UAH welcomes Don W. Morgan Professor, Founder MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth

Don Morgan, Founder and Director of the MTSU Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth will give a public talk at UAH on Oct. 11.

Middle Tennessee State University

Dr. Don W. Morgan, Professor, Founder and Director of the Middle Tennessee State University Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth will be the guest speaker for the The University of Alabama in Huntsville's (UAH) Distinguished Speaker Series on Wednesday, Oct. 11.

Morgan will give the public talk "A Walk to a Better Tomorrow: Improving Fitness and Function in Persons with Physical Disabilities," at 5 p.m., in Roberts Recital Hall. Morgan's presentation is sponsored by the UAH College of Education, Department of Kinesiology, and the UAH Distinguished Speaker’s Series in the Office of the Provost. The event is free and open to the public.

"Dr. Morgan's presentation will describe the use of underwater treadmill training to improve mobility and physical fitness in persons with physical disability," said Dr. Ryan T. Conners, Assistant Professor in Kinesiology, and coordinator of Morgan's visit to UAH. "The ultimate objective in this line of research is to extend the accessibility of underwater treadmill training, a technologically-advanced therapy option with potential disease-modifying effect, into clinical, public, and home-based settings to improve the physical function of individuals with neuromuscular impairments and other health disorders," added Conners. In addition to Morgan's campus-wide talk, he will also be speaking to undergraduate students in the UAH Department of Kinesiology about professional opportunities in exercise science, future employment in health and fitness careers, and graduate education.

Morgan is a Professor in the Department of Health and Human Performance at MTSU and Founder and Director of the university's Center for Physical Activity and Health in Youth.

A prolific scholar, Morgan has written more than 100 articles including his most recent abstract A Walk to a Better Tomorrow: Improving Fitness and Function in Persons with Physical Disabilities. "Walking on a treadmill submerged in water can improve endurance, strength, and balance in persons with limited mobility," said Morgan.

Over the past decade, Morgan’s research and public health promotion efforts, have focused on enhancing mobility and physical function in persons with disabilities and increasing activity and fitness levels of Tennessee youth. Morgan's research is funded by the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the United States Olympic Committee, AVIA Group International and NIKE, Inc.

A Past-President of the North American Society for Pediatric Exercise Medicine, Morgan is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, the National Academy of Kinesiology, and the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.

Morgan obtained a Bachelor's degree from Northwestern University Illinois. He also earned a Master's degree from The University of Tennessee, and a PhD from Arizona State University.