Exercise Psychology Laboratory
Department of Kinesiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign



Thomas R Wójcicki
Doctoral Student

 

A. CONTACT INFORMATION

Thomas R Wójcicki
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
338 Louise Freer Hall
906 S Goodwin Ave
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 333-2427
Fax: (217) 333-3124
Email: wojcicki@illinois.edu

B. EDUCATION

Graduate:

2006-Present

Doctoral Student in Kinesiology
Emphasis in Exercise Psychology
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Anticipated Date of Graduation: May 2011

Undergraduate:

2002-2006

Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology
Emphasis in Pre-Medicine
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Date of Graduation: May 2006

C. PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Research Experience:

2006-Present, The University of Illinois

Graduate Research Assistant, Exercise Psychology Laboratory, under direction of Dr. Edward McAuley.

Primary responsibilities include data acquisition and analyses; manuscript preparation; training and supervising Undergraduate Research Assistants. Additional responsibilities include participant recruitment, screening, and scheduling; administration of maximal graded exercise testing (GXT), functional fitness testing (FFT), and Rockport testing; computer administration; database construction and management; and maintaining the Exercise Psychology Laboratory Website.

Externally Funded Projects:

Activity, Gait, and Efficacy (AGE) - Five-year prospective study, examining the effects of aging on physical activity, functional ability, bone health, and psychological function in older women. Primary responsibilities included data collection through interview sessions.

Eye Movement Neurocoupling (ENC) - Cross-sectional study examining relationships between fitness and brain structure and function using optical imaging in older adults. Primary responsibilities include supervising maximal graded exercise testing and data collection.

Healthy, Active, Lifestyle Trial (HALT) - 12-month randomized controlled exercise intervention funded by the NIA, examining the effects of physical fitness changes on brain structure, cognition, psychosocial processes, and immunological functioning in older adults. Primary responsibilities include screening and scheduling participants, supervision of exercise sessions, functional fitness testing, graded exercise testing, and data collection.

Internet Physical Activity for College Students (I-PACS) - A semester-long randomized controlled trial examining the effects of an Internet delivered physical activity program on psychosocial outcomes, academic performance, and social involvement in undergraduate students with mental health disorders.

Internally Funded Projects:

Multidimensional Outcome Expectations for Exercise Scale (MOEES) - Cross-sectional study examining the role of outcome expectations in physical activity research, followed by the development and validation of a new, multidimensional scale to assess outcome expectations for exercise in middle-aged and older adults. As co-project coordinator, primary responsibilities include study and scale design, participant recruitment, distribution of study materials, data collection and analysis, and manuscript preparation.

2006-2008, The University of Illinois

Exercise Leader, Healthy Active Living Trial (HALT)

Duties included instruction and leadership of participants in the aerobic portion of the HALT intervention; management and organization of exercise logs and questionnaires; monitoring and evaluating participant progress, and providing personalized feedback.

2004-2006, The University of Illinois

Undergraduate Research Assistant, Exercise Psychology Laboratory, under direction of Dr. Edward McAuley.

Primary responsibilities included data entry and checking; GXTs; FFTs; EKG preparation; participant interviews; and BodPod administration. Relevant studies included below.

Externally Funded Projects:

Freshmen Study - Three-month prospective study examining the psychosocial determinants of physical activity and nutrition behaviors in college freshmen. Responsibilities included conduction of body composition assessment using air-displacement plethysmography (via BodPod), distribution of study materials, and data collection.

Physical Activity and Quality of Life During Menopause (LifePAQ) - Randomized controlled exercise trial examining the relationship between physical activity, menopausal symptoms, and quality of life in menopausal women. Responsibilities included maximal graded exercise testing and data collection.

Physical Activity in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis (PhAIMS) - Three-month randomized controlled exercise intervention with two-arms (efficacy enhancement and standard care) examining exercise adherence in MS patients. Responsibilities include functional fitness testing and data collection.

Teaching Experience

2008, The University of Illinois

Teaching Assistant, KIN 247: Introduction to Sport Psychology, Edward McAuley, PhD

Analysis of the competitive sport process, with study of how personality and situational variables affect motivation, anxiety, and aggression in sport. Attention is given to the psychological skills needed by coaches and athletes for successful and enjoyable sports participation. Responsibilities include grading; tutoring; administration of exams; and lecturing.

Teaching Assistant, KIN 140: Social Science of Human Movement, Charles H. Hillman, PhD

Introduction to the social scientific aspects of human movement including sport; particular emphasis on concepts derived from the social sciences (including psychology) that are appropriate to human movement. Responsibilities include dissemination and instruction of laboratory/discussion materials; distributing and grading class assignments; tutoring; and assigning final grades for the laboratory portion of the class.

D. SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY

D1.
Refereed Publications

McAuley, E., Morris, K.S., Hu, L., Motl, R.W., White, S.M., Wójcicki, T.R., & Doerksen, S.E. (in review). Declines in physical activity in community-dwelling older women: Social cognitive influences.

