Professor of Kinesiology
Department of Kinesiology
Ph. D., Adapted Physical Education; University of New Mexico, 1984
M.S., Physical Education; Eastern Illinois University, 1976
B.S., Physical Education; Plymouth State College, 1973
Dr. Barry Lavay is a professor in the Department of Kinesiology (KIN) at California State University, Long Beach (CSULB) where his primary responsibility is to train students to teach physical education to individuals with disabilities. His duties in the KIN Department, where he has taught since 1988, include coordinating the State Adapted Physical Education Teaching Credential Program where over 200 students have received a California APE Specialist Credential. He is the director of on-campus after school programs including the Perceptual Motor Development Clinic and Camp Nugget, designed to offer positive physical activity experiences to children with disabilities from ages 5 to 12. He is the 2001 CSULB Outstanding Professor Award recipient.
Since 1973, Dr. Lavay has been an active member with the American Alliance of Health, Physical Education, Recreation & Dance (AAHPERD). He was on the writing task force that authored, Physical BEST and Individuals with Disabilities: A Handbook for Inclusion in Fitness Programs. Since 1983, he has been actively involved with the National Consortium for Physical Education and Recreation for Individuals with Disabilities. From 1992 to 1997, he served on the Steering Committee for the Adapted Physical Education National Standards Project (APENS) that developed the first national standards and examination in adapted physical education. From 1999 to 2002, he served on the CAHPERD State Council on APE where he was Chair from 2000 to 2001. He was on the program planning committee for the 20th and 30th National Conference on Physical Activity for the Exceptional Individual. Since 1988, he has directed after school and summer physical activity programs for children with disabilities and special needs on the CSU, Long Beach campus. He has been involved in Special Olympics, having served in the capacity of a coach of various sport programs as well as the Director of the Kansas State Special Olympics Basketball Tournament from 1984 to 1988. He has been on the State Board of the California Association for Blind Athletes and for many years directed the Goalball games held on the CSULB campus. He has served as a consultant to the American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) to develop instructional materials to help coaches meet the unique challenges children with special needs and disabilities present when included into youth soccer. He has eight years of physical education public school teaching experience in adapted and general physical education. Experiences include: teaching as an itinerant special physical education teacher, teaching physical education in a special day school to children with mental retardation, and working as an elementary school physical education teacher.
Dr. Lavay's publication and research interests are in the areas of behavior management and physical fitness testing and programming for individuals with mental retardation.
