Paty Lopez and Anthony Battaglia are among the KPE graduate students who defended their thesis online - a first for University of Toronto students. Here they discuss what they studied and why it is important, and share their plans for the future. Lopez and Battaglia will be celebrated, along with all KPE students who graduated this summer, in a special online celebration scheduled for Monday, June 8, at 1 pm. You can tune in to watch the celebratory video, featuring KPE students and Dean Ira Jacobs, on the KPE homepage or Instagram account.
Paty Lopez graduated in June with a Master of Science degree in exercise science, under the supervision of Assistant Professor Daniel Santa Mina.
What was your thesis about?
The objective of my thesis was to examine the associations between objectively measured physical activity and sleep quality in gynecological cancer survivors.
Why is this field of study important and who will benefit most from it?
Sleep disturbances are highly prevalent among gynecological cancer survivors across all stages of the survivorship continuum. Sleep may potentially be improved by increased physical activity. However, the relationship between physical activity levels and sleep is poorly understood in this population. By better understanding this relationship we can design future interventions aimed at improving gynecological cancer survivors sleep outcomes and overall quality of life.
What did you enjoy the most about your master studies?
What I enjoyed the most was being part of a great lab. I could have not completed my degree without the support of my supervisor and my lab mates (in picture above).
What was it like to defend your thesis online?
The week previous to my defense date was a very stressful time due to the uncertainty caused by the COVID19 pandemic. Luckily, on the day of the defense everything went well. There were no technological problems and I actually felt relaxed being at home. I am extremely thankful to my supervisor, Daniel Santa Mina, my supervisory committee members, Professor Catherine Sabiston and Associate Professor Kelly Arbour-Nicitopoulos, the defense chair, Professor Tim Welsh and my external examiner from the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Assistant Professor Sheila Garland. for making it possible for me to defend my thesis on the scheduled date.
What’s next for you?
Doing my thesis research allowed me the opportunity to acquire valuable experience working with an oncology population as a registered kinesiologist at ELLICSR, the health, wellness and cancer survivorship centre at the Princess Margaret Cancer Centre. During my M Sc studies I was working part-time. As of June 1, my position will be full-time.
Anthony Battaglia (on the left) completed a PhD program at KPE under the supervision of Professor Gretchen Kerr (second on the left).
What was your thesis about?
My dissertation focused on examining the dropout phenomenon in youth sport, as well as youth developmental experiences in sport. It highlights the various influences that collectively impact youth sport experiences and withdrawal patterns, emphasizing how aspects of the sport environment, such as coach-athlete and peer-peer relationships, may not be conducive to youth developmental needs.
Why is this area of study important and who will it benefit the most?
This area of research is important for several reasons. Youth dropout from sport has consistently been framed as a "crisis" in popular and scholarly writings. My dissertation challenges the dropout terminology and the negative connotations associated with the term, suggesting instead that sport withdrawal may be a developmentally-appropriate experience for youth. It also calls for a shift in philosophy and may be used to educate sport stakeholders on how to design and deliver programs that meet youth developmental needs, in an effort to maximize the benefits youth may achieve while involved in sport.
What did you enjoy most about your doctoral studies?
Engaging in doctoral studies at U of T provided me with the opportunity to further develop expertise in the field of sport psychology at one of the best universities in the world. Beyond examining the psychosocial aspects of sport, an area I am immensely passionate about, what I enjoyed most about my experience was the ability to network, integrate and collaborate with faculty members who were leaders in the field of sport psychology.
What was your biggest takeaway?
I learned the importance of knowledge translation. In other words, in order to fully demonstrate the significance and effectiveness of sport psychology research we must be able to convey the implications of such knowledge to athletes, parents, coaches and sport administrators. U of T provided me with a challenging, yet invaluable educational experience, which pushed me to excel not only academically, but also personally.
What was it like to defend your thesis online?
The defense online was definitely an interesting experience. What I found most challenging was that you are not able to pick up on any non-verbal cues/feedback from committee members or external reviewers when you are presenting or responding to questions. In a typical presentation, you always try to make eye contact with members in the room, so it was also an adjustment to become accustomed to staring directly into the camera in order to avoid making it appear as though you are looking at notes or starring off screen. However, the beneficial aspect about an online defense is that it provides flexibility for committee members and external reviewers who may often be from another province or country.
How did you celebrate your defense?
Celebrating the defense has been a challenge given the social restrictions implemented for COVID-19, however I was able to celebrate with my immediate family and connect/interact with peers, friends and colleagues virtually.
What’s next for you?
My intention is to stay involved in academia through teaching and research. I was an instructor this past term for a course I developed at KPE on maltreatment in youth sport. The course is being offered again next year, so I will be teaching that in the spring of 2021 and I am actively applying to assistant professor postings in the field of sport psychology. Given my interest in the applied aspects of sport psychology, I also work as a sport psychology consultant for athletes and teams at recreational and elite levels of sport. In fact, I have recently completed over 400 hours of supervised consulting work and have applied to receive the Canadian Sport Psychology Association (CSPA) Professional Membership accreditation to be recognized as a certified mental performance consultant in Canada.