Japan. She has taught Olympic and Paralympic History and Movement in Africa at the TIAS (Tsukuba International Academy for Sport Studies) program in University of Tsukuba as an Assistant Professor until 2020. Currently, she is an Associate Professor at the Joint Master’s program in International Development and Peace through Sport (IDS) in the same university, teaching Multicultural Coexistence since 2023. She is also teaching Sport Culture in National Institute of Fitness and Sports in KANOYA, and Basics of International Development in Gakushuin Women’s College as part-time lecturer.
Her research career includes serving as a Research Fellow (PD) at the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) from 2021 to 2022 and working as a Special Appointed Assistant Professor at Kyoto University since 2018. She has worked as a PI and has managed five competitive JSPS research grants and the 2020 Inamori Research Grants. Her work also involves collaboration with researchers in East Africa towards a better understanding of children and youth development and sport culture in East Africa. She has organized several international symposiums and workshops, including notable events such as International Symposium on “Partnership in Sports and Development for Tomorrow” in Kenyatta University in 2020. and the Internal Research Collaboration Colloquium “Expanding Research Collaboration on Sport, Physical Activities, and Bio-psycho-social Wellbeing in East Africa” in Kyambogo Univesrity in Uganda, 2023.
Additionally, she has contributed as a guest editor for the journal of Technique and Culture, and co-edited the special issue “Waza on the Move: the ineffable art of learning.” She was invited as a keynote lecturer in the Sport Anthropology Area during The 72nd Conference of the Japan Society of Physical Education, Health and Sport Sciences in 2022, and was invited as a guest to talk on Cultural Heritage and Diversity at the TAFISA Mission 2030 Workshop in 2023.
Xiaojie Tian holds a Ph.D. in Area Studies. She is an anthropologist with more than 10 years of research experience on pastoralist Maasai children and youth’s socialization and development in Kenya. Currently, she is also expending her work on the physical activity and health of youth and children across cultures in countries in East Africa, through close collaborations with African researchers from different academic disciplines. Some of her recent publications include: Tian, X., Y. Yanohara, F.M. Mwangi, & N. Sado. 2022. Jumping is not just about height: Biosocial becomings as an integrative approach in understanding contextualized jump performance in Maasai society. PLoS ONE 17(12): e0278547. Tian, X, Kidokoro, T., Mwangi, FM. 2021. Sociocultural Dimensions of Children’s Physical Activity in Contemporary Pastoralist Maasai Society. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18 (16), 8337. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18168337. Tian, X. 2019. The Role of Social Norms and Interactions in the Process of Learning-by-Doing: From the Ethnography of Daily Work, Play, and School Participation of Children in Contemporary Pastoralist Maasai Society in Southern Kenya. African Study Monographs, 40(2-3): 77-92
Prof. Peter Wisiuba Bukhala
Department of Health Promotion and Sport Science
School of Public Health and Biomedical Sciences (MMUST)
Prof. Bukhala is the African representative to the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity (IFAPA) and was a member of the International Paralympic Committee – Sports Science Committee: 2010-2014 representing the African region. He was also a Eunice Kennedy Shriver Fellow and a member of the Global steering committee for the development of the Special Olympics International Strategic Plan: 2010-2015. He was the host for the 2017 American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) International Team Physician Course that was held at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology (MMUST), Kenya from 15-18th October 2017. Prof. Bukhala teaches disability sports and has supervised and mentored students in sports science at Masters and PhD levels.
Prof. Bukhala is currently the director Privately Sponsored Students Programme and Associate Professor in the Department of Health Promotion and Sports Science (MMUST). In this capacity he has attracted substantial grants to MMUST and developed networks between the community and the University. He is also a visiting Professor at Katholiek University – Leuven, Belgium. Locally, he is a member of the County Government of Kakamega Sports Committee where he chairs the Youth Empowerment Fund. He is also Chair to the Ikolomani Constituency Sports Committee. His current research interest is in the development of programmes targeting community awareness and response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Prof. Bukhala has published over 30 refereed research articles and book chapters in the area of sports. He is widely travelled and has attended many national and International conferences.