Oliver elected Fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology

Gretchen Oliver, professor in the School of Kinesiology in Auburn University's College of Education and director of the Sports Medicine and Movement Lab, has been elected as a Fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology. Elected Fellows are those who have made sustained and distinguished contributions to the discipline for an extended period, usually with one or more signature contributions, and who are willing to participate in advancing the mission and goals of the Academy.

“This is a tremendous milestone in my professional career, and I am humbled that I have been elected as a Fellow in the National Academy of Kinesiology,” Oliver said. “This is one of the highest honors someone in Kinesiology can receive during their career, but to me, it is a reminder of the many people who mentored me and believed in my success. It is also an accolade for my students and alumni, who are dedicated to the success and continuous growth of the Sports Medicine and Movement Lab. Without them, I could not do what I do.”

Oliver’s research centers on injury prevention and performance optimization for baseball and softball athletes. She has established herself as the international leader in softball biomechanical research and is at the forefront of advancing markerless biomechanics analysis for in-game baseball performance. While her work encompasses advanced biomechanical data in sports medicine, her noted strength lies in translating scientific findings into practical applications for practitioners, making her the recognized leader in the field.

Her Sports Medicine and Movement Lab consists of three separate lab spaces: in-house in the School of Kinesiology, where she conducts biomechanics research on baseball and softball athletes; in-game at Plainsman Park, where she collects markerless data on every pitch thrown and every swing of the bat during home baseball games; and the bullpen at Plainsman Park, where she uses the same system that is on the field at Plainsmanss Park to collect data on pitchers warming up and practicing, with a goal of learning more about biomechanics that could predict and prevent injury.

“We are looking at all aspects of player development, but we are also developing researchers and practitioners who will go into the field and continue our mission of performance optimization. The work we are doing in my lab is translational and has tangible impacts on athletes, from youth baseball and softball players all the way through Major League Baseball,” Oliver said. “The interdisciplinary collaboration we have developed with Auburn Baseball has allowed us to really grow our research and real-world application, and that collaborative effort is now something that other universities are seeking to emulate.”

This election makes Oliver the only current Fellow in the School of Kinesiology, following the retirement of director Mary Rudisill and professors Bruce Gladden and Peter Hastie, all of whom had previously been elected. College of Education Dean Jeffrey Fairbrother is an active Fellow. 

Academy membership is restricted to 200 Active Fellows, with an unrestricted number of International Fellows. Potential Fellows are nominated annually by current Fellows. Following a rigorous, multistage review process, the most eminent are elected. 

Oliver will officially be inducted at the Academy’s annual meeting, scheduled for Oct. 1-3 in Portland, Oregon.

The National Academy of Kinesiology’s dual purpose is to encourage and promote the study and educational applications of the art and science of human movement and physical activity and to honor by election to its membership persons who have directly or indirectly contributed significantly to the study of and/or application of the art and science of human movement and physical activity.