ONLINE SEMINAR: Lived Experience as Expertise: Learning to reframe persistent absence and school exclusion using community partnership to support schools

The Scottish Educational Research Association (SERA) Health and Wellbeing Research in Education Network and Poverty and Education Network are co-hosting an online seminar on Wednesday 25th March 2026.

We are delighted to invite you to our online seminar, which builds on a previous session where we asked: “What does health and wellbeing look like when we start from the strengths, values and creativity of diverse communities?” In this follow-up event, Amanda Corrigan (University of Strathclyde) and Mark Breslin (University of Glasgow) reflect on what can be learned by working alongside young people and adults with experience of persistent absence and school exclusion.

Drawing on collaborative, community-based and asset-focused research, the speakers will explore how prioritising the voices of those who are often marginalised can deepen schools’ understanding of children who are missing from education and inform more relational, place-based approaches to engagement, attendance, emotional regulation and belonging. The session will begin with an overview of their respective research projects, followed by space for questions, dialogue and discussion of the practical and policy implications for schools and wider systems.

Date: 25 March 2026

Time: 5:00pm–6:15pm (online)

Please follow this link to register, following registration a Teams invitation will be emailed out: https://forms.office.com/e/Zu1pHmz2X1

We have a lot to cover! Nominations for the 2026-2030 board are open, the early bird registration has been extended to March 31^st for Taipei 2026, we’ve announced the 2026 AIESEP fellows, and we’re continuing to plan a really exciting 2026 World Congress in Taipei.

You can follow all AIESEP updates on our LinkedIn which is where you can find AIESEP Connect event links. We are now also on Instagram!

Here are the updates:

1. Registration for AIESEP 2026 is OPEN! The Early Bird Registration has been extended to March 31st. The conference will run June 15^th to 19^th, 2026. The conference website is live https://2026aiesep.org/ and will continue being updated! Basic travel information can be found here, and visa information can be found here . A podcast about Taiwan can be found here (episode 384 in Playing with Research in Health and Physical Education Podcast), and the companion blog, with hyperlinks to all the recommendations can be found here. Everyone is urged to book hotels early before they fill up. There are 13 hotels listed as options with varying distances by foot, metro, and taxi here. Finally, in addition to checking if you need a VISA!! Everyone needs to submit a Taiwan Arrival Card before you travel to Taipei in June (must be completed a minimum 3 days before arrival): https://twac.immigration.gov.tw/

2. AIESEP is excited to announce the 2026 AIESEP Fellows. The purpose of the AIESEP Fellowship is to recognize scholarly excellence in research in physical education, physical activity and sport pedagogy across the lifespan and to recognize excellence in professional practice in physical education, physical activity and sport pedagogy across the lifespan. The two fellows will be honored during the 2026 Taiwan Conference. The 2026 AIESEP Fellows are:

Dr. Erin Centeio (University of Hawaii, USA)

Dr. Ash Casey (Loughborough University, UK)

3. The AIESEP Early Career Scholar Awards have been announced. you can read more about them here. The Developing Country Scholar Awards have also been announced. You can read about them here.

4. If you are an early career scholar we hope that you will fill out this survey to help build out a mentoring program AIESEP is preparing, and if you are a person interested in becoming a mentor or supporting early career scholars please fill this survey

5. Nominations for the 2026-2030 AIESEP Board of Directors are now open. Nominations will close May 1^st. Voting will be conducted online synchronously during the general assembly in Taipei, and all members will get a personal link via email to vote. All the information for the elections can be found here. You will be asked to make a 2min video introducing yourself and your vision for the future board, in addition to filling out the application. There are 6 institutional, and 6 individual board members open for nominations in addition to the Secretary General and President positions.

6. It’s that time of year to RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP! If you have an annual membership, it expired Dec 31^st. You can renew here. Not sure if you have a multi-year membership? To check membership status go to “Login” at the top right corner of the AIESEP website, and click on “Orders” then “View” and you can see the last purchase you made for a membership. Remember, in order to run for a board of directors position, your membership must be up to date.

