“This Canadian professor teaches sport and exercise psychology, framed within the American concept of liberal arts learning.
Teaching in the health and exercise science, public health, and gender, women, and sexuality studies, Russell has a courtside seat to today’s biggest sports trends.
First, there is equity. “The strongest student writing and reflection has been on racism in sport and inequity in exercise,” Russell says. “Students are very interested in social inequity as it relates to sports and exercise.”
Then there is the issue of specialization in youth sports. Athletes used to come into college having played a wide range of sports. Those days are long gone. “For decades, student-athletes have specialized very young in one sport and have a lot of identity and experience in that one thing.”
Russell grew up playing multiple sports in a small Nova Scotia fishing community. She tore her ACL playing high school basketball, which kicked off an interest in kinesiology. Her doctoral dissertation at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, explored the psychosocial readiness to return to sport after ACL reconstruction surgery.
“The first class I taught was Introduction to Sport and Exercise Psychology,” Russell says. She now teaches similar classes at
Gustavus, including the popular First-Term Seminar, Youth Sport and Society. It’s rocked many a former high school athlete’s outlook on their favorite sport. “As students grapple with the challenges of the thing they love, it sparks critical thinking.”
Russell relishes a holistic learning approach to teaching in the health & exercise science department. “I was completely unfamiliar with the concept of liberal arts before studying in the United States. It’s not a term we use in Canada. But I’ve always been doing it,” she says. At a small school like Gustavus, “I like the research opportunities, the close connections with students, the personal aspects.” And, of course, Gustie students. “They are willing to try whatever. They’re enthusiastic, thoughtful, and nice. They’re really fun to teach.”