Members of the Department of Health and Physical Education at Monmouth University recently attended the 2025 New Jersey Association of Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (NJAHPERD) annual convention held in Princeton, NJ, on Feb. 24-25. Mark Housel, adjunct professor in the Department of Health and Physical Education, delivered the keynote presentation, “Keeping it Young at Heart,” which drew from his experience as NJAHPERD Teacher of the Year, SHAPE America Eastern District Teacher of the Year, and SHAPE America Finalist Teacher of the Year.
Faculty in the Department of Health and Physical Education led several additional presentations and sessions during the event. A panel featuring Staci Drewson, Ph.D. (chair and associate professor), Tamara Rial-Faigenbaum, Ph.D. (specialist professor), Jamie Pigman, Ph.D. (assistant professor), and Alexis Silverio, Ph.D. (specialist professor), along with Acting Dean for the Marjorie K. Unterberg School of Nursing and Health Studies Shannon Clifford, PT, Ph.D., MPT, delivered “All Stars Moving Together: Tips for Building an Effective CSPAP Partnership.” Drewson also collaborated with Jeremy Lackman, Ph.D. (associate professor), to present “Is the NJ State Legislature Removing Barriers to Becoming a Health and Physical Education Teacher?”
Other presentations included, “Moving Minds: Integrating Physical Education and Movement in Early Childhood Education,” delivered by Jessica Sargent, adjunct professor in the Department of Health and Physical Education, and Jolie Dynak, health and physical education teacher for Long Branch Public Schools; and a high school and college students round table dance discussion and collaboration, presented by Dawn Schultz, adjunct professor in the Department of Health and Physical Education.
Nine health and physical education teacher education students and recent alumna Emma Gehringer ’25 also attended the convention over two days. Students had the opportunity to participate in lecture-style instructional sessions and/or physical activity-based instructional sessions while interacting with future professionals from peer institutions and networking with current health and physical education teachers and supervisors in New Jersey to explore employment opportunities. Gehringer also co-presented with faculty for the “All Stars Moving Together” session.
Monmouth students also took first place in the NJAHPERD College Bowl, a jeopardy-style competition between teams of students representing health and physical education teacher education programs across New Jersey. Teams responded to questions from categories related to K -12 national standards in health and physical education, evidence-based best teaching practices, dance, fitness, and nutrition.