7. The EDI Policy for AIESEP has been launched. The video that was a part of an AIESEP connect can be found here. You can read the full EDI policy here and learn more about the process of how this was developed.

8. The final keynote and one that acts as the prestigious Cagigal Lecture at AIESEP 2026 will be delivered by Professor Ashley Casey (Loughborough University, UK). The title of Dr. Casey’s Cagigal Lecture is Practices, Practicing, and Praxis: Cultivating curiosity and freedom through physical education

Here is Dr. Casey’s bio:

Professor Ashley Casey (Ash) is Professor of Physical Education and Pedagogy and Director of Teacher Education at Loughborough University. He is Editor-in-Chief of Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, the 2024 British Educational Research Association PESP Scholar Lecturer, and a 2023 National Teaching Fellow. Internationally recognised for his work on models-based practice in physical education, his research informs teaching across schools and universities worldwide. A former PE teacher, Ash now works closely with teachers, schools, and organisations to improve physical education through research, collaboration, and public engagement.

9. An update from the Spectrum Institute:

Spectrum is excited to turn our yearly newsletter to a biannual release, now every March and September. Come take a look at the exciting deadlines and upcoming events in March 2026 / Vol. 5 Issue 1.

10. The AIESEP 2027 conference has released dates and a theme. The conference will run July 12-16^th, 2027 and will be hosted by Fontys University in Eindhoven, Netherlands! The theme of the conference is: “Bridging the gap from theory to everyday practice in physical education” More information to follow.

11. Make your AIESEP Member Profile: As an AIESEP member you can now create your own personal member profile! You can use it to connect with other members, read or post articles, blogs and recorded presentations, or maybe to provide updates on projects or look for that person during the last AIESEP conference who gave that inspiring paper. Make your AIESEP member profile NOW. Go to the Member’s Corner on the AIESEP website and click on Community or directly by clicking here.

12. AIESEP is now accepting donations to support future developing country scholars. We have created a page on the website that shares information about how to donate and how your donation makes a difference https://aiesep.org/donation/

Finally, as we build out our new website, emails and newsletters will come from [email protected] so please add this to your “safe sender list” and check your filters for past messages. And, finally, if you’re still reading and enjoyed this newsletter, please consider sending this to a colleague and tell them about our association!

Sincerely,

Risto Marttinen

Secretary General AIESEP

Associate Professor 

George Mason University

[email protected]

This interactive experiential workshop is designed for those who already have familiarity with the MSPE protocol (Mindful Sport Performance Enhancement; Kaufman, Glass, & Pineau, 2018), as well as an established personal meditation practice. To get the most out of the training, we recommend also having experience working with sport/performance populations and incorporating mindfulness into your work.

Only 30 seats will be available for this online training. Eleven APA CEs (sponsored by Division 47) and/or CMPC CEUs are available for an additional fee, and there are a limited number of reduced-price seats for full-time students.

For more information and/or to register, see the “Check out the details” link at mindfulsportperformance.org/services, and please contact Carol Glass ([email protected]) with any questions.

*******************

Carol R. Glass, Ph.D.

MSPE Institute

Professor Emerita, Department of Psychology

The Catholic University of America

Washington, DC  20064 USA

The AIESEP Board Elections for the 2026–2030 term will be held at the AIESEP 2026 World Congress in Taipei. These elections are a vital part of our Association’s democratic governance and offer members an opportunity to contribute to AIESEP’s global leadership and strategic direction.

If you are interested in running for a board position, the information below will give you an overview of the process, You can find the individual member application forms here, and the institutional application forms here. To facilitate elections, all nominees (individual or institutional) will be asked to upload a 2-minute video. You have from now until May 1^st to submit an institutional or individual nomination (forms + video to Dropbox link). (note: the website is set up for horizontal videos, so if you record on your phone turn it sideways)

Introduction

The AIESEP Board of Directors has 14 members. These are divided into two categories:

1. Representatives of institutional members (n = 6)
2. Representatives of individual members (n = 6)

The AIESEP President and Secretary General are elected by all eligible AIESEP members (institutional and individual), prior to the election of the Individual and Institutional Board of Directors, at the AIESEP General Assembly during the AIESEP World Congress. The 6 institutional board members are elected by institutional members and the 6 individual board members are elected by individual members.

