Laurie Devaney, associate professor in residence in the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program at UConn, will lead the Department of Kinesiology as its interim department head beginning May 5, 2023.

“We are thrilled that Dr. Devaney has agreed to serve in this critical role for the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources,” says Dean Indrajeet Chaubey. “Her energy, expertise, and commitment to the College’s mission will be invaluable to the department during this period of transition.”

Devaney has served as the director of the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program, the co-director of the UConn Institute for Sports Medicine, and a consultant for the UConn Division of Athletics. She takes over from Lindsay Distefano, who will now serve as associate vice president for research development in UConn’s Office of the Vice President for Research.

Devaney is an experienced educator and researcher with decades of clinical experience in orthopedic and sports physical therapy. She has been a certified athletic trainer since 1993 and holds a Ph.D. in exercise science from UConn.

Devaney’s expertise includes management of patients with neck pain and sports injury prevention and rehabilitation. Her primary research explores how neck function influences performance and injury risk in overhead athletes, and she is developing a comprehensive model for assessing and treating central and peripheral neuromuscular impairments in patients with persistent functional deficits following shoulder and elbow injury.

“I am grateful for Dr. DiStefano’s leadership of the Department of Kinesiology over the past five years,” Devaney says. “We are well positioned to continue to thrive, and I am excited to work with our outstanding faculty to help shape the future of the department.”

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