Patricia Sullivan, EdD, MS

Patricia A. Sullivan is a Professor and Acting Chair of the Department of Exercise Science.

• Phone: (202) 994-7122
• Fax: (202) 994-1420
• Email: pasull@gwu.edu

Beginning with her first job out of college, where she directed girls' athletics at a public school in upstate New York, Professor Sullivan has devoted her considerable energies to promoting physical education and sport for girls and women. For many years, she coached volleyball and swimming, winning championships here at GWU, and before hat at the University of Nebraska. From those hands-on experiences in athletic departments, Dr. Sullivan developed the passion for coaching education and sports psychology that has shaped her professional life.

After almost a decade as a successful coach in the Department of Athletics, Dr. Sullivan made a mid-career change, enrolling at GW to pursue a doctoral degree, and becoming a university faculty member in 1987. In her capacity as Coordinator of the Department of Exercise Science's Basic Physical Activity Program, she developed new courses that included golf, in-line skating, massage, horseback riding, shiatsu, hip-hop conditioning and Pilates. In 2003, Dr. Sullivan was appointed Vice Chair of the Department, and assumed the responsibility of Acting Chair a year later. She also directs the School's undergraduate program in public health, one of the very few such programs in the nation. Dr. Sullivan has been awarded the Excellence in Teaching Award for undergraduate or graduate teaching on multiple occasions and participates actively on numerous department, School and GW-wide committees.

Education

BS (Physical Education), State University of New York at Cortland, 1969
MS (Physical Education), Smith College, 1973
EdD (Higher Education), The George Washington University, 1989

Teaching

ExSc 103-Professional Foundations in Exercise and Sport Science, Department of Exercise Science
ExSc 138-Administration of Health and Fitness Programs, Department of Exercise Science
ExSc 139-Principles of Coaching, Department of Exercise Science
ExSc 140-Exercise and Sport Psychology, Department of Exercise Science
ExSc 171-Issues in Exercise Science, Department of Exercise Science
ExSc 240-Psychological Aspects of Sport, Exercise and Fitness, Department of Exercise Science

Research

Dr. Sullivan's main research interests include leadership development within sport teams and coping interventions for exercisers, athletes, coaches and athletic trainers.

Community Service

Professor Sullivan has served in many leadership roles with the National Association for Girls and Women in Sport, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education and the National Council for the Accreditation of Coaching Education.

Departments

• Exercise Science

Research Activities

• Coping Interventions for Athletic Trainers

Publications

• Positive character development in school sport programs.
  Sullivan, PA, editor. Positive character development in school sport programs. Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education: 2003.
• Team sports, gymnastics and dance in community settings: a guide for teachers, coaches and parents.
  Sullivan PA, editor. Team sports, gymnastics and dance in community settings: a guide for teachers, coaches and parents. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics Publishers: 2002.
• National standards for coaching education.
  Brylinsky J, (Sullivan PA, editor). National standards for coaching education. Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse on Teaching and Teacher Education: 2002.
• Coping interventions for athletic trainers: curriculum strategies.
  Westerman BJ, Sullivan PA, Nashman HW. Coping interventions for athletic trainers: curriculum strategies. NATA News. 2004; July, 43-47.
• Preparing classroom teachers for delivering health instruction.
  Sullivan PA, editor. Preparing classroom teachers for delivering health instruction. Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse for Teaching and Teacher Education: 2001.
• School-based sex education: a new millennium update.
  Sullivan PA, editor. School-based sex education: a new millennium update. Washington, DC: ERIC Clearinghouse for Teaching and Teacher Education: 2001.
• Celebrating the past, shaping the future [videocassette].
  Sullivan P, Baldridge K, Everett D, Hult J. Celebrating the past, shaping the future [videocassette]. Reston (VA): National Association for Girls and Women in Sport: 1999.
• The role of the athletic trainer in the post- injury psychological recovery of collegiate athletes.
  Washington-Lofgren L, Westerman BJ, Sullivan PA, Nashman HW. The role of the athletic trainer in the post- injury psychological recovery of collegiate athletes. Int Sports J 2004;8(2):94-104.
• Coping interventions for athletic trainers: curriculum strategies.
  Westerman BJ, Sullivan PA, Nashman HW. Coping interventions for athletic trainers: curriculum strategies. J Athl Train/NATA News 2004 Jul.
• The perceived importance of weight training to NCAA division III male and female student-athletes.
  Poiss C, Sullivan PA, Paup DC, Westerman, BJ. The perceived importance of weight training to NCAA division III male and female student-athletes. J Strength Cond Res 2004;18(1):108-14.
• Coping interventions for athletic trainers.
  Westerman BJ, Sullivan PA, Nashman HW. Coping interventions for athletic trainers. National Athletic Trainers' Association Educator's Conference Proceedings; 2003 Jan; Houston, Texas.
• College athletic trainers' perceptions of professional preparation related to stress management: curriculum implications.
  Westerman BJ, Sullivan PA, Nashman HW. College athletic trainers' perceptions of professional preparation related to stress management: curriculum implications. Res Q Exerc Sport 2003;73(1):A115-16.
• College athletic trainers' perceptions of professional preparation related to stress management.
  Sullivan PA, Westerman BJ, Nashman HW. College athletic trainers' perceptions of professional preparation related to stress management. American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance, National Convention and Exposition Research Consortium; 2002 Apr 9-13; San Diego, California.
• Stress management: are we preparing our athletic trainers?
  Sullivan P, Westerman B, Nashman H. Stress management: are we preparing our athletic trainers? American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, National Convention and Exposition; 2001 Mar; Cincinnati, Ohio.
• College athletic trainers' perceptions of professional preparation related to managing stressors in the work environment: curriculum implications for athletic training education programs.
  Westerman BJ, Sullivan PA, Nashman HW. College athletic trainers' perceptions of professional preparation related to managing stressors in the work environment: curriculum implications for athletic training education programs. Hong Kong J Sports Med Sports Sci 2001;13:22-33.