In Memory of Kinesiology Doctoral Student, the Wellness Ambassador Program Presents Zach Wood Award to Glen Oaks High Student

06/01/16

On Thursday, May 12, 2016 representatives from the LSU Wellness Ambassador Program (WAP) presented Glen Oaks High School Career Magnet sophomore Brie'Anna Marshall with the Zach Wood Wellness Ambassador Program (WAP) Memorial Award.

This award is dedicated in memory of Zachariah “Zach” Wood, an LSU School of Kinesiology student and beloved LSU WAP Instructor. The award comes with an invitation to speak with fellow high school students participating in the 2016 WAP summer youth program in Baton Rouge.

The WAP program is dedicated to the promotion of holistic—physical, nutritional, and professional—wellness among underserved inner city youth. Dr. Tracey Rizzuto, assistant director of the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development (SLHRD) and Dr. Georgianna Tuuri, an associate professor in the School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, co-direct the program, which is funded with support from LSU and the City of Baton Rouge Mayor's Office.

Wood was a doctoral candidate in the School of Kinesiology (SOK) when he passed away in a bicycle accident on November 14, 2015. He was an active member of the campus community, consistently seen on the LSU UREC basketball courts in addition to his student job there, and worked as a golf instructor to LSU students. Wood also served as a mentor to young students, leading a summer camp called the Tiger’s Den for local elementary and middle schoolers.

Wood taught two classes as a teaching assistant during his time in the SOK doctoral program, and he received the American Kinesiology Association (AKA) Graduate Student Writing Award in 2015. The award recognizes graduate students who have published in peer-reviewed scholarly journals while enrolled in kinesiology departments.

Wood held an MS in Kinesiology with a specialization in Pedagogy and Psychological Sciences from LSU as well as a BA in Political Science from Xavier University (Ohio).

The WAP Zach Wood Award honors all of Wood’s views on personal wellness. He once told the LSU UREC in an interview, “Focus on your own definition(s) of fitness and health. There are so many social stigmas and outside influences that infringe on the ‘acceptable’ definition of a fitness goal, but ultimately, that should be unique to each person, their objectives, their bodies, and their limits. And once you have more clarity about this, understand that the physical wellness is only part of being fit – mental and emotional wellness are just as important.”

About SLHRD
The LSU School of Leadership & Human Resource Development (SLHRD) offers programs dedicated to producing world class practitioners, leaders, and instructors in Leadership and Human Resource Development.

Visit the School of Leadership & Human Resource Development at lsu.edu/shrewd

About CHSE

The College of Human Sciences & Education (CHSE) is a nationally accredited division of Louisiana State University. The College is comprised of the School of Education, the School of Leadership and Human Resource Development, the School of Kinesiology, the School of Library and Information Science, the School of Social Work, and the University Laboratory School. These combined schools offer 8 undergraduate degree programs and 18 graduate programs, enrolling more than 1,900 undergraduate and 977 graduate students. The College is committed to achieving the highest standards in teaching, research, and service and is continually working to improve its programs.

Visit the College of Human Sciences & Education at chse.lsu.edu.