Conway Medical Center College of Health and Human Performance

K. Michelle Singleton, Ph.D., lecturer of kinesiology, recently presented "The Effects of a Sports Nutrition Education Intervention on Dietary Behavior and Nutrition Self-Efficacy" at the 39th annual Association for Applied Sport Psychology Conference in Las Vegas. The conference is the largest annual gathering in sport psychology, bringing together practitioners who work with elite, pro, high school, and youth sport athletes, as well as individuals in non-sport performance fields. Dr. Singleton's research explored the sport nutrition knowledge and dietary behavior of club sport athletes. "A lot of the time that nutrition piece gets missed by these athletes because it's a lot easier to put that on the backburner versus the training versus the recovery process," she explained. "One big reason we're wanting to do this research is to help enhance their sport nutrition knowledge so ideally they have better dietary behavior, but overall, we want to look at different variables when it comes to their performance to see if we can enhance that as well." Dr. Singleton aims to use the research to assess how to make positive dietary behavior changes in athletes to improve performance, recovery, and how they feel day-to-day. Dr. Singleton collaborated on this research with Jamie Deitrick, Ph.D., associate professor of kinesiology at CCU.

Congratulations to our 2024-2025 Health and Human Performance Research Fellows! The Health and Human Performance (HHP) Research Fellows program offers highly-motivated students the unique experience of working with faculty mentors conducting innovative research within their respective disciplines. Over the next two semesters, these seven exercise and sport science students will assist six faculty members in conducting diverse research on human performance: ?? Julie Alcaro and Timothy Rotarius, Ph.D. - Offset Loading with Unilateral Blood Flow Restriction During Back Squat Exercise ?? Amanda Vath and Justin Guilkey, Ph.D. - Effect of Limb Occlusion Pressure During 4-Weeks of Low-Intensity Aerobic Training with Blood Flow Restriction ?? Emily Gannon and Marcos Daou, Ph.D. - The Effects of Focus of Attention on Force, Fatigue, and Performance During a Motor Task ?? Luke Berg, Alyson Mascolo, and Sungwon Chae, Ph.D. - Lower-Body Complex Training Between Men and Women: The Effects of Intra-Set Rests and Eccentric Overload ?? Emma Wilkinson and Alana Turner, Ph.D. - The Effects of an Adapted Pickleball Program on Balance for Individuals with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities ?? Ethan Werlau and K. Michelle Singleton, Ph.D. - The Impact of a Sport Nutrition Education Intervention on Dietary Behavior and Recovery Learn more about the HHP Research Fellows program here: https://bit.ly/4cdxAvD

Putting in work! ?? Our CCU RSM students are courtside for a unique professional development opportunity, as ESPN hosts the Myrtle Beach Invitational at Coastal Carolina University through November 24. From stats and promotions to media and credentialing, these students are working hand-in-hand with network professionals to ensure the three-day event is a success. Kudos to Dr. Kelly Elliott for arranging this experience for our students!

Internships provide our students with hands-on, practical experience needed to bridge the gap between academic concepts and professional practice. Students gain industry insight, explore career paths, develop key skills in professional settings, and positively impact community well-being through these invaluable opportunities. Over a dozen public health students shared their internship experiences at an event today in Allen Ballroom. Our students served in many capacities this fall at organizations such as EdVenture of Myrtle Beach, Conway Medical Center, Brightwater Senior Living Communities, MEDcare Urgent Care, Shoreline Behavioral Health Services, and PrimePet Rehabilitation Therapy. Explore our B.S. in Public Health program here: bit.ly/42lG4wc.

Michael Dunn, Ph.D., professor of public health, recently traveled to Minneapolis to showcase CCU-based research at the 2024 American Public Health Association Annual Meeting and Expo. This year's event focused on rebuilding trust in public health and science. Dr. Dunn collaborated on research with Department of Public Health Chair and Professor John Yannessa, Ph.D., and Madison Klump '24: ??Early ATOD use and other health risk behaviors among psychological distressed middle school students residing in the southern United States. (Michael S. Dunn, Ph.D. and John F. Yannessa, Ph.D.) ??Perceived risk of weekly marijuana use among students participating in the national survey on drug use and health. (Michael S. Dunn, Ph.D. and Madison Klump, B.S.) ??Relationship between non-medical use of prescription drugs and alcohol, tobacco, and other drug use among middle school students in the southern United States. ??Predictors of driving while impaired and riding with an impaired driver among adolescents in the United States. ??Negative mental health states are predictors of early initiation of sexual behaviors for teens in Houston Texas. (John F. Yannessa, Ph.D. and Michael S. Dunn, Ph.D.) ??Negative mental health states are predictors of 4 or more sexual partners for teens in Houston Texas. (John F. Yannessa, Ph.D. and Michael S. Dunn, Ph.D.)

Prospective Chanticleers and their families packed the Discover Coastal Open House today, eager to explore degree programs offered in the Conway Medical Center College of Health and Human Performance. We enjoyed meeting each of you! If you were unable to attend, explore our programs here: coastal.edu/cmcchhp.

Building the next generation of recreation and sport leaders starts at CCU! The second annual Recreation and Sport Management (RSM) Symposium brought together more than 200 RSM students and top industry organizations for an insightful day of panel discussions, valuable networking, resume reviews, and professional development. After kicking off with an inspirational message from WPDE Chief Meteorologist Ed Piotrowski, the event connected students with internship and career opportunities in fields from professional athletics to park management. Thank you to the following organizations for investing in our talented students: NFL, Atlanta Falcons, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Cavaliers, Darlington Raceway, ESPN, Horry County Parks and Recreation, City of Myrtle Beach Parks, Recreation and Sports Tourism, Myrtle Beach Bowl, City of Conway Parks and Recreation, North Myrtle Beach Parks and Recreation, St. Andrew’s Parks and Playground, Myrtle Beach Pelicans, Florence Flamingos, The Ripken Experience, Golf Tourism Solutions, Ocean Lakes Family Campground, Myrtle Beach State Park, Playcard Environmental Education Center, Coastal Carolina University, University of Maryland Baltimore County, Taymar Sales U, Break Media, DistiNCtly Fayetteville, and First Tee Sandhills. Congratulations to our Department of Recreation and Sport Management faculty on a very successful event!

Key community partnerships help fuel our commitment to positively impacting the health and well-being of students, faculty, and staff at Coastal Carolina University. Professionals from Conway Medical Center's Godwin Healing Center educated our campus community on tobacco use, early lung cancer detection, and cessation opportunities during today's "Breathe Better" event. Several of our college organizations, including the CORE Center, participated in this impactful event with educational activities promoting lung health.

Today we honor the bravery, dedication, and sacrifice of our nation's veterans. We are forever grateful.

We're proud to help build the next generation of impactful, innovative health and human performance leaders on this National #STEM Day!