Kinesiology Chair Search Talk: Leah E. Robinson

Academic Leadership in Action: A Vision for the MSU Department of Kinesiology

This presentation will provide a vision for the future of MSU’s Department of Kinesiology in terms of scholarship, teaching and instruction, and outreach to support the growth and development of the department along with students (undergraduate and graduate).

Dr. Leah E. Robinson is a professor of Movement Science in the School of Kinesiology at the University of Michigan. She is a Fellow in the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM). Her academic training is in human motor development, exercise science and child development (Ohio State University, 2007). Her research takes a developmental perspective to motor skill acquisition, physical activity and developmental health in preschool- and school-aged children. Her work seeks to understand the underlying mechanisms of motor skill acquisition because these salient skills are needed to be physically active across the lifespan. Her research also explores the association and effect of motor skills/coordination to health-related constructs (e.g., developmental and behavioral outcomes). She has received over $13.5 million dollars in extramural funding since 2016.

Robinson possesses a range of leadership experience that includes serving as the assistant director of the Michigan Institute for Clinical Health Research (MICHR) KL2 pProgram (2021-present), chair of Movement Science at the School of Kinesiology (2017-2020) and director of the Child Movement, Activity and Developmental Health Laboratory (2015-present).