Unexpected Careers: My Environment Made Me Do Them
in Kinesiology ReviewClick name to view affiliation
Search for other papers by Thomas L. McKenzie in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
This essay describes how environmental conditions affected my unexpected evolution from farm life in a rural Canadian community to becoming a physical education specialist and multisport coach and eventually a U.S. kinesiology scholar with a public health focus. I first recount my life on the farm and initial education and then identify the importance of full- and part-time jobs relative to how they helped prepare me for a life in academia. Later, I summarize two main areas of academic work that extended beyond university campuses—the design and implementation of evidence-based physical activity programs and the development of systematic observation tools to assess physical activity and its associated contexts in diverse settings, including schools, parks, and playgrounds. I conclude with a section on people and locations to illustrate the importance of collaborations—essential components for doing field-based work. Without those connections, I would not have had such an extensive and diverse career.
The author (tmckenzi@sdsu.edu) is Emeritus Professor, School of Exercise and Nutritional Sciences, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA, USA.
© 2023 Human Kinetics