Wagganer is professor and chairperson of the Department of Allied Health, Kinesiology, and Sport Sciences.

The AKA chooses 11 leaders in the kinesiology field from across the nation as fellows each year. Wagganer was named at the annual AKA Leadership Workshop in San Diego, California earlier this year. 

The year long fellowship, which provides training and networking for chairs and emerging leaders, is considered one of the most prestigious in the field. 

“I was extremely honored and grateful to be chosen as a fellow for the class of 2024,” Wagganer said. “I simply did not know where my application would rank amongst the other noteworthy leaders within our field.” 

The AKA promotes and enhances kinesiology as a unified field by advocating for  supporting member departments, supplying resource materials, and providing leadership and education opportunities for university administrators. 

“The American Kinesiology Association’s mission is to promote and enhance kinesiology as a unified field in higher education,” Wagganer said. “The Department of Allied Health, Kinesiology, and Sport Sciences has maintained AKA department membership  since the early days of the organization as a means to connect faculty and students to educational workshops, job listings, career resources, student award opportunities, and more. Receiving this fellowship will hopefully serve to better connect students to the kinesiology field.” 

Southeast’s Department of Allied Health, Kiniseology, and Sport Sciences is housed within the College of Education, Health, and Human Studies. The programs within the department focus on experiential and hands-on experience, valuable internships throughout the curriculum, and overall student involvement.