NOTE:

• To be eligible to vote in the general assembly, member registration must be processed by May 1^st, 2026, and be valid through the duration of the AIESEP 2026 conference.
• To be eligible to apply to serve on the Board of Directors, member registration must be processed by May 1^st 2026 and be valid through the duration of the AIESEP 2026 conference.

To be eligible to nominate, members must:

• Hold a current, AIESEP membership at the time of nomination;
• Have attended at least one AIESEP activity (such as a Conference or Specialist Seminar) in the two years prior to nomination; and
• Be prepared to contribute actively to the work of the Board and broader AIESEP community throughout the four-year term.

We encourage all members—both institutional and individual—who are passionate about advancing physical education, physical activity, and sport pedagogy across the lifespan to consider nominating.

The applications materials (found on the AIESEP website behind the member’s corner) include directions on how to nominate and official forms that require a signature. In addition to the application, you must submit a 2 minute horizontal video to this Dropbox link by May 1^st.

To be fair to all nominees, videos will be cut off at exactly 2 minutes, so please make sure you don’t go over the time limit. These videos will be uploaded in the members corner, and will be visible to members after they are uploaded and leading up to the elections in June.

Key Dates:

• May 1^st 2026

– Closing of the list of AIESEP members eligible to vote at the GA. Memberships must be valid through the duration of the conference.

– Deadline for submission of Candidate Application Forms & Video to be considered for a position on the AIESEP Board of Directors

– Deadline for receipt of proposals from AIESEP members of items to be included in the agenda of the General Assembly.

• May 15^th 2026 – Final GA Agenda and supporting documentation will be circulated to AIESEP Members
• TBD June 16^th-19^th 2026 – AIESEP 2026 General Assembly and Board of Directors Election

Members of the AIESEP Board of Directors would like to thank you for your continued engagement AIESEP and look forward to seeing you at AIESEP 2026!

Risto Marttinen

Secretary General

Association Internationale des Ecoles Supérieures d’Education Physique
International Association of Physical Education in Higher Education

For this program to be launched succesfully we need the help of the AIESEP community. Therefore at the end of this blog you will be asked to fill in one of two surveys.

The program will leverage the collective expertise and goodwill of the AIESEP community, providing high-quality academic and career mentoring to ECRs who might face barriers to international networking, publishing, and academic mobility. ECRs sometimes have difficulties navigating the scientific domain, especially in the initial phase of their career. Especially, early-career scholars from developing countries sometimes work in resource-constrained environments, with limited access to global research networks, publication support, and strategic career guidance.

While ECRs usually have institutional supervisors for their research projects, they may lack access to informal mentoring on broader academic career development. This program therefore aims to complement their local supervision by connecting them with internationally recognized mentors from the AIESEP (Fellowship) community.

The primary objectives of the AIESEP Global Mentoring Program are to:

• Support early career scholars in developing their academic careers in PE.
• Provide guidance on presenting their work at international conferences
• Provide guidance on publishing in peer-reviewed journals.
• Foster networking and participation in international academic communities.
• Offer advice on research ethics, grant writing, and career planning.
• Build long-term international relationships that promote research collaboration and mutual learning.
• To provide a listening ear for discussing (sensitive) subjects that are not discussed with the formal supervisor.

To determine the program structure and work out the details of this program we need your insights.

Are you an Early Career Researcher? Please fill in this survey: https://gmucehd.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8Hc3M74JUJBZaWq

Are you an AIESEP member and at least a mid-career academic? Please fill in this survey: https://gmucehd.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_aaEzswzhoFzFIDI

Thank you very much. Together we can build an even stronger and more valuable organisation.

Any questions, remarks or good ideas can be sent to [email protected]

Position Summary:

Project FLEX is a sports program aimed to build life skills and healthy fitness behaviors for incarcerated youth. Through evidence-based programming focused on overall health, character development, career exploration, and higher education access, we aim to reduce recidivism rates and set youth up for success post-incarceration.

