简介

Dr. Solmon's research focus centers on achievement motivation in physical activity settings. To gain a better understanding of how individuals are motivated to learn, she has investigated students' goals in physical education classes, as well as their perceptions of teachers' actions. She is involved in research projects with teachers in schools with the intent of discovering ways to increase student motivation through the creation of an appropriate learning environment. Melinda is active professionally, as demonstrated by numerous presentations at national conferences, including annual meetings of the American Educational Research Association (AERA) and the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance (AAHPERD). She has served as a Pedagogy Section Editor for Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. She has also represented the National Association for Sport and Physical Education on the New Professional Teacher Standards Development Project directed by the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, and completed terms as the Chair and the Program Chair for the Special Interest Group/Research on Learning and Instruction in Physical Education for AERA and as Secretary of the Research Consortium of AAHPERD. She has served on the editorial board for the Journal of Teaching in Physical Education since 1995 and recently completed a four-year term as co-editor. She has also served as a referee for a number of journals such as Journal of Applied Social Psychology, the International Journal of Sport Psychology, Medicine and Science in Exercise and Sport, and the Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology. Melinda received the 2003 Scholar Award from the Southern District of AAHPERD, and was selected as the 2007 Scholar for the Special Interest Group/Research on Learning and Instruction in Physical Education for AERA. She is an active Fellow in the Research Consortium AAHPERD and was elected as a Fellow in the American Academy of Kinesiology and Physical Education in 2006. In 2011, she received the Curriculum and Instruction Honor Award from the National Association for Physical Education and Sport, the H. M. “Hub” Cotton Award for Faculty Excellence, and the Distinguished Faculty Research Award from the College of Education. She is currently the President-elect of the Research Consortium of AAHPERD.