All graduate courses and practicum are offered at the Center of Achievement through Adapted Physical Activity. The Center has been providing internationally recognized adapted fitness programs for people with disabilities for over 40 years while training many kinesiology students and health professionals. Currently the Center offers both aquatic and land-based therapeutic exercise programs for approximately 400 individuals with special needs. It houses two main state of the art program areas: the Abbott Linda Brown Aquatic Therapy Center including four distinctively designed therapy pools with numerous aquatic exercise equipment and the Land-based Therapeutic Exercise Center which has more than 80 accessible adapted fitness equipment and a large expansion room for group classes, such as adapted Yoga and Tai Chi sessions. APA graduate students are actively involved in instructing adapted exercise classes and conducting clinical research projects at the Center.
The unique aspect of APA graduate program is that students gain significant amount of teaching and clinical experience through the curriculum. They often work as a clinical staff member, instructor, laboratory supervisor, or teaching assistant in the Center of Achievement as they are qualified. Typical responsibilities include working one-on-one with an individual with a disability, supervising clinical exercise sessions, teaching group exercise classes, evaluating new clients, designing exercise programs, instructing undergraduate students in therapeutic exercise laboratory classes and training family members and caregivers. Many graduate students also teach various activity and laboratory classes in the Department of Kinesiology. Graduate Teaching Assistantships are available through the Department of Kinesiology for qualified graduate program applicants.
In addition to the coursework, practicum and research experience, APA students are actively participating in professional organizations in the related fields. In collaboration with faculty, APA students often make professional presentations in major conferences in rehabilitation, sports medicine, and other related fields. Also, the Center hosts various workshops, conferences, and certification training classes in association with major health and fitness organizations. Recent APA graduate students have presented at American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) conferences, National Adapted Physical Education Conference (NAPEC), North American Federation for Adapted Physical Activity symposium (NAFAPA); AAHPERD meetings, International Assistive Technology and Disability conference, and Gait & Clinical Movement Analysis Society (GCMAS) conference. Listed are professional presentations performed by APA graduate students (marked *).
- Lai, B., Jeng, B., Narasaki-Jara, M., Vrongistinos, K., & Jung, T. (April, 2014) “An investigation of the post-exercise hypotensive response to a single bout of aquatic and overground treadmill walking in people post-stroke.” 5th International State-of-the-Art Congress; Rehabilitation: Mobility, Exercise & Sports, Groningen, Netherlands
- Chaparro, G., Lievense, C., Lange, A., Garcia, E., O'Connor J. & Jung, T. (April, 2014) “Comparison of balance outcomes between an aquatic and land-based exercise program in older adults with knee osteoarthritis.” 5th International State-of-the-Art Congress; Rehabilitation: Mobility, Exercise & Sports, Groningen, Netherlands
- McCamish, J. *, Samson, A., Vrongistinos, K., & Jung, T. (May, 2013) “The Effects of Aerobic Exercise on Cognitive Functions of People with Parkinson’s Disease.” Presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN
- Lai, B. *, Kim, Y.*, Jeng, B.*, Jara, M.; Vrongistinos, K., & Jung, T. (May, 2013) “Post-exercise Hypotensive Responses Following a Single-bout of Aquatic Treadmill Walking in People Post-Stroke” Presented at the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN
- Nishiyori, R.*, Charalambous, C.*, Lee, D.*, Stecyk, S., Vrongistinos, K. & Jung, T. (June, 2012) “Underwater 3D Gait Analysis of Pool Floor Walking with Cuff Weight on Affected Limb of People with Stroke” Presented at the International Society of Posture and Gait Research Conference, Trondheim, Norway
- Lai, B. *, Jara, M., Vrongistinos, K., & Jung, T. (Oct., 2012) “Blood Pressure Change during Aquatic Cardiovascular Exercise in People with Stroke” Presented at the North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity Conference, Birmingham, AL