Our Mission:

To engage incarcertaed youth in a life skills educational program that uses physical activity to instill developmental qualities such as leadership, resiliency, and responsibility. A secondary aim of the program is to expose youth to college and career opportunities as possible future post-incarceration.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Teaching life skills and sport to incarcerated youth in prison settingss
• Conduct research and present findings at various conferences nationwide
• Unique travel experiences with financial support

Qualified students can pursue a masters or PhD in a related field.

For more information, visit https://projectflex.org

Attention Early Career Researchers,

Two important announcements here.

First, the election process for the new chair-elect of the AIESEP ECR-SIG will take place Monday, February 23. Election instructions will be shared in the following two ways:

1) Sent via email to all ECRs who have previously shared their email address for membership in the SIG

2) Posted on the ECR-SIG Members Corner page of the AIESEP website.

We encourage all members of the SIG to vote. If you are an ECR interested in joining the SIG and participating in the voting process, please contact us via the ECR SIG LinkedIn page 

Second, we are happy to announce the first official ECR Hour event of the ECR-SIG. ECR Hour is a loosely structured, non-recorded online event that provides an opportunity for ECRs to connect virtually around topics of shared interest. The first ECR Hour will take place on Thursday, March 26 at 8am EDT, 1pm CET, 10pm AEST. Consult this time zone converter to determine the local time.

We invite members to visit our LinkedIn and Members’ Corner pages to suggest topics they would like to see approached during the ECR hour.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Steph and Carla

It’s that time of year to RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP! If you have an annual membership, it expired Dec 31^st. You can renew here. Not sure if you have a multi-year membership? To check membership status go to “Login” at the top right corner of the AIESEP website, and click on “Orders” then “View” and you can see the last purchase you made for a membership.

You can follow all AIESEP updates on our LinkedIn, this is also where you can find AIESEP Connect event links.

We have a lot of updates this month. We just finished our specialist seminar in Lausanne, Switzerland and we’re gearing up for the 2026 World Congress in Taipei.

Here are the updates:

1. Registration for AIESEP 2026 is OPEN! The Early Bird Registration ends February 25^th. The conference will run June 15^th to 19^th, 2026. The conference website is live https://2026aiesep.org/ and will continue being updated! Basic travel information can be found here, and visa information can be found here . A podcast about Taiwan can be found here (episode 384 in Playing with Research in Health and Physical Education Podcast), and the companion blog, with hyperlinks to all the recommendations can be found here. Everyone is urged to book hotels early before they fill up. There are 13 hotels listed as options with varying distances by foot, metro, and taxi here. Finally, in addition to checking if you need a VISA!! Everyone needs to submit a Taiwan Arrival Card before you travel to Taipei in June (must be completed a minimum 3 days before arrival): https://twac.immigration.gov.tw/

2. The AIESEP Early Career Scholar Awards have been announced. The intent of the award is to recognise early career scholars within the field who have made an outstanding contribution to the field and demonstrate scholarly promise. The awards in 2026 go to: Dr. Craig Nieman (University of South Florida, USA), Dr. Carla Valerio (Southern Cross University, Australia) and Dr. Taemin Ha (City University of New York-Queens College, USA). You can see past award recipients here.

3. The Developing Country Scholar Awards have also been announced. The AIESEP Developing Country Scholar Award is designed to support scholars based in developing countriesto attend the AIESEP Conference. The award aims to recognize outstanding scholarly contributions and foster stronger connections between AIESEP and the academic communities in developing countries. The 2026 awards go to: Dr. Emmanuel Aboagye (Akrokerri College of Education, Ghana,) and Dr. Pedro Danilo Poncaino Nuñez (Universidad del Valle de Guatemala | Universidad Da Vinci, Guatemala). You can see past award recipients here.