Wójcicki, T.R., White, S.M., & McAuley, E. (in press). Assessing outcome expectations in older adults: The Multidimensional Outcome Expectations for Exercise Scale. Journals of Gerontology Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences.

McAuley, E., Doerksen, S.E., Morris, K.S., Motl, R.W., Hu, L., Wójcicki, T.R., White, S.M., & Rosengren, K.R. (in press). Pathways from physical activity to quality of life in older women. Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Morris, K.S., Hu, L., Doerksen, S.E., Wójcicki, T.R., White, S.M., & McAuley, E. (in press). Declines in efficacy for gait and balance in older women: The role of demographic factors and health conditions. In Exercise and Women's Health Research. In Columbus, F. (Ed.) Hauppauge, NY: Nova Science Publication.

McAuley, E., Morris, K.S., Doerksen, S.E., Motl, R.W., Hu, L., White, S.M., Wójcicki, T.R., & Rosengren, K. (2007). Effects of Change in Physical Activity on Physical Function Limitations in Older Women: Mediating Roles of Physical Function Performance and Self-Efficacy. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 55, 1967-1973.

D2. Refereed Presentations

Wójcicki, T.R., Szabo, A.N., Hu, L., & McAuley, E. Perceptions of importance of physical activity in older adults: Implications for perceived benefits and enjoyment. Poster accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, San Diego, CA, March 2008.

Klamm, E.L., White, S.M., Morris, K.S., Wójcicki, T.R., & McAuley, E. Predicting cardiorespiratory fitness without maximal exercise testing in older adults. Poster accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, San Diego, CA, March 2008.

Wójcicki, T.R., White, S.M., & McAuley, E. Outcome expectations in physical activity research: Development and validation of the Exercise and Physical Activity Beliefs Scale. Poster accepted for presentation at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, San Diego, CA, March 2008.

Morris, K.S., McAuley, E., Motl, R.W., Hu, L., Wojcicki, T., White, S.M., & Doerksen, S.E. Examining the trajectory of physical activity declines in older women over a two year period: Efficacy and functional limitation influences. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, San Francisco, CA, November 2007.

White, S.M., Wojcicki, T., & McAuley, E. Cross-Validation of a Non-Exercise Test Model to Predict Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Older Adults. Poster presented at the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Washington, DC, March 2007.

Morris, K.S., McAuley, E., Motl, R.W., Doerksen, S.E., Wojcicki, T., White, S., & Hu, L. Physical Activity, Self-Efficacy, and Functional Limitations in Older Women: A Panel Model. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, Washington, DC, March 2007.

Morris, K.S., McAuley, E., Hess, J.J., Wojcicki, T., & White, S. Gait, self-efficacy, age, and ethnicity: A latent growth curve analysis. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Dallas, TX, November 2006.

McAuley, E, Konopack, J.F., Doerksen, S.E., Morris, K.S., Wojcicki, T. , & White, S. Functional limitations and physical activity in older women: Efficacy, age, and ethnicity effects. Poster presented at the annual meeting of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, San Francisco, CA, March 2006.

E. HONORS AND AWARDS

Department of Kinesiology Conference Travel Grant, University of Illinois, 2007

Citation Award from the Society of Behavioral Medicine for the abstract titled "Functional limitations and physical activity in older women: Efficacy, age, and ethnicity effects," 2006

College of Applied Life Studies Career Development and Leadership Award, University of Illinois, 2006

F. SERVICE

2008, The University of Illinois

Tuition Policy Advisory Committee

Appointed by the Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs, Linda Katehi; this committee advises the Provost about tuition policy; specifically, discuss the basis for, and intended uses of, any proposed tuition increases; provide a student voice in the process of formulating tuition policy.

Culture of Wellness Committee

Appointed by the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs, Michael DeLorenzo; this committee supervises an initiative focused on the development of six dimensions of wellness for members of the university; the long-term goal is to build the capacity for students, faculty, and staff to acquire the necessary knowledge, skills, and attitudes to become responsible for their own health and well-being in their personal and professional lives.

Kinesiology Graduate Student Association

Co-founder and -chair

The mission of the Kinesiology Graduate Student Association (K-GSA) is to promote networking among the graduate students within the College of Applied Health Sciences’ Kinesiology Program, including Bio-Behavioral Kinesiology, Cultural, Pedagogical, & Interpretive Studies, and Exercise Physiology and Athletic Training, on both a professional and social level. 

G. PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

Society of Behavioral Medicine

H. REFERENCES

Edward McAuley, PhD
Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
336 Louise Freer Hall
906 S Goodwin Ave
Urbana, IL 61801
Phone: (217) 333-6487
Fax: (217) 333-3124
Email: emcauley@uiuc.edu

 

Last updated: 15-VII-08
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