- O’Connor, J. *, Vrongistinos, K., & Jung, T. (Oct., 2012) “Adapted Aquatic Exercise for Children with Cerebral Palsy.” Presented at the North American Federation of Adapted Physical Activity Conference, Birmingham, AL
- Chaparro, G. *, Romack, J., Frehlich, S. & Jung, T. (June, 2012) “Walking and Talking for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury” Presented at the North American Society for Psychology of Physical Activity Annual Meeting, Honolulu, HI
- O’Connor, J. *, Vrongistinos, K., Jara, M. & Jung, T. (June, 2012) “The Effects of Aquatic Exercise on Balance of Children with Cerebral Palsy.” Presented at the North American Society for Psychology of Physical Activity Annual Meeting, Honolulu, HI
- Wee, S. *, Jara, M., Vrongistinos, K., & Jung, T. (May, 2012) “Cardiopulmonary Responses to Continuous Passive Motion Exercise in People with Spinal Cord Injury” the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA
- Jara, M.; Kawasaki, M.*, Stecyk, S., Vrongistinos, K. & Jung, T. (July, 2011) “Adapted Aquatics Program for Balance Improvement for People with Parkinson’s Disease.” the International Symposium on Adapted Physical Activity, Paris, France
- Katase, A*.; Romack, J.; Frehlich, S.; Nishiyori, R*. & Jung, T. (May, 2011) “Influence of Multi-tasking on Motor Performance in People with Traumatic Brain Injury” the American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Denver, CO
- Ozake, Y.*, Vrongistinos, K., Jaque, V. & Jung, T., (June, 2010) “Cardiorespiratory Responses during Aquatic Treadmill Walking in People Post-Stroke” Presentation at the ACSM Annual Meeting, Baltimore, MD
- Nishyora, R. *, Vrongistinos, K., & Jung, T., (May, 2010) “3D Gait Analysis of Aquatic Walking with Additional Weight in People Post-Stroke” Presentation at the Joint Conference: GCMAS and the European Society of Movement Analysis for Adults and Children, Miami, FL
- Jung, T., Godina, P.*, Ozaki, Y.*, Nishryori, R.*, & McGraw, D.* (November, 2009) “How to Create Adapted Fitness Programs for Your Students with Physical Disabilities” Presentation at the NAPEC, Asilomar, CA
- Kawasaki, M.*, Vrongistinos, K., Jara, M. & Jung, T., (May, 2009) “The Effects of Aquatic Exercise on Balance of People with Parkinson’s Disease” Presentation at the ACSM Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA
- Charalambous, C.*, Lee, D.*, Vrongistinos, K. & Jung, T. (March, 2009) “Biomechanical Analyses of Aquatic Treadmill Walking in Individual with Stroke” Presentation at the GCMAS Annual Meeting, Denver, CO
- Ray, L.*, Ozake, Y.*, Godina, P.*, & Jung, T. (September, 2008) “Physiological Responses to Adapted Cardiovascular Exercise in Spinal Cord Injury” Presentation at NAFAPA Symposium, Indianapolis, IN
- Kenton, K.*, Saluja, K.* & Jung, T., (September, 2008) “The Effects of Cool Pool Exercise on Gait Outcomes in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis” Presentation at NAFAPA Symposium, Indianapolis, IN
- Lee, D.*, Charalambous, C.*, Vrongistinos, K. & Jung, T. (May, 2008) “The Use of Ankle Weight for Aquatic Gait Training in People Post-Stroke: Three Dimensional Underwater Gait Analysis” Presentation at the ACSM Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN
- Saluja, K.*, Kenton, K.*, Vrongistinos, K. & Jung, T., (May, 2008) “The Effects of Aquatic Exercise on Muscular Strength and Endurance, Pain and Faitgue in People with Multiple Sclerosis” Presentation at the ACSM Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN
- Jung, T., Narasaki, M*., Oglesby, C., & Vrongistinos, K. (July, 2007) “Aquatic Treadmill Walking at Various Water Depths for Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury,” Presentation at the International Symposium of Adapted Physical Activity, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Graduating students typically seek their careers as an adapted physical activity coordinator in a private, public or non-profit sector, a clinical/therapeutic exercise specialist in medical settings, an adapted fitness instructor in residential rehabilitation facilities, a senior exercise specialist, an adapted physical education teacher/consultant in a school setting or school district, an adapted aquatics or aquatic therapy specialist in clinical settings and an entrepreneur in rehabilitation and retirement industries. In addition, those who are interested in working in higher education or research settings often pursue a faculty position in a community college or advance to a doctoral level program in a related field: Adapted Physical Activity/Physical Education, Motor Control/Development, Biomechanics, Neuroscience, and Biomedical Science & Engineering.
