The College of Education is happy to welcome 11 new faculty members for the 2018-2019 academic year. This year, the Department of Kinesiology and Health Education is joined by Hao-Yuan Hsiao and Galia Tzvetkov.
Hao-Yuan Hsiao
What institution were you most previously with and what was your role?
Before joining the University of Texas at Austin, I was a postdoctoral researcher in the Physical Therapy and Rehabilitation Science Department at University of Maryland Baltimore.
What are your research interests?
My research focuses on understanding the mechanisms of human movement and translating this knowledge into practical solutions that reduce walking-related disability. In particular, I am interested in gait biomechanics and balance control in older adults and post-stroke individuals.
What sparked those interests?
Stroke is one of the leading cause of long-term disabilities. A close family member of mine had a stroke and I have witnessed the impact of being limited in movement on people’s quality of life. Thus, I hope to use my knowledge to help people with movement deficits to regain movement functions.
What are you excited about for your new position at UT?
I am excited about having the opportunity to collaborate with outstanding researchers at UT. In addition, I am very excited about using my expertise to contribute to and extend the strength of the program into a new area that integrates engineering and biomechanics with rehabilitation science.
What do you hope to contribute to the College of Education or the Austin community?
I hope to bring in novel research in Rehabilitation and Movement Science that ultimately leads to reducing disabilities and improving people’s quality of life.
What is your starting date, program area within your department, and academic rank (assistant professor, associate professor, etc.)?
I joined the Department of Kinesiology as an assistant professor on Aug. 1, 2018. I am one of the faculty members in the newly developed research program, Rehabilitation and Movement Science.
Galia Tzvetkov
What institution were you most previously with and what was your role?
I have a lengthy experience in elite sports both as an athlete, judo and olympic weightlifting, and as an educator. I was a college instructor at Austin Community College, a sports coach, a personal trainer at Q The Sports Club, an IT & Coach Coordinator with AllProTrainign.com where I had the opportunity to study and analyze NFL, NBA, MLB, and NCAA strength and conditioning coaches’ programs, and as a sports facility manager for Tangra Elite Athletics.
What are your research interests?
While I’ll be focusing on introducing students to the wonderful sport of tennis, I do have an interest in history of sport—more specifically regarding the evolvement of sports in Eastern Europe since its beginning in ancient Greece and Thrace. I’m also interested in the political history of athletics, notably concerning the development of athletics in the Balkans prior to and following the dissolution of socialism, and how that affected international sport events and results.
What sparked those interests?
The Balkans faced troubling times in the latter half of the 20th Century. Having grown up in Bulgaria and living there until 1992, I witnessed the defunding of athletics in my country and the rest of the Eastern Blok as a consequence of eliminating of the state-planned economy following the collapse of the socialist political system.
What are you excited about for your new position at UT?
I’ve been a Longhorn fan since 1992 and my husband worked for UT for over 20 years. I always felt like a part of the Longhorn family, but I’m really excited that now I have the opportunity to contribute with my knowledge and expertise.
What do you hope to contribute to College of Education or the Austin community?
I hope to teach my students to enjoy tennis and all things athletics. Sport brings people together like any other aspect of culture, and even unskilled players can enjoy the game. As much as our society places the emphasis on winning, enjoying oneself and building character is far more important.
What is your starting date, program area within your department, and academic rank (assistant professor, associate professor, etc.)?
I will start Aug. 29, 2018 as an assistant professor of practice in the Physical Education Division of Kinesiology and Health Education.
