UH - Department of Health and Human Performance

04/09/2025

Thank you to all the HHP Graduate students for stopping by for some coffee and donuts today during Graduate Student Appreciation Week. The department thanks you for all that you contribute to our program!

04/09/2025

04/08/2025

Congratulations to Dr. Billy Hawkins on being selected as a recipient of the 2025 Sonny & Pam Vaccaro Impact Award. This award is given to individuals and/or organizations whose “impact” on college sport reflects the Vaccaro’s legacy of college athlete advocacy.

Dr. Hawkins was presented with the award on March 20th during the 2025 CSRI Conference on College Sport – held on the campus of the University of South Carolina in Columbia.

04/04/2025

HHP nutrition faculty at the Texas Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics Annual Conference & Exhibition in Georgetown TX today.

04/03/2025

HHP Graduate Students, donut underestimate your impact!
You’re the perfect blend of hard work and dedication!
We appreciate you a latte!

Join us during Graduate Student Appreciation Week April 9 from 9-11am as we celebrate with a little morning pick me up for our graduate students.

HHP will be giving out coffee and donuts in Melcher 208 and H2 2056 to all our Masters and Ph.D. Students who stop by. There will also be a raffle for an HHP backpack.

04/01/2025

Attention HHP graduate students!

Next week is Graduate and Professional Student Appreciation Week 2025: April 7 – April 11

The University of Houston - Graduate School will celebrate our graduate and professional students and your many contributions to UH!

Scan QR code or visit the website for schedule and more details.

https://uh.edu/graduate-school/events/appreciation-week/

03/24/2025

Last month HHP students and faculty attended the Texas Chapter American College of Sports Medicine annual meeting in Waco, Texas. The students were able to take a deep dive into the world of sports medicine and get some more insights into developing research topics and educational programs in the field. This year 7 undergraduate students and 5 graduate students attended, each involved in either poster presentations, quiz bowl, or scholarship nominations.

There were 2 quiz bowl teams comprised of 3 undergraduate students compete in a jeopardy style competition between teams from all over Texas to win spot in representing Texas at this year's National ACSM event in Atlanta.

Four students had posters this year where they got the opportunity to present their research findings to other students and professors from school's all over Texas!

Although our quiz bowl teams did not win a spot to Atlanta, Wishal Khan, an HHP Ph.D. candidate won the graduate Student Research Development Award and all shared a great experience attending this year’s TACSM annual meeting.

02/12/2025

Thank you to our undergraduate students who stopped by the Discover HHP table last week to learn more about our graduate programs and research opportunities. We are thrilled to see students pursuing their passions and furthering their education.

If you did not get a chance to stop by but still want to learn more about what graduate opportunities HHP has to offer, contact graduate advisor, Rachel Poling at [email protected].

02/04/2025

Do you have some sneakers you never wear anymore taking up space in your closet?

is teaming up with the UH Athletic Training Student Society for a shoe drive. They are accepting gently worn sneakers and running shoes in good condition now through the end of March. Boxes will be located in front of the HHP Garrison offices (G104) and in the University of Houston’s Rec Center. These shoes will go to help families in developing countries. Please help us help those in need.

01/29/2025

Our Health and Human Performance graduate program offers multiple degrees to enhance your professional journey. Whether you want to excel in human movement, sports medicine, nutrition science, or sports administration, we offer advanced degrees to help you reach your professional and academic goals.

Attend this open house to learn about our dynamic degree programs:
Ph.D. in Kinesiology
Master of Athletic Training
M.S. in Nutrition
M.A. in Sport & Fitness Administration

Join us to learn about admission requirements, research opportunities and career pathways for each program.

About CLASS Discovery Week
CLASS Discovery Week (Feb. 3-7, 2025) connects undergraduate students with humanities and social science research opportunities and graduate programs. Join interactive webinars, participating graduate programs’ Discovery Days, and the CLASS Undergraduate Research Showcase to advance your academic future with the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences.

12/17/2024

Congratulations to HHP doctoral student Hyunje Park on winning the 2nd place at the Dr. Robert G. Grossman Mission Connect Scientific Symposium in the graduate student award category.

Hyunje presented his research titled "Influence of phasic transcutaneous spinal stimulation paired with visually guided weight transfer in people post stroke"

11/26/2024

The department recently celebrated its outstanding students with an awards luncheon where scholarships were given out and faculty had the opportunity to recognize students for their excellence in undergraduate, graduate, and Ph.D. studies.

Congratulations to all the outstanding students and scholarship winners!!!

