10 Questions with Megan MacDonald, head of the School of Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences
Q&A with the head of OSU's School of Exercise, Sport, and Health Sciences on physical activity, disability inclusion, and the power of play
10 Questions With… Megan MacDonald, head of the School of Exercise, Sport, & Health Sciences, a professor of kinesiology and an OSU IMPACT for Life Faculty Scholar
What brought you to Oregon State?
I came to Oregon State University as an assistant professor in 2011. I was very excited to join a strong team with established expertise in adapted physical activity, which included opportunities to be engaged with Inclusive and Modified Physical Activity in Communities Today, a physical activity program for children with disabilities. IMPACT has been a longstanding program in the College of Health since 1982.
What sparked your interest in the connection between physical activity and children with disabilities?
I have always been an active person, and as a child I was engaged in a variety of activities and sports. When I started learning more about access to sport and physical activity, I learned that not everyone had the same access points that I had. Because physical activity has deep benefits to everyone, I wanted to learn more about how to ensure everyone could participate in some of the games and activities that I had access to.
What makes you passionate about higher education?
Higher education has never been more critical than today. The need for a workforce with human and tech-centric skills is at an all-time high. In addition to discipline-specific knowledge, students need to be prepared to lead. This includes the development of diverse portfolios, strong communication skills across multiple platforms, expertise in both data management and emerging technologies, as well as the ability to collaborate across disciplines to address complex problems. Higher education provides a unique platform for learning, and I believe that education is a fundamental human right.
What are some simple but fun ways parents can encourage their children to move more?
Play. Meet your kids where they’re at. Encourage family activities and invite conversations about what might be fun to try out. Think about walking the dog together, consider teaching your cat to walk on a leash, or how to use a cat backpack so that your cat can join your family on their walks. But most importantly, find ways to incorporate play and movement into family activities.
What advice would you give the younger version of yourself who was just starting college?
Enjoy the journey – the path isn’t always linear, and sometimes you find yourself when unexpected opportunities are presented to you.
What surprised you the most in looking at children’s interaction with family pets and how that impacted physical activity?
What surprised me the most was how active kids were. While we hypothesized better physical activity, our data were much stronger than I originally anticipated, suggesting that children who were engaged in our imitation-based dog training, with a focus on physical activity, were a lot more active than their peers. What didn’t surprise me was how much fun the children and their family pets had!
What was your favorite course in college?
My favorite course was most likely adapted physical activity; when I was a student, I took it in my fourth year, and it cemented an interest that had been developing for years.
How can improving motor skills help a child increase their social communication skills?
Consider recess and its role in social opportunities for kids; now think about some of the games on the playground. Having better motor skills can help children play some of the games that might be of interest to them and engaging in games with friends helps to improve social communication skills — and it’s fun.
What is the biggest challenge you’re seeing today in the field of disability and physical activity?
The biggest challenge is that people are less active; it’s so important to include aspects of physical activity in daily life.
What is your favorite nonacademic pursuit or passion?
I love to read non-academic books. I also love being active, so you’ll often find me hiking, running or at a yoga studio.
This story originally appeared in OSU Today.
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