Crystal Duran, MPH, CHES is a Clinical Program Manager for CIGNA HealthCare. She joined CIGNA HealthCare in 2006 and reports through the Cultural and Linguistics Unit within the Customer Experience Organization.  She provides leadership and direction for the development and implementation of a health literacy and clinical customer communications strategy throughout CIGNA.

Prior to joining CIGNA HealthCare, Crystal worked as a Health Educator at Health Net of California for five years helping develop, implement and evaluate programs for the state funded Medicaid and Healthy Families populations. She was a grant manager for an Arthritis Foundation senior exercise program and for several Office of Minority Health tobacco program grants for a hospital system serving a low income African American population. In addition, Crystal ran the day to day operations of that hospital’s wellness center.

Crystal received a Bachelor of Science degree in Health Education and a Bachelor of Science degree in Exercise Science from Truman State University, 1995.  She also received her Master of Public Health degree, with a focus in Health Promotion and Health Education, from Loma Linda University, School of Public Health. She has been a Certified Health Education Specialist for 12 years.

Lori Griffin recently accepted a position as a Health Fitness Specialist for the National Institute for Fitness and Sport in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Her duties will  include meeting with clients about their fitness goals, performing fitness assessments and prescribing exercise programs.  Her caseload will consist of approximately 100-120 clients.  She will also aid in the development and implementation of  fitness and wellness incentive programs as well as group classes.  Lori graduated from Truman State University in May 2010.    Congratulations to Lori on this new position!

Megan Kahn (’00) was recently named Associate Commissioner for Administration and Operations for the Atlantic 10 Conference by Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade.

Kahn will oversee the Atlantic 10 office of advance media and technology, and work directly with the Conference public relations, branding and communications efforts. She will continue her work in championship operations with the A-10 Men’s Basketball Championship as the Director of that event, working with the Atlantic City Convention and Visitor’s Bureau, Boardwalk Hall and all 14 member institutions.

Kahn joined the league in 2008 from the Atlantic Coast Conference where she served administratively with McGlade from 2006-08. Her duties included assisting with administration for the conference’s senior woman administrators; overseeing the administration of ACC standing committees and NCAA national committee nominations and appointments, developing Policy and Procedures manuals for regular season play and conference tournaments, directed the conference annual women’s basketball Legends weekend and directed the regionally recognized Boys & Girls Club educational programs at the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament. Kahn also served as assistant director of the 2007 and 2008 NCAA Women’s Basketball Greensboro Regional, assisted in the marketing and sales efforts of advertising and local sponsorship; in addition, she served as women’s basketball officials’ observer for the ACC, Big South, Colonial and Southern conferences.

Prior to joining the ACC, Kahn was an administrative intern in 2005-06 for the National Association of Collegiate Women Athletics Administrators (NACWAA) and the 2005 and 2006 ACC Tournament. She also served as assistant women’s basketball coach at Texas State (2002-04) and Texas-Pan American (2000-02).  Kahn graduated summa cum laude from Truman State in 2000 with a degree in exercise science and earned her Masters of Science in Kinesiology and Sports Administration from Texas-Pan American in 2002.

Leah Reimnitz placed 8^th in the women’s 63kg class at the Senior National Championships in Peoria , IL on June 11, 2010.  Her class was won by Natalie Burgener, who competed at the 2008 Olympics!  Leah is a Senior Exercise Science major at Truman State University.

Jennifer R. Hurst, Ed.D., ATC  is a contributing author to a recent article in the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology titled Athletic Identity and Aggressiveness: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Athletic Identity Maintenance Model. The purpose of the study was to examine the relationships among athletic identity, anger, and aggressiveness in competitive athletes and to assess cross-cultural differences. Hurst collaborated with colleagues from The George Washington University, West Virginia University, Kansas State University, and University of Hong Kong to collect data from male athletes in contact and collision sports in both the United States and Hong Kong. The article introduces a new theoretical model for aggressive behavior in competitive athletes and presents results that support the proposed model. Results from the research will assist in the development of programs and strategies for reducing aggressive behavior in the competitive sport environment.

For further information see: Visek, A.J., Watson, J.C., Hurst, J.R., Maxwell, J.P., & Harris, B.S. (2010). Athletic Identity and Aggressiveness: A Cross-Cultural Analysis of the Athletic Identity Maintenance Model. International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 8, 99 – 116.

Marc Heinecke (TSU ’04) became the Javelina Strength and Conditioning Coach at Texas A&M, Kingsville, TX on June 9, 2010.  He was an assistant strength coach at the University of Maryland for five years prior to coming to Kingsville.  He works with the Javelina Athletic Department and at the Student Recreation Center.

Heinecke holds a bachelor’s degree from Truman State University where he was a four-year letterman in football and a three-year letterman in wrestling.  He hold’s a master’s degree from the U.S. Sports Academy.

Heinecke spent four years as a strength coach and two years as a personal trainer before going to Maryland.  He is a certified specialist in speed and explosion for sports competition, and is certified in American Sports Fitness Association sports nutrition and International Fitness Association sports nutrition.  He is also a strength and conditioning expert as certified by the Tubor Bompa Institute.

Emily Hussey (’06) recently received the “Excellence in Research” Award for her project investigating the biomechanics of trip recovery in older adults under dual task conditions.  Emily is pursuing a Doctorate in Physical Therapy at Emory University.  The research was completed in partial fulfillment of the Doctorate of Physical Therapy degree.

Powell & Turner and their poster

Garret Powell and Meredith Turner, Junior Exercise Science majors, recently presented their research at the American College of Sports Medicine annual conference in Baltimore, MD.  Their original research focused on Inter-rater reliability and accuracy of hand-held dynamometer testing for isometric arm flexion. Garret is from Macon, MO and Meredith is from Overland Park, KS.

David Atkinson has been selected for a U.S. Department of State 2010 Critical Language Scholarship. He is among approximately 575 U.S. undergraduate and graduate students selected from nearly 5,300 applicants to spend seven to 10 weeks in intensive language institutes this summer in 15 countries. Recipients will also support their language acquisition through cultural immersion activities. CLS Program participants are expected to continue their language study beyond the scholarship and apply their critical language skills in their future professional careers. Atkinson will study Arabic.

glow sticks on football field

The Relay for Life Team hosted the Fourth Annual two-mile run/walk on April 13, 2010.  This is an event held at night on the track,  Each participant is given glowsticks to wear to light up the track.  Campus and community members came out to support the Relay Team and enjoyed the wonderful weather.