Carmen Swain

Carmen Swain’s role in the college encompasses a diverse range of responsibilities, with a commitment to teaching, research, administration, and service. She brings a robust clinical background in health and exercise science to her active involvement in teaching and research.

While her primary focus lies within the Health and Exercise Science program, she consistently extends her teaching and research efforts beyond these boundaries, highlighting the vital concept of "movement as medicine" for enhancing human health.

In her research endeavors, Carmen Swain is driven by a passion for translating research findings into practical applications and policy development. This enthusiasm is rooted in the inherently practical nature of Exercise Science, offering tangible ways to provide hands-on guidance across diverse settings, spanning from athletic fields to clinical care.

Her research interests are wide-ranging, covering areas such as optimizing athletic performance and advancing physical activity promotion for the betterment of public health and disease prevention. Additionally, she serves as an advocate for undergraduate research and mentorship, consistently guiding her students to excel.

As an administrator, Swain coordinates practical and internship experiences for undergraduate students in exercise science disciplines, fostering diverse opportunities for skill development. Her commitment to service extends across campus, where she serves on the executive board of Exercise is Medicine® On Campus, a program of the American College of Sports Medicine. It promotes physically active lifestyles to all faculty, staff and students. She also advises the student club with the same name.

Swain is a past president of the Midwest Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine. She is also an alumna of the college, having received a master’s in exercise physiology and a PhD in quantitative research, evaluation, and measurement.

• PhD, Quantitative Research Evaluation and Measurement, The Ohio State University, 2007
• MA, Exercise Physiology, The Ohio State University, 1997
• BA, Health Education, Otterbein College, 1994

• Exercise Physiology
• Health and Physical Education/Fitness
• Kinesiology and Exercise Science
  • Athletic performance and recovery
  • Interventions in clinical and diverse populations
  • Physical activity promotion

Carmen Swain is a dedicated researcher and educator with a diverse portfolio in health and exercise science. Her research interests encompass athletic performance enhancement, physical activity's role in health promotion, and disease prevention. She has actively served as both a principal investigator and collaborator in research projects, resulting in publications and presentations that contribute to the field.

Swain's most recent work examines a visual system to enhance physical fitness, self-efficacy, and independence in adults with intellectual differences. This work emphasizes the importance of equity in access to physical activity programming and addresses a key population of concern identified in the national physical activity plan.

Swain's research bridges the gap between academia and practical health solutions. Her commitment to mentoring undergraduate students and translating research into real-world benefits underscores her multifaceted dedication to the field of health and exercise science.

Recently, Carmen Swain achieved significant recognition with a series of grants and awards dedicated to undergraduate research efforts ($35,000). She secured an Undergraduate Research Access Innovation Seed Grant for her pioneering work on developing, “Research 101: How to Get Involved as an Undergrad.” Additionally, her contribution to curriculum development in "Grad School 101 – How to Prepare as an Undergrad" course has also received funding support.

Swain's mentorship has led to her 5 current undergraduate advisees to receive grants. This financial support allows undergraduate students greater freedom in dedicating significant time to their projects. These accolades highlight her dedication to advancing undergraduate research and enriching educational experiences.

• DiSilvestro, R.A., Joseph, E., Diehl, J., Swain, C.B. (2020). Ferritin readings in young adult, female university student recreational runners. Journal of Trace Elements in Medicine and Biology, 62.

The following symbol represents: *student, + peer-reviewed 

• *Khouzam, J.P., *Kessler, S., *Hyland, J., Swain, C.B. Unmasking the Minimalist Mirage: A Comparative Study on Barefoot Running and Conventional Footwear on Performance, Perception and Physiology. The 2023 Midwest Chapter of American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN. 
• *Dujmovic-Bracak, A., Swain, C.B., Blazek, A.J, Post, E., Goodway, J.D. A Visual System Promotes Equity in Physical Fitness Programming in Adults with Intellectual Disabilities. The 2023 Midwest Chapter of American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN.
• Schumacher, B.J., *Lieber, E.J., *Dujmovic-Bracak, A., Swain, C.B. Mothers Poorly Perceive Children’s Fitness Characteristics. The 2022 Midwest Chapter of American College of Sports Medicine Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, IN. 
• Swain, C.B. Professional Power Hour: Sitting is the New Smoking. United States Department of State, June 3, 2021.