The Janet A. Wessel Award in Adapted Physical Activity was established in 1992 through the generosity of Janet Wessel.
Janet Wessel was a KIN professor from 1956-1983. Her early-career research focused on the effects of exercise on women of all ages. However, Janet is best known for the “I CAN” physical education curriculum for children and youth with disabilities. She obtained over 1.2 million dollars in federal funding for “I CAN” research in the 1970s, and the resulting curriculum is still used worldwide. More recently, in retirement, Janet collaborated on “Everyone CAN”, a K-5 curriculum designed for inclusive physical education settings. In establishing the Janet A. Wessel Award, she said: "I'll help students and Michigan State as long as they go together."
Janet A. Wessel Award in Adapted Physical Activity
This award in the form of teaching assistantships is named after Janet A. Wessel, a professor emeritus of this department and one of the pioneers in adapted physical education. Recipients of these assistantships will work in either the swimming or gymnasium section of the lab associated with KIN 465 - Adapted Physical Activity. A $300 stipend per semester per activity (swimming or gymnasium) is awarded. Criteria: (a) Kinesiology major; (b) undergraduate or graduate student - preference given to undergraduates; (c) must have completed KIN 465 or equivalent course at other university; (d) minimum GPA of 3.00; and (e) first aid and CPR certification.
Application Procedures
Interested students should submit a letter of application and evidence that they satisfy the award criteria to the Director of the Sports Skills Program.
* denotes graduate students| Year | Recipients | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Alysse DeWitt | Mary Martha Douglas* | Maria Feldpausch |
| Heidi Griffin | Allison Leece | Alycia Mokedanz | |
| Casey Odenigbo | Alison Seidelman | Marissa Siebel* | |
| Steve Stackhouse | |||
| 2008 | Melissa G. F. Alexander* | Stephen Denton | Mary Martha Douglas* |
| Maria Feldpausch | Ashley Hudson | Amy Schmidt | |
| Ashley Smeltzer | Darijan Suton* | ||
| 2007 | Melissa G. F. Alexander* | Eric A. Bean* | Steven Chmielewski |
| Mary Martha Douglas* | Maria Feldpausch | Alexia McClerkin | |
| Kyle Morrison* | Amy Schmidt | Darijan Suton* | |
| Brandon Warner | Madalyn Weber | ||
| 2006 | M. Kathryn Beal | Alicia Copestick | Mary Martha Douglas* |
| Melissa Fraser* | Jessica Koch | Kathryn Lundberg | |
| Kyle Morrison* | Renee O'Connell | Shaun Ross | |
| Jacob Seng | Lucas VanEtten | ||
| 2005 | Kathryn Lundberg | Callie Phillips | Lee Przygocki |
| LaToya Taylor | Kelly Didomenico | Miguel Narvaez-Silva* | |
| Robin Tocco | Aaron Moffett* | Bomjin Lee* | |
| 2004 | Kelly Didomenico | Carrie Luscombe | Melanie Stein |
| Robin Tocco | Heather Lopez | Paul Nagelkirk* | |
| Aaron Moffett* | Bomjin Lee* | ||
| 2003 | Trish Barker | Linda Betley | Patrick Dunafin |
| Heather Klomparens | Nathan Kovalchik | Kelly Lane | |
| Aaron Moffett* | Terry Tompkins | Bomjin Lee* | |
| 2002 | Amanda Hiney | Tammy Nykamp | Coleen Reilly |
| Patrick Dunafin | Trish Barker | Bomjin Lee* | |
| 2001 | Kraig Conyer | Tameka Jones | Shannon Mertes |
| Andrea Moretti | Bomjin Lee* | ||
| 2000 | Kraig Conyer | Sara Anderson | Tameka Jones |
| Rebecca Potter | Salena Stock | Bomjin Lee* | |
| 1999 | Sean Cleveland | Kraig Conyer | Anthony Cummer |
| 1998 | Lisa Ballenger | Stephanie Dueringer | Lara Esko |
| James Van Huysen | |||
| 1997 | M. Kathleen Ellis* | Regan Vargo | Melissa Vidt |
| 1996 | Jamie Anderson | Alex L. Pakonen | Heath Plaxton |
| Nicole R. Raymond | |||
| 1995 | Carrie McNeal | Lisa Ackley | Mike Vorkapich |
| Deborah Shapiro* | |||
| 1994 | Deborah Shapiro* | Jennifer White | |
| 1993 | Elizabeth Beale | Sean Mischler |
