The International Society for Physical Activity & Health (ISPAH) and the Journal of Physical Activity & Health (JPAH) are proud to announce the first class of mentees for the Bill Kohl Peer Review Academy. This Academy, named in honor of the late Harold W. (Bill) Kohl III, is a mentor-driven program designed to elevate the skills of early career researchers in the realm of scientific manuscript peer review. Through this initiative, participants will gain hands-on experience, working closely with experienced mentors to develop the critical skills necessary for effective peer review.
About the Bill Kohl Peer Review Academy:
Peer review is a cornerstone of scientific research, ensuring the quality and legitimacy of published work. For early career researchers, navigating the complexities of peer review can be daunting. The Bill Kohl Peer Review Academy addresses this challenge by offering comprehensive training and mentorship. Participants will be matched with senior peer-review mentors aligned with their research interests, engaging in the review of at least two manuscripts over a one-year period. Graduates of the Academy will be recognized on the ISPAH and JPAH websites and celebrated across ISPAH’s social media platforms and at the next ISPAH Congress.
The Academy’s curriculum includes:
- Learning to evaluate the scientific merit of manuscripts
- Deliberating ethical, scientific, and practical aspects of peer review
- Writing constructive peer review reports
Meet the 2024 Mentees:
We are excited to introduce the inaugural class of the Bill Kohl Peer Review Academy. These talented researchers come from diverse backgrounds and institutions, reflecting the global reach and inclusivity of the program.
- Zhanjia Zhang
- Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Education, Peking University, China
- Research Interests: My research focuses on the promotion of physical activity to improve health and well-being across the lifespan. Specifically, I am interested in examining the relationship between physical activity and positive psychological well-being.
- Why I’m participating in the Academy: I am excited to participate in the Bill Kohl Peer Review Academy to learn from leading scholars in the field and to disseminate these best practices to more scholars.
- Twitter: @ZhanjiaZhang
- Nandi Joubert
- PhD Candidate, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Switzerland
- Research Interests: My current research forms part of the KaziBantu Project: Healthy Schools for Healthy Communities, focusing on a workplace health intervention designed to improve non-communicable disease risk factors, psychosocial health, and health behaviors in teachers working in under-resourced schools in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
- Why I’m participating in the Academy: As an early career researcher, I realize the importance of building peer review skills not only to improve my writing, subject expertise, and critical skills but also to contribute to the field of physical activity and engage within its scientific community. An opportunity like this is invaluable under the guidance of world-renowned physical activity researchers, such as Prof Lambert, whose work I’ve been reading, citing, and following for years.
- Social Media:
- Mary Njeri Wanjau
- Post-doctoral Research Fellow, School of Medicine and Dentistry, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia
- Research Interests: My research interest is in assessing the health and economic impact and cost-effectiveness of preventive interventions that aim to reduce the population’s exposure to health risks such as physical inactivity, and overweight and obesity.
- Why I’m participating in the Academy: I am excited to participate in the Academy as it provides me with an opportunity to learn from a leading scholar in the field of physical activity research. I look forward to building my peer review skills and enhancing my contribution to scholarship as a peer reviewer.
- Twitter: @MaryNWanjau
- Yeongho Hwang
- PhD Candidate, Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation, University of Alberta, Canada
- Research Interests: My research focuses on establishing measurement methods and identifying determinants of physical activity in pediatric populations. In my Ph.D. project, I am delving deeper into these topics by using accelerometers and GPS technologies to accurately assess active outdoor play, and by uncovering context-specific correlates of such activities in young children.
- Why I’m participating in the Academy: I am excited to learn the key aspects of a good review from a leading scholar, including receiving invitations for peer review, evaluating an article, and writing a report. As an early career researcher and a mentee in the Academy, I aim to become a better peer reviewer who can contribute to the physical activity research community.
- Twitter: @_Yeongho_Hwang
- Eugen Resendiz
- Post-doctoral Scholar, School of Architecture, Art and Design, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico City, México
- Research Interests: My research focuses on urban health, examining how place-based and spatio-temporal factors influence physical activity and health-related behaviors. Specifically, I investigate the relationship between the built environment and health outcomes in Latin American communities, with a particular emphasis on megacities.
- Why I’m participating in the Academy: I am excited to participate in the Academy to gain invaluable mentorship and enhance my skills as a peer reviewer. I am eager to learn systematic approaches to evaluating research, particularly in advancing physical activity and public health science in the Global South. I am committed to sharing these insights with fellow scholars from Mexico, Latin America, and other LMICs, ensuring rigorous and equitable contributions to academic scholarship.
- Twitter: @EugenRb0
- LinkedIn: Eugen Resendiz
- Sarah Yi Xuan Tan
- Post-doctoral Research Fellow, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, Singapore
- Research Interests: My research interests encompass investigations related to the social determinants of health behaviors throughout the life course.
- Why I’m participating in the Academy: As an emerging researcher, I am eager to contribute to the expansion of knowledge in areas concerning physical activity and being able to stay at the forefront of the latest research trends and developments. Being able to shadow Dr. Sjaan Gomersall, who has lots of experience in the physical activity domain, will be exciting and invaluable in helping me become a better academic and peer reviewer.
- Social Media: NIL
- Claas Lendt
- PhD Candidate, Institute for Movement Therapy and Movement-Oriented Prevention and Rehabilitation, German Sport University Cologne, Germany
- Visiting Researcher, Human Potential Centre, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
- Research Interests: My research focuses on developing and applying novel data-driven algorithms to wearable accelerometer data. This currently involves using various machine learning methods to quantify gait and energy expenditure.
- Why I’m participating in the Academy: As a relatively new peer reviewer, I am particularly looking forward to the opportunity to share and discuss my current views on peer reviewing with a senior reviewer and to learn from their past experiences.
- Twitter: @claaslendt
- Keegan Peterson
- PhD Candidate, Department of Kinesiology, Penn State University, United States
- Research Interests: My research interests include understanding and promoting physical activity in a variety of settings and populations, with a focus on sexual and gender diverse (SGD) individuals. The goal of this research agenda is to inform intervention efforts to reduce physical activity disparities and associated health risks.
- Why I’m participating in the Academy: My excitement for this opportunity is two-fold: Not only do I get to develop my skills and confidence as a peer-reviewer, but I also get to work with an accomplished peer-reviewer and researcher in physical activity and public health. I am looking forward to learning as much as I can during my time in the Academy.
- Social Media: @KeeganTPeterson
We congratulate these exceptional researchers on their selection and look forward to their contributions to the field through their enhanced peer review skills. Stay tuned to our website and social media channels for individual features on each mentee, highlighting their research and aspirations.
About Bill Kohl:
Harold W. (Bill) Kohl III was a pioneering figure in physical activity research and a passionate advocate for mentoring early career researchers. His legacy lives on through this Academy, which continues his mission to improve the standards of peer review and foster the next generation of research leaders.
For more information on the Bill Kohl Peer Review Academy and updates on future application opportunities, please visit our website (https://ispah.net) and sign up for our newsletter.
