Yong Gao was presented with the Measurement and Evaluation Honor Award at the Society of Health and Physical Educators America (SHAPE America) 2018 Conference on March 22 in Nashville, Tennessee.
The Measurement and Evaluation Honor Award recognizes SHAPE America professionals who have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of the Measurement and Evaluation Special Interest Group (SIG) and its mission.
Gao earned a Ph.D. in Measurement and Evaluation at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Gao’s research focuses on the application of modern measurement and statistical techniques to critical issues in physical activity and health. Through her numerous publications and presentations, she has established herself as a nationally and internationally well-known expert in her field with rich experience in measurement, research design and analyzing large sample, complex data. Gao’s research has significantly advanced her field’s understanding and clarified issues regarding measurement errors in physical activity questionnaire design.
Gao was elected chair (chair-elect, chair and past chair) of the Measurement and Evaluation Council of AAHPERD/SHAPE America (2012-2016). She is currently on her second term as an associate editor for Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport. Additionally, she serves as a section editor for Measurement in Physical Education and Exercise Science, and is one of six of its members on the editorial board. She has been a research grant review committee member of SHAPE America and has served on the proposal review panel for the SHAPE America national convention for the past six years. Gao has devoted herself to the mission of Measurement and Evaluation SIG and moving the field forward. Currently, Gao is the elected president of the International Chinese Society of Physical Activities and Health.
SHAPE America is the nation’s largest membership organization of health and physical education professionals. Since its founding in 1885, the organization has defined excellence in physical education, and its national standards for K-12 physical education serve as the foundation for well-designed physical education programs across the country. SHAPE America provides programs, resources and advocacy to support health and physical educators at every level, from preschool to university graduate programs. SHAPE America has 50 state affiliates and is a founding partner of national initiatives such as the Presidential Youth Fitness Program, Let’s Move! Active Schools (now Active Schools) and the Jump Rope For Heart/Hoops For Heart programs.