New Faculty
Dr. Yih-Kuen Jan has joined the faculty of the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health as an associate professor with
research expertise in the area of disability. He comes to us from the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, where he was
an assistant professor of rehabilitation sciences and adjunct assistant professor of physiology. He founded and served as director
of the Biomechanics and Microcirculation Lab at Oklahoma. His research focuses on preventing and healing soft tissue injury by advancing
knowledge of biomechanics and microcirculation of soft tissues. He is particularly interested in preventing secondary medical complications
in people with disabilities. In his current research, he is investigating the role of activity-based rehabilitation in preventing cardiovascular
diseases and pressure ulcers in people with spinal cord injury. Dr. Jan completed his PhD in Rehabilitation Science at the University of Pittsburgh.
Dr. Sean Mullen has joined the faculty of the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health as an assistant professor. He has
held a postdoctoral appointment in Dr. Edward McAuley’s Exercise Psychology Laboratory since 2010 and served as an instructor in
the Department of Kinesiology and Community Health in Fall 2011. Dr. Mullen completed his doctoral degree in educational psychology
with an emphasis in exercise psychology at the University of Virginia. His research focuses on using technology to promote physical
activity participation among adults. Specifically, he is interested in web-based and mobile applications designed to enhance exercise
self-regulation. His secondary interests include the interrelationships among exercise, self-perceptions, cognition, and brain plasticity,
and measurement development.
Dr. Aaron Johnson has joined the faculty of the Department of Speech and Hearing Science as an assistant professor. His research
focuses on understanding, preventing, and treating voice disorders in elderly people. He uses both translational and clinical research
methods to investigate the effects of vocal training and vocal exercise on laryngeal neurobiology, vocal function, and quality of life.
Dr. Johnson joins us from the University of Wisconsin, where he recently completed his doctoral degree in speech-language pathology. As
a Fellow in the Voice Research Training Program, he investigated the effects of vocal exercise on neuromuscular plasticity in the aging
larynx. In addition to his scholarly work, Dr. Johnson has been a private voice instructor for nearly 20 years. He is an accomplished
vocalist himself, performing as a soloist with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at both Orchestra Hall and the Ravinia Festival and appearing
in several operas.