Outstanding Sudents
•Excellence in Undergraduate Studies-Exercise science: Victoria Luu (Not pictured)
•Excellence in Undergraduate Studies-Fitness/Sports: Ana Meiji
•Excellence in Undergraduate Studies-Nutrition: Lizbeth Alvarado Gonzalez
•Excellence in Undergraduate Studies-Sports Administration: Carter Radcliff (Not pictured)

•Excellence in Graduate Studies-Nutrition: Muqarrab Rashid
•Excellence in Graduate Studies-Sport and Fitness Administration: Jenny Dahlgren (Not pictured)
•Excellence in Graduate Studies-Master of Athletic Training (1st Year): Chelsea Brothers
•Excellence in Graduate Studies-Master of Athletic Training (2nd Year): Alyssa Fitzgerald

•Excellence in Ph.D. Studies-Pre-Candidacy: Sheida Zeraatalabmotlagh
•Excellence in Ph.D. Studies-Post-Candidacy: Justin Crane

Scholarships
•HHP Scholarship: Liana Farha
•HHP Scholarship: Hannah Needle
•HHP Scholarship: Larissa Lui (Not pictured)
•HHP Scholarship: Alyan Kassim (Not pictured)

•Mary Louise White Scholarship: Valerie Villatora
•Mary Louise White Scholarship: Phillip Ugochukwa
•Mary Louise White Scholarship: Emma DeLeon
•Mary Louise White Scholarship: Emily Nguyen (Not pictured)

•Barry C. Pelton Endowment Scholarship: Autumn Leviston
•Barry C. Pelton Endowment Scholarship: Austin Grahmann (Not pictured)
•Barry C. Pelton Endowment Scholarship: Daisy Loza (Not pictured)

•Margie Sterr Scholarship: Yasmin Elfeki (Not pictured)

•Irene Buckner Graduate Scholarship: Sarabeth Hanz
•Irene Buckner Graduate Scholarship: Seonwook Hwang (Not pictured)

•Dr. Andrew “Tony” Jackson Research Excellence Award: Komal Kukkar

•HHP Games Scholarship-Marketing Plan for E-Sports: Alyan Kassim (Not pictured)
•HHP Games Scholarship-Food Brawl: Dhwani Mulani
•HHP Games Scholarship-Jeopardy Quiz Bowl: Michael Herskowitz
•HHP Games Scholarship-Elevator Pitch: Charles Hodgman (Not pictured)
•HHP Games Scholarship-Elevator Pitch: Rebekah Hunt
•HHP Games Scholarship-Elevator Pitch: Seth Reinhart
•HHP Games Scholarship-Elevator Pitch: Komal Kukkar

10/24/2024

HHP students recently took a Sports Facility Management class field trip to the Toyota Center.

The field trip provided students with firsthand experience of how a major professional sports venue operates. The trip offered a unique opportunity to observe the day-to-day logistics, including facility management, event preparation, crowd control, and sustainability efforts.

During the visit, students participated in a behind-the-scenes tour of the facility, learning about the coordination required for hosting large-scale events like NBA games and concerts. They were introduced to key operational areas, including security protocols, maintenance of facilities, and the technology behind venue operations, such as scoreboard management and sound systems. Additionally, the tour highlighted Toyota Center’s commitment to sustainability, showcasing energy-efficient practices that help reduce the venue’s environmental impact.

Students also engaged in discussions with facility managers, who shared real-world insights on problem-solving during live events and managing staff and resources effectively. By visiting this renowned venue, students gained practical knowledge that complemented their academic studies, giving them a comprehensive understanding of the complexities involved in managing a large-scale sports facility. This experience was instrumental in preparing them to become future leaders in the field of sports management.

10/16/2024

Congratulations to all the winners of HHP Games 2024!

🏆 Wheelchair Relay: John Tomaini, Kelly Trihn, and Thoa Nguyen
🏆 Jeopardy Quiz Bowl: Michael Herskowitz and Ian Pitassi (Not pictured)
🏆 E-sports Tournament: Arianna Gant
🏆 E-Sports Presentation: Alyan Kassim
🏆 Food Brawl Student: Dhwani Mulani (voted on by chef judges)
🏆 Food Brawl Golden Kabob : Alexis Pelligrino (voted on by attendees)
🏆 Food Brawl Faculty: Dr. Craig Johnston (voted on by chef judges)
🏆 Ping Pong Tournament: Wishal Khan
🏆 Elevator Pitch 1st Place: Charles Hodgman
🏆 Elevator Pitch 2nd Place: Rebekah Hunt
🏆 Elevator Pitch Runners-up: Seth Reinhart and Komal Kukkal

10/16/2024

Exciting moments from HHP Games 2024! Part 3

10/16/2024

Exciting moments from HHP Games 2024! Part 2

10/16/2024

Exciting moments from HHP Games 2024! Part 1

This event was such a hit and we got so many great photos worth sharing that this post needed to be split in three parts. More photos to come!

10/02/2024

The Master of Athletic Training Program at the University of Houston is accepting applications for admission to the June 2025 cohort. MAT will host virtual open houses this fall, program faculty and UH graduate admission counselors will be on hand to answer questions. Please register at https://hhp.uh.edu/mat