Ph. D - Human Biodynamics, History of Physical Education and Sport, University of California, Berkeley, 1996. Dissertation title: The Contributions of Women Researchers to the Development of a Science of Physical Education in the United States.
M.A. - Physical Education, California State University, Long Beach., 1989. Graduate Dean's list. Thesis title: Women's Industrial and Recreation League Softball in Southern California, 1930-1950.
B.S. - Physical Education, Springfield College, 1983. Magna cum Laude
Scholarly and Creative Interests:
Dr. Wrynn's general area of study (and thus her teaching) is focused on the socio-cultural study of sport and exercise, specifically in the areas of history, sociology, and philosophy of sport and physical activity. Her area of research specialization is on the history of the scientific foundations of the field, and most specifically on the role of women played in developing a science of kinesiology and physical education. Currently, Dr. Wrynn is conducting research on the history of science and medicine in the Olympic movement. She received a grant from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1999, that allowed her to spend a month in Lausanne, Switzerland at the archives of the IOC. The original grant proposal was to analyze the IOC's understanding of the altitude physiology in the context of the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. While at the archives, she also examined primary source material on two other significant scientific topics that emerged in the 1960's - drug testing and gender verification. An article on the altitude physiology topic is complete and will be published in an upcoming issue of the International Journal for the History of Sport. This grant has also allowed her to share more information with her students about the inner workings of the IOC as she has been able to spend a great deal of time observing the organization.
Recent Publications:
""The Times they are A-Changin': American Physical Education, Athletic Training and Sports Medicine and the Shifting Nature of the Athletic Body, 1960-1980," British Society for Sport History 25th Anniversary Conference, Stirling, Scotland, August 2007.
"'Under the Showers': An Analysis of the Historical Connections between American Athletic Training and Physical Education," Journal of Sport History. (article accepted for publication)
"Historical perspectives on accreditation/Physical Education Teacher Education," Chronicle of Kinesiology and Physical Education in Higher Education, Vol. 18, No. 2 May 2007, p. 1, 12-13.
"'A Debt was Paid Off in Tears': Science, IOC Politics and the Debate about High Altitude Surrounding the 1968 Mexico City Olympics," International Journal of the History of Sport, 23(7), (2006), 1164-1184.
Women, Sport and Physical Activity: Challenges and Triumphs. w/Drs. Sharon Guthrie, Michelle Magyar, and Ann Maliszewski, Eds. Dubuque, IA: Kendall-Hunt Publishing Co., 2006.
Service:
Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies and Scheduling, Department of Kinesiology, Fall 2007 - Present
Editor, Chronicle of Kinesiology and Physical Education in Higher Education, 2005-Present
Section Editor, History and Philosophy, Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 2005-Present
Dissertation Abstracts Editor, Journal of Sport History, 2001 - Present.
