Nancy Williams is the new president of the American Kinesiology Association (AKA). Her term, which began on February 1, 2019, will focus on advancing the academic field of kinesiology and planning an annual meeting devoted to promotion of physical activity through teaching and outreach.
Dr. Williams currently serves as a professor and head of the department of kinesiology at Pennsylvania State University. She first joined the Penn State faculty as an assistant professor in 1997. She was promoted to associate professor in 2003, full professor in 2009, and department head in 2012. Professor Williams also co-directs the Women’s Health and Exercise Laboratory in the department of kinesiology. As an academic, her research is centered on physiological and behavioral underpinnings of interactions between energy balance, reproductive function, bone health, and exercise performance.
In addition to her involvement with the American Kinesiology Association, Dr. Williams is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and of the National Academy of Kinesiology. She has previously served as president of the Female Athlete Triad Coalition.
“Working with the members and leadership of AKA will help me keep abreast of what is going on in the field of kinesiology and in particular, the opportunities and challenges encountered by our kinesiology academic units,” Dr. Williams said. “Serving as president is an outstanding opportunity to contribute to moving the field forward. I learn a lot from leaders of kinesiology units all across the country and this enriches my perspective on issues I face on my own campus.”
Dr. Williams is a graduate of Bucknell University in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, where she majored in biology. She holds a master’s degree in exercise physiology from Ohio State University and a doctorate in applied physiology from Boston University.