Department: Kinesiology

Areas of expertise:

• Para Sport education and awareness
• Health and Physical Education Teacher Education
• Contact theory and social inclusion
• Changing attitudes and perceptions toward disability

Cathy McKay teaches in the Physical and Health Education Teacher Education (PHETE) program in the department of kinesiology and is a faculty member in the JMU Graduate School. In addition, she is the executive director of the Morrison Bruce Center. Her teaching responsibilities include School Health Content, Instructional Strategies for Health Education, The Profession of Teaching, Supporting Student Success in the Schools and Research Methods for PHETE. McKay is passionate about relational leadership, equity and inclusion, and teacher education pedagogy.

McKay’s research focuses on social inclusion, changing attitudes and perspectives toward disability, amplifying the voices of disabled athletes, and Parasport education and awareness. She enjoys research that is rooted in contact theory and that applies contact theory in educational settings. She also conducts research related to teacher education, sexuality education and relationships in education.

McKay empowers undergraduate and graduate students to experience the joy of research. She is a research fellow with the Research Council of SHAPE America and was named Mentor of the Year by SHAPE America. In addition, she is a fellow with the International Federation of Adapted Physical Activity.

McKay earned a bachelor's in kinesiology from James Madison University, a master's in community health education from Virginia Tech and a doctorate in adapted physical education from the University of Virginia, with specialty areas in teacher education pedagogy and curriculum and instruction.

Media contact: Eric Gorton, gortonej@jmu.edu.