Sport & Exercise Sciences Faculty and Staff

Kim Fierke, Assistant Professor for Sport Management, is a 23-year veteran of NCAA Division III programs where she has served as a student-athlete, assistant coach, head coach and administrator. She comes to SUNY Oneonta from Hartwick College where she served as Director of Athletics and Chair of Physical Education since 2010. From 2005-2010, she was the Director of Athletics and Physical Education at Salem College in North Carolina. Prior to her appointment at Salem, Kim served as Assistant Athletic Director and Women’s Basketball Head Coach at Saint Mary’s University of Minnesota. She received her Doctor of Education degree in Leadership from Saint Mary’s University and her Master’s degree in Sports Management from Western Illinois University. She is and has been active on NCAA, NADIIIAA, and NACWAA national committees as well as local boards and community committees.

Katie Griffes is an Assistant Professor in Sport and Exercise Sciences. Prior to joining SUNY Oneonta, Katie was the Director of Shaw Wellness Institute at Colgate University, and served as the program director for both Exercise and Sport Studies and Physical Education at Benedictine University. She values strong ties to her community, and has previously served on the Board of Directors for the Defiance YMCA, was a member of the Community Advisory Board for the Special Olympics, and served as a Faculty Advisor for Chicago Public Schools Physical Education Advisory Board. She has been involved with international travel and research, leading several student groups on service trips to Tanzania. Katie has been involved with high school and collegiate tennis programs since 2009 and is currently the Assistant Tennis Coach at Hartwick College, bringing mental skills training to the program. Her research interests include leadership development, particularly related to sport and military leadership, as well as Positive Youth Development and using sport as a vehicle for character and life skill development.

Katie is from Eaton Rapids, MI, and has a PhD in Kinesiology, with a concentration in Sport Psychology, from Michigan State University. She earned her B.A. in Psychology from Olivet College.

Lisa Rusch, Assistant Professor for Exercise Science, is a clinical exercise physiologist certified by the American College of Sports Medicine with a diversity of both teaching and practical experiences in the health and fitness field. Prior to teaching, she developed and directed a cardiac rehabilitation program for a cardiologist’s office and a wellness program for a local community hospital. She then taught for 11 years at SUNY Morrisville, developing their first Bachelors of Science degree in Human Performance and Health promotion. As part of this program, she oversaw the opening and directorship of a program-associated wellness center which provided her students practical hands-on experience working with patients and clients. To expand her expertise in health and physical activity to encompass both individual and population level work, she accepted a fully funded position in the University of Connecticut’s doctoral program in Public Health in 2013. She completed her PhD in July 2021. Her dissertation, entitled “Stress in American Workers” included analyses on the effects of physical activity on outcomes of job psychological and physical demands including nonrestorative sleep and burnout. The first paper of her dissertation was published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine in April 2021 and was entitled, “Leisure-Time Physical Activity and General Health Mitigate Effects of Job Demands on Nonrestorative Sleep: CDC National Healthy Worksite Project.” In 2019, the year prior to coming to SUNY Oneonta, she taught at Denison University in Granville, Ohio as a Visiting Assistant Professor in their developing Health, Exercise and Sport Studies program. She educates young adults on the universal power of physical activity to improve both physical and mental health. She strives to empower these future fitness leaders to produce positive and lasting transformation in the health and wellness of the American population by exposing them to avenues by which they can alter participation in health behaviors as physical activity on either an individual or a population level.

Lauren Stephenson joined the SUNY Oneonta Sport & Exercise Science department in 2023. She enjoys teaching Introduction to Sports Medicine, Kinesiology, Emergency Care & Prevention, Research Methods, & Biomechanics. Prior to her position as a faculty member, Lauren served at SUNY Oneonta as part of the athletic training staff and adjunct professor for the Exercise Science department since March of 2020.

Stephenson graduated Northeastern University in 2007 with a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training and became a Certified Athletic Trainer the same year. She obtained her Master of Arts degree in Exercise & Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2009.  While at UNC, she served as an athletic trainer for the Tar Heel’s NCAA 2007 National Champion field hockey team and the track & field team.

Stephenson studied Educational Research & Evaluation at Ohio University with specialization areas in Athletic Training & Higher Education Administration. While at OU, she was an instructor in the professional & post professional athletic training programs and clinical coordinator for the professional program.  Lauren is currently completing her EdD through The University at Buffalo in Teaching & Learning in Social Context.

From 2011-2020, Stephenson held the position of Athletic Training Program clinical assistant professor, clinical coordinator, and Sports Medicine Athletic Training Club advisor. She served as the School of Health, Technology & Management research committee vice chair, and was the principal investigator for approximately 50 IRB approved studies on various topics in athletic training, mentoring student research and presentations, as well as presenting her research at state, regional & national symposia.

Lauren’s research interests have diversified over the years and include assessment methods in health science education, pedagogical practices in higher education, biomechanics, motor control, concussion management, mental health in athletics, and youth injury prevention.

Stephenson has served as President of the New York State Athletic Trainers’ Association from 2022-2024 and continues to serve on the executive board as the Past-President and member of the governmental affairs and diversity & inclusion committees.

When not in the classroom, Lauren enjoys teaching and performing as a professional ballroom dancer. She has enjoyed success as the Can-Am Rising Star American Rhythm Champion and US National Mambo Finalist. Lauren is a member of the Oneonta YMCA Board of Directors where she enjoys the opportunity to meld her interests with the community and university. She also enjoys outdoor activities including jet skiing, boating, fishing, fitness, hiking with her dogs, and skiing, as well as theater, travel, and spending time with her children, family, and friends.

Valerie was born and raised in Central New York, with a family who believes health is our temple. She is an Alumna of SUNY Oneonta with a Bachelors in Sociology and an Alumna of SUNY Cortland with a Master of Science and Teaching, and is passionate about teaching students how to utilize tools and strategies to live a healthy and balanced lifestyle. In 2019, she was invited to attend an OPEN SUNY conference for being recognized as an Online Teaching Ambassador. In 2020, she was awarded the Simphiwe Hlatshwayo Award for Outstanding Part-Time Instructor.

Nate Getman is an Attorney with the New York State Unified Court System. Prior to law school, he competed on the Syracuse University Varsity Cross-Country and Track & Field Teams, where he was named Team Captain. He continues his connections to the sport by coaching, writing articles for New England Runner magazine and doing television commentary for WKTV’s coverage of the Utica Boilermaker. He’s honored to teach at SUNY Oneonta and explore with students the many ways law and sports intersect.