4. Elections for the 2026-2030 AIESEP Board of Directors will occur in Taiwan this summer. Nominations will open March 1^st and close May 1^st. Voting will be conducted online synchronously during the general assembly, and all members will get a personal link via email to vote. In March, members will get an email outlining the requirements for nominations (click here to see if you’re eligible). You will be asked to make a 2min video introducing yourself and your vision for the future board. This video will be uploaded to the member corner of the website and will be available for members to view leading up to the voting. Six institutional and six individual board positions will be open. In addition, the President and Secretary General positions will be open to candidates who have completed at least one term of service on the Board of Directors.

5. The third keynote at AIESEP 2026 will be delivered by Professor Hsiao-Lan Sharon Chen (National Taiwan Normal University). The title of Dr. Chen’s keynote is: Rethinking Physical Literacy for Physical Education Mapping in 21^st Century: From Deconstruction to Reconstruction

Here is Dr. Chen’s bio:

Hsiao-Lan Sharon Chen is Professor of Education at the National Taiwan Normal University, Taiwan, where she was the former Director of the Center for Educational Research and Evaluation, the Head of the Department of Education and concurrently the Director of both the Graduate Institute of Curriculum and Instruction and the Graduate Institute of Educational Policy and Administration. She also served as the President of the China Education Society-Taipei, the Convener of the Discipline of Education of the Department of Humanity and Social Science, Ministry of Science and Technology, and the Convener of the Curriculum Implementation Task Force of the Secondary Education Administration, Ministry of Education.  

Professor Chen actively participates in many academic activities and has served as the editor-in-chief of several TSSCI academic journals. She gets research funding from the National Science and Technology Council (formerly the Ministry of Science and Technology) every year and has received numerous NSTC annual research awards. In recent years, she has also been in charge of several nationwide curriculum implementation and instructional enhancement projects funded by the Ministry of Education. She has studied, taught, and written widely in three principal areas: curriculum reform issues, qualitative research methodology, and teacher professional development. Over the past years, she has conducted several cross-national studies and served as a visiting scholar at universities such as Stanford University, Oxford University, the Freie Universitaet Berlin, the University of Melbourne, and the University of British Columbia. In 2009 she received the NTNU Outstanding Teacher Award, in 2012 the NTNU Distinguished Professorship Award, in 2018 the “National Teacher of the Year” Award.

6. An update from the Spectrum Institute: The Spectrum of Teaching Styles will once again be hosting a Spring Workshop. There will be presentations by four (4) Spectrum Colleagues hosted on March 23rd via zoom. Admission details will be released through our mailing list and on social media. If you would like to be added to the mailing list or get a link to the meeting, send us a request at [email protected]. We look forward to seeing you there!

7. The AIESEP 2027 conference has released dates and a theme. The conference will run July 12-16^th, 2027 and will be hosted by Fontys University in Eindhoven, Netherlands! The theme of the conference is: “Bridging the gap from theory to everyday practice in physical education” More information to follow.

8. Dear Early Years Trailblazers, do you have a passion for redefining the landscape of early childhood physical activity, health, and education? The Early Career Researcher SIG is growing, and we want you to help lead the charge. As we look toward 2026, our leadership is evolving. While Boris steps into the role of Chair and Kristy moves to Past Chair, we are opening the floor for a new Chair-Elect for the ECR SIG to join the team.

This isn’t just a title, it’s an opportunity to:

• Influence the direction of global Early Years research.
• Connect with an active, international network of academics and practitioners.
• Drive innovation within the AIESEP community.

The Journey: You will start as Chair-Elect, progressing to Chair and then Past Chair, ensuring you have the support and mentorship to make a lasting impact. See the link for more: https://aiesep.org/aiesep-sig-for-early-years/

9. If you are an early career researcher (or can send this survey to one) we ask that you take a few moments to take this survey about a new mentoring program AIESEP is launching. It will help AIESEP build out a future mentoring program through the voices of current early career researchers. https://gmucehd.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_8Hc3M74JUJBZaWq

10. AIESEP is on LinkedIn. You can find the most up to date postings on our LinkedIn profile as well as by following the AIESEP Blog. LinkedIn is also the best place to find links to our AIESEP connect session registrations.

