Kelly L. Simonton completed his PhD in 2019 at the Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA. His degree was completed in Kinesiology with a concentration in Pedagogy and Psychology Science under the tutelage of Dr. Alex C. Garn. Kelly has spent two years at the University of Memphis (Memphis, TN, USA) as an Assistant Professor of Physical Education Teacher Education. He has recently accepted a new position of the same rank at the University of Wyoming (USA), which will begin in the Fall of 2021. His research focuses on achievement motivation in physical education as it relates to teacher and student emotion. Specifically, looking at how teaching and learning environments relate to and facilitate emotional experiences, how emotional experiences relate to behavioural/learning outcomes, and the relationship between teacher motivation and student experiences in PE. Kelly intends to continue this work and further explore how pedagogy and curriculum influence students’ emotional experience and how teacher motivation and identity impact their pedagogical choices. At the AIESEP World Congress hosted online in 2021, he will present his research on, “College students previous physical education experiences: Student content beliefs, emotions, and outcomes.” His recommendation for the young scholar award came from one of his mentors and colleagues, Dr. Kevin Mercier. “My goals and principles for working in the field of PETE and conducting high quality pedagogical research align seamlessly with the goals of AIESEP. Specially, the attention given to evidence-based methodologies and advocacy for creating strong international bonds amongst researchers and educators.”
