Dr Alan Smith

Kinesiology and Health Science

Faculty Partner | Professor and Dean


Alan Smith

Contact Information

Phone: (435) 797-8558
Email: al.smith@usu.edu

Biography

Dr. Alan L. Smith is a Professor of Kinesiology and Health Science and currently serves as Dean of the Emma Eccles Jones College of Education and Human Services. His research addresses the link of sport and physical activity involvement with young people's psychological and social functioning. Smith is widely known for his research on peer relationships in the physical activity domain (e.g., sport, physical education) and the motivational implications of these relationships for children and adolescents. He also has conducted research exploring physical activity as a means of ameliorating symptoms and impairments of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in young children, work involving interdisciplinary collaboration with experts in neuroscience, motor control, and biobehavioral and clinical psychology. His work has been funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and the U.S. Department of Education as well as other agencies such as the International Olympic Committee. Smith's publications appear in various kinesiology, psychology, and public health outlets, and he recently co-edited a leading graduate text, “Advances in Sport and Exercise Psychology.” He has served as associate editor of the Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology and on the editorial boards of Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, Child Development, International Journal of Sport Psychology, Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, Kinesiology Review, Psychology of Sport and Exercise, and Sport, Exercise, and Performance Psychology. He is a past president of the American Kinesiology Association and the North American Society for the Psychology of Sport and Physical Activity, served on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness & Nutrition Science Board, and is a Fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology.