Dr. Michelle McCollin

What courses are you currently teaching and what are you most proud of about those courses?
Intro to Low Incidence Disabilities and Americans with Disabilities…
My connection and rapport with my students is my greatest accomplishment in all of my courses.

What scholarly/service projects are you working on and what are you most proud about those projects?
I am currently involved in a national sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and our focus is Community Service. The project for which I am most blessed is EYES4Africa… I collect new and gently used prescription eyeglasses and readers and donate it to indigenous people in Nigeria, West Africa each year.

What student success stories can you share?
Many of the students who have graduated over the past 10 years, who have come through my hands… are still in contact with me….I have attended marriages, funerals, and baby dedications…One of my students that I had my first year at SRU is currently in a PhD program at Pitt… and has come to me over the years to assist her… prep her for interviews, review documents etc…And now she is about to graduate with her doctorate and start her academic teaching career….Amazing!

What do you do for fun during time off/school break?
For fun, I love to travel …I have traveled to 5 out of 7 continents.

What do you like best or appreciate most about Slippery Rock?
The environment and rural nature of Slippery Rock is most alluring ….I am from Brooklyn NY…and Slippery Rock is stark different from Brooklyn.

Dr. Dallas Jackson

What courses are you currently teaching and what are you most proud of about those courses?
My current teaching assignments include the following courses: (a) introduction to adapted physical activity, an undergraduate course, (b) biomechanics for individuals with disabilities, an undergraduate course, (c) program design in adapted physical activity (APA), an undergraduate course, (d) advanced study of disability in physical activity, a graduate course, and (e) lifespan, disability and physical activity, a graduate course.
I take pride in knowing that my courses involve a student-centered approach to learning, infused with technology, presentations, and assignments that foster students’ ability to critically think. I am proud that my courses offer students the ability to gain a content knowledge through lecture, as well as, experiential learning through a practicum-based (i.e., hands on) experience. My goal is to have students develop an understanding of various health conditions (i.e., disabilities) that individuals may have or acquire throughout the lifespan, as well as, apply that knowledge through developing and implementing active living community-based physical activity programs.

What scholarly/service projects are you working on and what are you most proud about those projects?
As two major components of the professoriate (i.e., service, scholarship), I strive to maintain an outstanding level of scholarly and service-oriented projects. My research interests include evidence-based physical activity for adjudicated youth and also increasing physical activity participation of individuals with disabilities. Within the last three years, I have been fortunate enough to give two international, two national, one regional, one state, and four local presentations. In addition, I have had numerous peer-reviewed publications. Moreover, I have really enjoyed being professionally engaged with the field of study that I am passionate about (i.e., adapted physical activity), as well as, university through serving on numerous national, university, and departmental committees. I served as the APSCUF faculty representative to the Slippery Rock Student Government Association as a faculty senator. I also served as a member of the President’s Commission on Disability Issues. This was a very rewarding experience. I really enjoyed and was honored by being able to serve on a commission that deals so closely with my passion. That is, reducing barriers for individuals with disabilities. Furthermore, I served as vice president of Slippery Rock University’s Black Faculty and Staff Association, an organization that is vitally important for the contribution of diversity to the Slippery Rock University campus. I continue to serve at the national level and am currently the secretary for AAHPERD’s Adapted Physical Activity Council which is a part of the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation. I was recently honored as the recipient of the Pennsylvania-based Talk Magazine’s Minority Achiever’s Award, and humbled to be recognized by my peers. I am most proud of the level of collaboration and learning that I gain through interaction with my peers on these various projects, and that I am contributing.

What student success stories can you share?
I can think of numerous student success stories of both my undergraduate and graduate students. However, one of the greatest honors that was bestowed upon me during the 2012-2013 academic year was the opportunity to be a faculty presenter at the Outstanding Graduate Student Honors Award Reception. One of my students/graduate assistant, Brad Martinez, a person whom I had the opportunity to work with closely during my fourth year, was an award recipient. I took great pleasure in reflecting back on our faculty-student relationship and his growth as a graduate student while developing his award presentation. 

What do you do for fun during time off/school break?
I really enjoy remaining conditioned through various health-related fitness activities. However, the most rewarding and valuable thing for me to do during “time off” and/or school break is spending time, whether through travel or staying home, with my wife Marisa and two daughters, Phoenix and Sydney.

What do you like best or appreciate most about Slippery Rock?
I really appreciate the opportunity to interact and collaborate with my students and colleagues at the Rock. So far, every year that I have spent at the Rock has provided me with a variety of very rich experiences.

Dr. Marybeth Miller

What courses are you currently teaching and what are you most proud of about those courses?
PE 754 – Leadership in Adapted Physical Activity – my greatest pride is to actively contribute to the graduate level knowledge and skill development the vast amount of experience in programming and leading initiatives throughout my professional career involving individuals with disabilities and the many professional in health care and education who work with them.
PE 243 – Educational Movement in Health and Wellness – my greatest pride in this course is the creation of Moving Concepts, a course embedded on-campus service-learning program involving over 50 preschool children with and without disabilities who are taught by the undergraduate students enrolled in the course from Physical and Health Education, Early Childhood and Special Education and Elementary Education. While the undergraduate study from me, they apply their knowledge and skill set to the children. It is free program and there is no other like it in the surrounding area.
PE 455 – Student Teaching Supervision – it is wonderful to mentor teacher candidates in their transition from the classroom to the school communities in developing themselves as a professional educator.

What scholarly/service projects are you working on and what are you most proud about those projects?
My scholarship includes research centering upon the effect of service-learning as a pedagogy in preparing future teachers. This recently resulted in the publication of my co-edited book Service –Learning in Physical Education and Related Professions: A Global Perspective;
I am the 2013-2014 Pennsylvania State Association for Health, Physical Education , Recreation and Dance University Teacher of the Year – an honor presented to be my the top state-level peers of my professional association (PSAHPERD)
I serve on various Department and University Committees but what I am very excited about is serving as a Co-chair the President’s Commission for Disability Issues here at Slippery Rock University. This is a significant leadership position that impacts the actions and reactions of faculty, administrators, staff and students on this campus.

What student success stories can you share?
Those that graduate from the PHE program and are rewarded with meaningful employment in the profession of teaching or a related profession. It is wonderful to hear back from them and the positive feedback they provide about the program and the faculty who teach in it.

What do you do for fun during time off/school break?
I am a very active individual – always have been my entire life. I enjoy running (long distance) and am preparing to run the Pittsburgh Half Marathon, I snowshoe, ski, winter camp, backpack, I love to ride my bicycles and tour around the great lakes and the trail from Washington, DC to Pittsburgh. I play the Bodhran which is an Irish hand drum one would see in groups of musicians playing traditional Irish music. I also love to watch birds to relax.

What do you like best or appreciate most about Slippery Rock?
SRU provides me the opportunities to develop my best professional self. I work in an amazing College of Education and in particular a fantastic and nationally known Physical and Health Education Department. The windows of opportunity to thrive in my scholarship, service and best-practice high quality teaching have been very rewarding. As well, I find the faculty, administration, staff and students to be kind and caring.