Columna leads consortium for UW–Madison students on adapted physical education


By Todd Finkelmeyer

UW–Madison’s Luis Columna played a leading role in hosting a consortium on campus for students and young professionals interested in learning how to conduct research in the field of adapted physical education and adapted physical activity. This was done in collaboration with Samuel R. Hodge, a professor of kinesiology at The Ohio State University.

Students and faculty from UW–Madison and The Ohio State University who attended the Sept. 22 consortium in Madison. “This photo is very meaningful to me,” says UW–Madison Associate Professor Luis Columna. “There are no other kinesiology programs in the United States that feature such a diverse group of professionals and students.”

The event for graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty members took place Sept. 22 and was run in collaboration with colleagues from Ohio State University.

“This consortium gave individuals an opportunity to hear each other’s research and to learn from each other,” says Michael Norris, a teaching faculty with the Department of Kinesiology. “It was really enlightening to see all the graduate students share their research, experiences, and knowledge. I think we all learned from each other.”

Benazir Meera, a postdoctoral researcher with UW–Madison’s Department of Kinesiology, adds: “This consortium means two things to me — community and collaboration. It’s a big community of such good people and good researchers. And it’s great to be building a network of people you can collaborate with.”

Columna, an associate professor with the School of Education’s Department of Kinesiology, says one of the things he is most proud of is the diverse group of participants that took part in this third annual event, which was officially titled, The OSU and UW–Madison Adapted Physical Education Consortium III.

“We have students and postdocs in our department from India, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Botswana, and the United States,” says Columna, who himself grew up in Puerto Rico. “With important support from the School of Education, we’ve made real strides in drawing more faculty and students of color to our department.”

These efforts, Columna says, have led to research being conducted that can better support underserved populations that are often overlooked.

“Securing funding and doing important research and publishing papers is important at a major research institution like UW–Madison,” says Columna. “But it’s also important to be able to conduct meaningful work that creates impactful research that can help and support different communities. You can not put a price tag on those efforts.”

Faculty, graduate students, and postdocs from UW–Madison who attended the consortium.

Columna’s work centers on families and children with developmental disabilities, such as autism spectrum disorder and Down syndrome. In particular, his research attempts to identify ways to increase the participation in physical activity of Hispanic families of children with disabilities. This work also helps prepare students and professionals who can more effectively work with diverse populations.

“We are doing several research projects that center on Latino families,” says Columna. “Having students that are bilingual and can communicate with these families in Spanish and English about the importance of physical activity is vital.”

Adds Columna: “There is not a lot of work in this realm that is supporting African American, Black, and Hispanic populations at many other major research institutions. I’m proud to be able to do this work in our Department of Kinesiology. We need to normalize the presence of diverse student cohorts.”

Columna developed the Fit Families program, which brings together children with disabilities (such as visual impairments and autism spectrum disorders), their parents, UW–Madison students, and in-service professionals in the fields of adapted physical education, special educators, psychology, physical education, and exercise science, among others. This award-winning program can bolster the physical, emotional, and social growth of children with developmental disabilities.

To learn more about The OSU and UW–Madison Adapted Physical Education Consortium III, check out this YouTube video.

The following faculty, staff, and students from UW–Madison’s Department of Kinesiology participated in the Sept. 22 consortium: Luis Columna, associate professor; Michael Norris, teaching faculty; Carlos Padilla Colón, an Anna Julia Cooper Postdoctoral Fellow (2023-24) and assistant professor (starting in fall 2024); Ashlyn Barry, master’s student; Carlos Cuebas, master’s student; Jaime Lee Jaime-Concepción, master’s student; Benazir Meera, postdoctoral researcher; Nicole Montañez-Alicea, master’s student; Laura Andrea Prieto, postdoctoral researcher; Gayatri Swarup, master’s student, Department of Kinesiology.

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