Professor Nicholas Myers has been elected a Fellow of the National Academy of Kinesiology (NAK). Through their research and leadership contributions, NAK Fellows are noted for how they have progressed the study of human movement. Myers will be inducted at the 94th NAK Annual Meeting in September 2025.
NAK Fellows are scientists in the field of kinesiology who have made sustained and distinguished contributions to the discipline for an extended period. Myers becomes the fifth current faculty member to be named a Fellow, joining a distinguished group of 200.
“Professor Myers is a great asset to the Department of Kinesiology, and we are delighted that he is being recognized with this unique national honor” said Panteleimon “Paddy” Ekkekakis, chairperson of the Department of Kinesiology.
He added: “It is a wonderful feeling knowing that our students are learning from someone who is internationally recognized as a leading expert in the application of advanced statistical methods to the field of kinesiology. Moreover, I am grateful for Professor Myers’ superb leadership of our graduate programs.”
A scholar and a mentor
Myers is an internationally recognized scholar known for his work on the psychosocial aspects of sport and physical activity. As program director for both the Master of Science and Ph.D. programs in the Department of Kinesiology, he leads research focused on behavioral interventions that promote physical activity and well-being, as well as the measurement of self-efficacy, physical activity and related outcomes.
“Mentoring doctoral students has been the most rewarding part of my career,” said Myers. “Watching them grow, find their voice, and go on to shape the field themselves, that’s the kind of impact that lasts.”
His scholarship has shaped national conversations around coaching efficacy, collective efficacy and coaching competency – work that has been published in leading journals and cited over 5,000 times.
He is also recognized for his methodological contributions to structural equation modeling and multilevel modeling, earning honors such as the Measurement and Evaluation Honor Award from SHAPE America. In addition, for several years, he served as the editor-in-chief of the journal Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, the premier measurement journal in the field of kinesiology.
Myers began his academic journey at MSU 25 years ago, entering the kinesiology doctoral program with a background in psychology and counseling. Encouraged early on to pursue an ambitious dual-major Ph.D. within the College of Education (adding a major in the Measurement and Quantitative Methods Ph.D. program), Myers credits this cross-disciplinary foundation for shaping his entire career.
“The MSU College of Education has been my academic bedrock in a way, and for that I am very grateful,” he said.