11. Make your AIESEP Member Profile: As an AIESEP member you can now create your own personal member profile! You can use it to connect with other members, read or post articles, blogs and recorded presentations, or maybe to provide updates on projects or look for that person during the last AIESEP conference who gave that inspiring paper. Make your AIESEP member profile NOW. Go to the Member’s Corner on the AIESEP website and click on Community or directly by clicking here.

12. AIESEP is now accepting donations to support future developing country scholars. We have created a page on the website that shares information about how to donate and how your donation makes a difference https://aiesep.org/donation/

Finally, as we build out our new website, emails and newsletters will come from [email protected] so please add this to your “safe sender list” and check your filters for past messages. And, finally, if you’re still reading and enjoyed this newsletter, please consider sending this to a colleague and tell them about our association!

Sincerely,

Risto Marttinen

Secretary General AIESEP

Associate Professor 

George Mason University

[email protected]

2026 Award Winners

We are thrilled to celebrate the achievements of the following exceptional scholars:

• Dr Emmanuel Aboagye (Akrokerri College of Education, Ghana)
• Dr Pedro Danilo Ponciano Núñez (Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and Universidad Da Vinci, Guatemala)

Awards Presentation

The awards will be presented at the AIESEP 2026 World Conference, held in Taipei, Taiwan, from June 15-19, 2026, where both scholars will have the opportunity to present their work at the conference.

Learn more about their work and stories!

Dr. Emmanuel Aboagye is a lecturer in Physical Education and Sport Management at Akrokerri College of Education and a part-time lecturer at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. His research explores the intersection of education, sport, and society, focusing on increasing sport participation among marginalized groups, overcoming barriers to teaching physical education, enhancing student engagement, and understanding consumer behavior in sport.

Dr. Pedro Danilo Ponciano Núñez completed his PhD in Education, Sport and Health at the University of Vigo (Spain). His research focuses on critical and situated sport pedagogies, Olympic education, and sport-for-development, with particular attention to epistemic justice in Latin America. He is a lecturer in physical education and sport programmes at Universidad del Valle de Guatemala and Universidad Da Vinci. He serves as President of the Pierre de Coubertin Committee of Guatemala.

Please join us in congratulating Dr Emmanuel Aboagye & Dr Pedro Danilo Ponciano Núñez for their remarkable achievements and dedication to advancing physical education and sport in developing countries!

AIESEP is proud to celebrate the recipients of the 2026 AIESEP Early Career Scholar Award, an award that recognises emerging scholars who are shaping the future of sport pedagogy, physical education, physical activity, and related fields through innovative, rigorous, and impactful research.

The 2026 award cycle reflects both the vitality and the competitiveness of our field. This year, AIESEP received 11 high-quality applications from early career scholars working across different countries, institutions, and research traditions. The selection process was rigorous, and the review panel was deeply impressed by the depth, originality, and social relevance of the submissions. From this strong pool, three awardees were selected, each representing distinctive yet complementary contributions to the field.

We are delighted to announce the 2026 AIESEP Early Career Scholar Awardees:

• Dr Carla Valerio (Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, Australia)
• Dr Craigory V. Nieman (College of Education, University of South Florida, USA)
• Dr Taemin Ha (Department of Family, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences, City University of New York – Queens College, USA)

Each of these scholars exemplifies the spirit of the AIESEP Early Career Scholar Award. Their research demonstrates methodological rigour, theoretical insight, and a strong commitment to addressing contemporary challenges in education, sport, health, and physical activity. Importantly, their work also reflects AIESEP’s core values: international collaboration, social responsibility, and the pursuit of research that matters—both within academia and beyond it.

Congratulations to the 2026 AIESEP Early Career Scholar Awardees!

Get to Know the Award Winners!

Dr Carla Valerio is a Senior Lecturer and researcher in Health and Physical Education at Southern Cross University, Gold Coast, Australia. Carla is Portuguese and completed her PhD at the University of Porto, where she conducted a two-year ethnographic study examining the cultivation of Communities of Practice within a Physical Education Teacher Education programme, with a particular focus on pedagogical innovation through student-centred approaches.

After moving across the world, Carla has remained actively researching professional learning communities and social learning spaces, particularly exploring how meaning and value are negotiated amongst community members and how social learning strategies can act as catalysts for pedagogical change, supporting more collaborative and reflective approaches to teacher education and professional learning. Her research is underpinned by a strong commitment to cultivating collaboration with a focus on participatory research, predominantly employing ethnographic designs to examine the social processes that shape learning across initial teacher education, professional learning contexts, and the implementation of innovative pedagogical approaches in both higher education and school-based settings. In recent work, Carla has extended her research into additional contexts, including outdoor and adventurous learning, to further explore how to cross the boundaries of teacher learning and professional growth across diverse schooling contexts, from outdoor settings to mainstream classrooms, and she has since been engaged in co-design research with school teachers.

Alongside this, Carla engages in self-study and autoethnographic research to critically examine her own practice as a teacher educator and her development as an international early-career academic and researcher. This reflective strand of her work is grounded in a strong orientation towards continuous improvement and professional learning, and has focused on cultivating a sense of community among ECRs in the field through sharing her experience. Carla’s research approach is inherently collaborative and internationally oriented. She prioritises scholarly connections with academics worldwide, with AIESEP serving as a key platform for these collaborations. Carla considers this work central to both her research and her capacity to serve effectively in her role as Co-Chair of the AIESEP Early Career Researcher Special Interest Group.

Dr. Craigory V. Nieman is an Assistant Professor of Instruction in Physical Education in the College of Education at the University of South Florida. He earned his B.S. in Physical Education from Ohio University, an M.Ed. in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Tampa, and a Ph.D. in Curriculum and Instruction with a concentration in Teacher Education
from the University of South Florida. His work centers on preparing future teachers for diverse educational settings and promoting culturally responsive approaches to physical education.

At USF, Dr. Nieman teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in physical education and athletic coaching and supervises pre-service teachers during their clinical and internship experiences. Beyond teaching, he serves as Undergraduate Program Coordinator for the Physical Education program and coordinates the Science of Physical Activity and Athletic Coaching minors.

Dr. Nieman’s research focuses on culturally responsive pedagogy, teacher preparation, and equity in physical education. He has published articles in leading journals, such as the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education and Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education. He regularly presents at state, national, and international conferences such as SHAPE Florida, SHAPE America, AERA, and AIESEP, and has even co-chaired the local organizing and was a member of the scientific committees for the 2025 AIESEP Conference. His contributions to the profession have been recognized with awards such as the 2025 USF Undergraduate Teaching Award (top 3 awardee), 2025 SHAPE Florida Educational Leadership Award, and the 2022 SHAPE America Ruth Abernathy Presidential Scholarship. He is an active member of SHAPE America, SHAPE Florida, AIESEP, and AERA, where he has held multiple leadership and service roles.

Twitter/X: @nieman_PE

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/craig-nieman-062946b8/

Dr. Taemin Ha is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Family, Nutrition, and Exercise Sciences at the City University of New York–Queens College. Originally from South Korea, he earned his Ph.D. from the University of Northern Colorado (UNC), specializing in Physical Education and Physical Activity Leadership with a minor in Applied Statistics and Research Methods. During his doctoral studies, he served as a Research Associate at the UNC Active Schools Institute, where he refined his scholarly
foundation and developed specialized expertise in physical education teacher education (PETE) and K-12 physical activity promotion.

As an interdisciplinary researcher, Dr. Ha focuses on enhancing youth health through a “whole-of-school” approach. His work explores innovative ways to leverage technology in K-12 settings, specifically through the design and implementation of technology- infused interventions that maximize movement opportunities across the entire school day—spanning physical education classes, academic classrooms, and extracurricular settings. To bridge the gap between innovation and practice, he also examines the factors influencing technology adoption among pre-service and in-service teachers. An active contributor to the field, Dr. Ha has authored over 40 peer-reviewed articles and delivered more than 70 presentations at international, national, and regional conferences.